Experts Unlock the Cause of Plummeting Population of Native Bee in Oregon Coast

Within a few years of wood harvest, native bees in the Oregon Coast Range are numerous and diversified in clearcut regions, but as planted trees grow and the forest canopy closes, their numbers rapidly decline.

Bees swarm in clearcut areas but decline in number while forest regenerates

The researchers noted that the results are critical for comprehending the potential contributions that forest management might make to the preservation of a significant pollinator group, as per Phys.Org.

The effects of land management techniques on wild bees outside of agricultural systems are little understood, despite increasing concern about how human activity may be causing global decreases in pollinator species.

That information gap must be filled since bees pollinate many flowering plants which sustain food webs and form ecosystems.

Scientists examined native bee colonies in 60 Douglas-fir stands with a range of ages during the spring and summer of 2018 and 2019 across a time period corresponding to a normal 40-year harvest rotation.

After harvest, the overall number of bees found and the variety of bee species both significantly decreased with stand age, falling by an average of 61% and 48%, respectively.

Nearly 90% of the blooming plants on Earth, particularly many food crops, benefit from the reproduction of animal pollinators, which are crucial to the diversity of insects and plants.

Native insect pollinators, particularly bees, are projected to generate more than $3 billion annually in commercial pollination services in the United States and are crucial to the health of natural ecosystems and food webs.

Nearly a quarter of Oregon's 600 native bee species can be found in newly cut forests, where the state's more than 600 native bee species can be found.

Recent research has shown that lowering the use of pesticides slightly in the first few years following harvest can sometimes increase the diversity of pollinator species without reducing crop yield.

Another strategy to assist assure maximal bee presence following timber harvesting, the researchers write, is to incorporate species of plants that are pollinated by bees into the seed mixtures used for revegetation along roadside ditches and at log landings. Before being loaded onto trucks, logs are stacked on a landing.

Bees mostly dies in usage of pesticides

Pesticides and other agricultural substances put bees at risk of poisoning and death. Growers and beekeepers should both take measures to promote safe pollination and reduce the risk of bee poisoning, as per Agriculture Victoria.

The majority of bee poisoning incidents happen as a result of poor communication and organization between pesticide users and beekeepers.

It is illegal to use chemicals in a manner that is against the label's instructions, according to the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Control of Use) Act of 1992.

Bee-related claims are listed within the label's Protection of Livestock section for many agricultural pesticides, especially insecticides.

Bees are important to sustain biodiversity

Cross-pollination is essential to the proliferation and survival of 90% of all plants and 30% of all crops worldwide. In terms of pollinators, bees are crucial, as per Premier Tech.

In each component of the ecosystem, they are involved. Trees, flowers, and other plants that provide food and shelter for both large and little creatures can grow thanks to their support.

Species from a wide range of different species can coexist in habitats because of the complex, interconnected ecosystems that bees support.