New software to test land management technique could help save the bees
Katie Jones discusses how a new software could be used going into the future to save the global populations of bees.
Bees are a vital part of our ecosystems. They are pollinators vital to crop production, and therefore our food supply, which is why it is so concerning that their numbers are in decline. However, a new decision-support tool called BEE-STEWARD may help change the tide. It will help farmers, researchers and policymakers make more informed decisions and better benefit bumblebee populations.
It will help farmers, researchers and policymakers make more informed decisions and better benefit bumblebee populations.
The tool has been developed in collaboration between University of Exeter, University of Sussex, and Rothamsted Research. It works by providing a “virtual safe space to test out different bee-friendly management options.” This virtual testing is greatly beneficial because real-world testing is not feasible, as there are too many inter-connected factors that affect the health of bumblebee colonies. Instead, land managers can map different ideas virtually and learn from the software’s predictions.
BEE-STEWARD can predict bumblebee behaviour in agricultural landscapes in many ways including survival rates, nest density and distribution. It looks at bee behaviours such as foraging and colony dynamics and considers negative environmental factors such as parasites and predators. This provides land managers with a powerful tool for understanding how to best balance bee populations and pollinator interests with other considerations. University of Exeter’s Professor Juliet Osborne says BEE-STEWARD will increase “the likelihood of land being managed to boost pollinators.”
97 percent of flower-rich meadows and wildflower fields have disappeared since 1937
Many of the threats faced by bumblebees are worsened by human land management and the demands of the agriculture sector. The Bumblebee Conservation Trust describes how the public expectation of cheap, perfect fruit and vegetables has decreased the density of flowering plants nationwide. This means there are fewer flowers for bumblebees to feed on and less shelter available to nest in during winter. Bumblebees only feed on flowers and need a far greater number of flowers to sustain their colonies in comparison to similar species. 97 percent of flower-rich meadows and wildflower fields have disappeared since 1937. However, in recent years the movement to re-wild the land has grown hugely, and saving the bees is on the agenda with activists, farmers, land managers and policymakers.