New research found that a diverse community of wild bees was observed to be active in high woodland treetops.
The discovery unveiled new observations because shaded woodlands are considered a poor place for bees.
Insect Conservation and Diversity published the study, which is also available on Phy.org. The study noted that the findings are helpful for further research on how bee communities show different results in the canopy and understory.
According to the article, Dr. Richard Davies explained the importance of wild bees. It plays a significant role in the crop pollination process. Also, wild bees require non-crop habitats to thrive in agricultural landscapes, providing an area for nests and flowers to feed. Davies is also from the UEA's School of Biological Sciences.
Furthermore, Davies noted that the shaded woodland is seen to be poor foraging habitat for wild bees. Bee activities going on in the sunlit woodland canopy are scarcely investigated.
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Bees conservation
The researchers looked into 15 woodland sites with bee communities to observe the bees in Norfolk.
- They observed the bees' activities in the canopy habitats with a height of up to 20 meters.
- They also investigated the understory of woodland (interiors) and exposed woodland (edges)
- In conclusion, the researchers discovered that a diverse community of wild bees was observed to be active in the woodland canopies.
- The study also found that the bees' activity levels were high in the flowering sycamore trees, adding that woodlands are also crucial to help farmland bees.
- Also, the researchers noted that bees differ depending on the woodland canopy or understory. Understory woodland has the potential to support bee communities.
The team noted that woodland canopies could help conserve the bee, which the nectar and pollen-rich sycamore trees attract bees.
According to the article, the study's lead author Guthrie Allen explained that the results were surprising: most bee species were abundant located in the understories, which is same as the sunlit or exposed bees in the edges. Guthrie is also from UEA's School of Biological Sciences.
The lead researcher added the findings revealed that wild bees could have the potential of the woodland canopies' abundant sources of nectar and pollen.
More about bees
According to the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), the body of a bee has three important parts: the head with two antennae, an abdomen, and the thorax with six legs. However, it noted that only female bees have stingers that can sting when threatened.
The record shows that there are over 20,000 bees worldwide.
On the other hand, the National Wildlife Federation said that wild bees could be found on every continent, but not in Antarctica's freezing temperature. Bees' diet consumes sugary nectar and pollen from the plants (flowering).
NWF noted that bees are crucial to the survival of North America's native plants. Record says that bees significantly pollinate 80 percent of flowering plants, including fruits and vegetables, in the U.S alone.
However, bees are also threatened and declined due to climate change, habitat destruction, fragmentation, and invasive species.
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