[Pollinator] Protecting our diverse native bee fauna

[Ladadams at aol.com]

>From Elmira Star-Gazette - Elmira,NY,USA
 
 
Protecting our diverse native bee fauna

By Bryan Danforth • July 25, 2009 

 
 
In 2007-08, there were widespread media reports of  major die-offs of 
managed honey bee colonies in North America. The phenomenon  was termed "colony 
collapse disorder" (or CCD) and became one of The New York  Times' 
"buzzwords" (no pun intended) for 2007. Some experts predicted dire  consequences as a 
result of CCD. 

While decline in honey bee colonies is certainly a  cause for concern, 
especially for production of certain crops and for  bee-keepers whose 
livelihoods depend on honey bees, the majority of media  reports failed to provide 
some important background information. 
The honey bee (Apis mellifera) is one species out of an  estimated 20,000 
bees worldwide - more than 4,000 in the United States and 400  to 450 in New 
York. The media reports failed to distinguish between "honey bees"  (one 
species) and "bees" in general (approximately 20,000 species). CCD affects  
only honey bees and is not foreshadowing an environmental catastrophe. 
Honey bees, not a native species in North America, are  useful pollinators 
in many (not all) crops. Their colonies can be easily moved  and, of course, 
they produce honey. 
There is increasing evidence that preserving the  diversity of native bee 
species may be an effective safeguard against declines  in the pollinator 
services provided by honey bees. 
Native bees are pollinators for apples, blueberries,  cranberries, 
sunflowers, watermelons, squashes and pumpkins, to name just a  few. 
Many local apple growers have told me that they no  longer bring honey bees 
into their orchards - and yet they are seeing no  noticeable decline in 
apple pollination. Unfortunately, there are few studies  that document the 
value of native bees in crop pollination. 
The CCD crisis may have changed that. Pollination  biologists are now 
carefully examining the role that native bees perform in crop  pollination. There 
is a new movement emerging that you could describe as  "managing pollinator 
diversity" or "sustainable pollination." In this approach,  farmers, 
homeowners and gardeners provide native bees with habitats, nesting  substrates 
and floral resources that help maintain a diverse native bee fauna in  
agricultural and suburban settings. 
Managed honey bee populations may continue to decline,  and we do need to 
understand why. However conserving our diverse native bee  fauna is good for 
the environment and may also preserve our ability to produce  the fruits, 
berries, nuts and vegetables that keep our diet varied, interesting  and 
healthy.
Danforth is a professor of  entomology at Cornell University.





















































Laurie Davies Adams
Executive Director
Pollinator Partnership 
423 Washington Street, 5th floor
San Francisco, CA  94111
415-362-1137
LDA at pollinator.org


_www.pollinator.org_ (http://www.pollinator.org/) 
_www.nappc.org_ (http://www.nappc.org/) 

National Pollinator Week is June 22-28, 2009. 
Beecome  involved at _www.pollinator.org_ (http://www.pollinator.org/) 
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