Bees are a crucial part of our environment. They are the most important pollinators in nature. They are instrumental in plant reproduction. They help with biodiversity and the dispersal of species into new regions and, therefore, help with the enrichment of the biosphere of other regions.
A decline in the bee population can have serious and wide ranging effects throughout the planet. Plants that rely on pollinators will be vulnerable to extinction. This can lead to threat to the survival of other species that rely on such plants. Many animals such that rely on bees as their food source will suffer from shortage of food. this can lead to adverse effects and major changes to the ecosystems.
There has been a steady decline in the bee population across globe over the past few years. The data over the past few years has become more and more disturbing. According to a post by petpedia.co (petpedia.co/bee-statistics):
- There’s a 2.96 million decline in honey bee colonies over the years in the US.
- US beekeepers lost an average of 40% of their honey bee colonies in 2018.
- Utah beekeepers lost 49.1% of their colonies over the winter of 2019.
- The EU is the second-biggest producer of honey globally.
- There are 81 million western honey bee hives globally.
- North Dakota has the highest honey production with over 38 million pounds.
- The bee population in 2019 consisted primarily of wild bees.
- Honey production in has declined by 90% in the 2019/2020 bushfire season.
- Some bee species in the UK have become entirely extinct.
- Canada’s honey production in 2018 was 15.4% higher than in 2019
The following image published by the European Parliament (www.europarl.europa.eu) depicts the dire situation of the bee population in Europe
Human beings are a major contributor to the decline in the bee population. Among the reasons we can cite are the use of insecticide and herbicide, and the loss of their habitat due to growing urbanization. Climate change and global warming are other big contributors to the decline in bee population at a global level.
In the short term, this decline will cause reduction in pollination, which will reduce a variety of agricultural products. It will also have adverse impacts on the food chain of species that rely on bees.
In the long term, there will be shortage of food, and changes to biosphere in some regions which, in turn, can lead o mass migration from areas that are severely affected, to areas that are less affected.
Eventually, all four spheres of any ecosystem will be adversely affected by a decline in the bee population. The biosphere will suffer from extinction of several plants and animals. This will change the effect that those organisms have on oxygen and carbon dioxide patterns which will eventually impact the atmosphere. A change in the atmosphere will have an impact on the hydrosphere. Over time, these changes will impact the shape of the surrounding land and therefore will have an impact on the lithosphere.
The decline in the bee population has been serious enough for scientists to conceptualize different ways of substituting bees with mechanical devices such as Plan B, and NewBees, which are both robotic pollinators.
While the efforts of the scientific community is laudable, It is much better to address and reduce the harmful human activities that have contributed to the decline of the bee population.
Sources and References:
Introduction: The Importance of Bees Worldwide) (https://www.fairmont.com/infographics/the-decline-of-bees/)
(What Would Happen If All the Bees Died? (https://www.britannica.com/story/what-would-happen-if-all-the-bees-died)
43 Frightening Bee Statistics to Know (https://petpedia.co/bee-statistics/)
On the Verge of Exrinction (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/resources/library/images/20191203PHT67953/20191203PHT67953_original.jpg
'Plan Bee' drone can pollinate flowers when real bees can't (https://www.cnet.com/science/plan-bee-drone-designed-to-pollinate-flowers-in-style/ )
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