Europe’s bumblebees threatened with extinction as their habitats shrink - Natural History Museum
Rising temperatures and habitat loss could spell an uncertain future for bumblebees in Europe.
As bumblebees move north to look for more suitable environments, some species could find themselves with nowhere left to go.
Some of Europe’s bumblebees could be pushed to the edge of extinction in the next 60 years.
New research looking at the prospects of the insects suggests that over three quarters could lose at least a third of their habitat by the 2060s, with areas suitable for Arctic species set to vanish almost entirely.
A combination of climate change and habitat degradation are believed to be driving these changes, with scientists calling for action to stem the losses of the important pollinators.
Dr Guillaume Ghisbain, the lead author of the research, says, ‘For several decades, scientists have been sounding the alarm about the decline of pollinators, and bumblebees in particular. Their decline has been pronounced in many different countries, so we were only moderately surprised, although deeply saddened, by our findings. As conservation biologists, we closely observe nature and communicate with colleagues around the world, all arriving at similar conclusions - pollinators are declining, often more severely than previously thought.’
The findings of the study were published in the journal Nature.
Why are bumblebees in decline?
Though there are a variety of different reasons that bumblebees are in decline, including pesticides and pollution, land use change is thought to be the main reason that the pollinators are a decreasing.
As farms have become more intensive, growing fewer crop plants in high numbers, native flowers which provide nectar for the insects have become increasingly scarce. Many species of bumblebee also need dense vegetation or disused burrows to build their nests in, which are also generally less common on modern farms.
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Posted On: 14/09/2023