The Buzz About Trees: Scientists at Wakehurst harness sound to understand bee abundance - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- High-tech bioacoustics sensors placed in trees will count pollinators by their buzz
- Range of trees selected for study from across Wakehurst's varied landscape
- Scientists hope findings will inform landscape planning in urban areas
Wakehurst in Sussex has announced ‘The Buzz About Trees’, an innovative new study that harnesses cutting-edge bioacoustics technology to monitor bee abundance. With wild bee populations in decline, scientists at Kew’s wild botanic garden are investigating which trees and plants best support pollinators, offering vital insights that could transform urban biodiversity.
Marking a major new step for Kew’s pollination research, scientists have installed state-of-the-art bioacoustics monitors in Wakehurst’s trees. These non-invasive monitors combine acoustics technology and environmental sensors to listen for the buzz of bees’ wing beats interpreting the sound into heat maps, providing crucial ecological data for the scientists.
The study forms part of Wakehurst's Nature Unlocked research programme, which sees the landscape transform into a living laboratory, as scientists use the diverse habitats to explore the value of biodiversity. With a smaller footprint than wildflower meadows, trees could provide extensive benefits to pollinators in towns and cities and with this data, scientists can help populations of critical bees, wasps and more across the country to thrive.
Eight trees were selected to house the Agrisound monitors, with Wakehurst’s Arboretum team skilfully installing three monitors per tree, alongside solar panels to power each piece of equipment. The trees selected are a mix of native and non-native species and include Horse chestnuts (Aesculus genus) and lime trees (Tilia), which were selected because of their known benefits to pollinators.
Posted On: 28/05/2025
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