‘Crucial opportunity to act’ as study finds most of Europe’s wild bee species in decline
As Cop17 kicks off, records since 1921 show more bee species declining than increasing in all parts of Europe except the Alps
TL;DR
- Most of Europe's wild bee species and about half of its hover fly species have declined over the last century.
- Records since 1921 show more bee species declining than increasing in all parts of Europe except the Alpine region.
- The richness of bee and hover fly species suffered a persistent drop in the Atlantic and Continental regions.
- Pollinator communities have been reshaped by the gradual loss of sensitive species and the rise of a resilient few.
- Nearly 90% of wild flowering plants and over three-quarters of major food crop types depend on animal pollination.
- The UN warns that pollinator decline threatens wildlife and weakens ecosystems' resilience to climate change.
- Biodiversity loss can remain hidden behind apparently stable species numbers, presenting a crucial opportunity to act before further declines.
- The findings suggest that species' occupancy (probability of being found at a given site) has mostly fallen, even if some species haven't gone extinct.
- The study confirms a widespread decline in pollinator populations across the continent, with regional differences.
- Diplomats are gathering for the 17th UN conference on biodiversity (Cop17) to focus on conservation and sustainable use of the natural world.