All articles tagged with #pollinators
A Homes & Gardens guide lists one birth-month bee for each month, with identification tips and practical ways to support them year-round—plant nectar-rich flowers, provide nesting sites like bee hotels or bare ground, and maintain wildlife-friendly habitat—plus product picks to boost pollinator gardens.
A SUNY ESF ecologist found a chestnut mining bee in a Syracuse orchard—the rare pollinator last seen in southern New York in 1904—marking the first NY sighting north of the Hudson and highlighting ongoing chestnut restoration work that supports pollinators in urban settings.
A study by UFZ scientists found that crop chemicals like fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides cause significant behavioral changes in honeybees and zebrafish, even at environmentally relevant low concentrations, suggesting the need for more complex behavioral testing in chemical risk assessments to better protect non-target organisms and biodiversity.
Green bus stops with living roofs are being implemented worldwide to combat urban heat, support pollinators, and integrate nature into cities, with potential to significantly increase urban green space and improve environmental health.
A study of 56 million-year-old fossil pollen reveals that during a rapid global warming event, pollination shifted from wind to animal pollination, with plants from dry tropical regions expanding poleward, offering insights into how ecosystems respond to climate change and the importance of rate of change for survival.
Research in UK cities shows urbanization significantly reduces pollinator diversity, especially moths and hover flies, which are more sensitive than bees. To support these vital insects, gardeners are encouraged to create diverse habitats and collaborate with neighbors to form larger ecological networks, helping urban ecosystems thrive.
Research shows that the widely used fungicide chlorothalonil, common in Australian agriculture, significantly harms beneficial insects like fruit flies even at low levels, potentially contributing to the global insect decline known as the 'insect apocalypse.' The study highlights the need for more sustainable farming practices and further research on chemical impacts on non-target species.
Deadheading bee balm throughout the summer prolongs its blooming period, keeps the plant neat, and promotes healthier growth by redirecting energy from seed production to new flower buds. It is best to deadhead regularly once flowers fade, using sharp pruning shears, and can also help prevent powdery mildew and unwanted reseeding. The process is simple and can be incorporated into regular garden maintenance for more vibrant and extended blooms.
A study from Warsaw University, published in Ecological Entomology, reveals that small urban wildflower patches can support pollinators like butterflies, bees, and hoverflies as effectively as natural meadows. Despite fewer butterflies in urban areas, the diversity of species remains comparable, suggesting that urban wildflower meadows can help mitigate insect decline and enhance biodiversity in cities.
A new study published in the journal Sustainable Environment reveals that millions of bees are killed annually by cars in the U.S., posing significant threats to the environment and economy. Researchers in Utah used sticky traps on car bumpers to estimate bee casualties, finding that a single 230-mile trip could kill up to 175 bees. With bees being crucial pollinators for about a third of the world's food supply, their declining populations, exacerbated by road collisions, could have severe ecological and economic consequences. The study suggests planting vegetation on road sides rather than medians to help mitigate bee deaths.
Researchers are studying the impact of nativars, cultivated variations of native plants, on pollinators. Studies have shown that while some nativars are equally attractive to pollinators, others are noticeably snubbed. Factors such as nectar quantities, flower color, and flowering time play a role in pollinator preferences. Nativars generally score well, but native species with greater genetic diversity are crucial for the survival of plant and insect populations, especially in the face of climate change. Nativars can still fill a niche, particularly for urban gardeners, but prioritizing native species is essential for maintaining biodiversity and environmental resilience.
Airborne chemicals from fossil fuels are altering the scent of flowers, making it difficult for pollinators like moths to locate them, especially at night. The chemicals, specifically nitrate radicals, are masking the natural scents of flowers, impacting the crucial plant-pollinator interactions. This interference could have significant consequences for the ecosystem, as many flowering plants rely on insect intervention for pollination, and a large number of pollinator species are already endangered or threatened.
A study published in the journal Science reveals how air pollution is disrupting the scents that nocturnal pollinators rely on to find flowers, potentially leading to dire consequences for plant communities. The research shows that certain scent chemicals attractive to moths degrade in the presence of NO3, a pollutant formed from car and industrial emissions, leading to a 70% drop in wild moth visitation. This study sheds light on the little-known but detrimental effects of air pollution on wildlife that rely on scent, indicating potential widespread impacts on ecosystems worldwide.
A new study suggests that air pollution, specifically nitrate radicals abundant in nighttime urban air, can severely degrade the scent emitted by flowers such as the pale evening primrose, making them less attractive to pollinating insects like hawk moths. This sensory pollution could interfere with plant reproduction, decrease fruit production, and threaten pollinators, which rely on flower nectar for sustenance. The research highlights the wide-ranging impacts of air pollution on ecosystems beyond human health.
A study by French scientists has shown that a decline in pollinators has led to a 25% increase in self-pollination in modern pansy plants, along with a 20% reduction in nectar production, impacting rewards for pollinators such as bumblebees. The experiment used "resurrection ecology" to compare plants from the 1990s and 2000s with their modern counterparts, revealing rapid evolutionary changes in response to pollinator decline. The study suggests that this adaptation could have negative long-term consequences for the plants, and future research aims to investigate if similar patterns exist in other plant species and if plant evolution in response to pollinator decline could be reversible.