NEWS
Global map of bees created in conservation first
Helen Briggs
Current Address : BBC Environment correspondent Reprinted From : https :// bbc . in / 36Zj4Ik
Scientists have mapped the distribution of all 20,000 bee species on earth .
The new global map of bees will help in the conservation of the insects we rely on to pollinate our crops , say researchers in Singapore and China .
Bee populations are facing pressure from habitat loss and the use of pesticides .
Yet little is known about the array of species living on every continent save Antarctica , ranging from tiny stingless bees to bees the size of a human thumb .
Bees provide essential services to our ecosystems and are the major pollinators of many of our staple foods , said Dr Alice Hughes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Yunnan .
Yet , until now , we have not had the data to show where on the planet most species are .
" Here we combine millions of records to create the first maps of global bee richness , and understand why we see these patterns ," she told BBC News .
" These maps , and our framework , can then form the basis of future work , enabling us to better understand patterns of bee richness and ensure that they are effectively conserved into the future ."
Some bee populations , such as bumblebees in Europe and North America , are well studied .
But in other regions , such as large parts of Asia and Africa , documentation has been sparse .
While there remains a lot to learn about what drives bee diversity , the research team hopes their work will help in the conservation of bees as global pollinators .
Dr John Ascher of the National University of Singapore said by establishing a reliable baseline we can characterise bee declines and
" distinguish areas less suitable for bees from areas where bees should thrive but have been reduced by threats such as pesticides , loss of natural habitat , and overgrazing ".
Facts about bees
• There are over 16,000 known bee species in seven recognised families .
• Some species , such as honeybees , bumblebees and stingless bees , live in colonies , while others are solitary insects
• Although some groups , such as bumblebees , are well studied , the vast majority , more than 96 % of bee species are poorly documented
• Many crops , especially in developing countries , rely on native bee species , not honey bees .
Figure 1 : There are thousands of bee species , both little and large . © Zestin Soh
37 Grassroots Vol 20 No 4 December 2020