To say that interest in pollinators has been growing of late borders on understatement

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Milton Bruce
5 years ago
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2 To say that interest in pollinators has been growing of late borders on understatement 2

3 The five Ws would be helpful here 3

4 Who? Insects in at least six orders are involved in pollination Thysanoptera Hymenoptera Diptera Lepidoptera Coleoptera (...about 150, ,000 species ) Hemiptera

5 Bird pollination Mammal pollination Even lizard pollination (...about 1,500 species of vertebrates in total ) 5 5

6 What? What? Pistil Fertilization pollen grain Pollination: The transfer of pollen from the male part of flowers (anthers) to the female part (stigma). Pollen grain contains the male gamete (plant sperm) Ovule houses the female gamete (plant egg) 6

plant genetic diversity http://joyfusions.

7 Insects are particularly important pollinators because they facilitate cross-pollination, which increases plant genetic diversity 7

When? Report Briefing October 2006 Managed

Similar data are not available for other

8 When? Report Briefing October 2006 Managed Pollinators Status Long-term population trends for honey bee in the United States are demonstrably downward. Similar data are not available for other pollinators. U.S. honey bee colonies, Data compiled from USDA-NASS 8

Colony losses have subsequently climbed, ranging from 22%

9 That same month, the first reports of what would eventually be called Colony Collapse Disorder appeared. Colony losses have subsequently climbed, ranging from 22% to 35% annually ever since 9

10 Cameron et al Jan 2011 Evidence also has accumulated of population declines in other pollinators Bumble bee decline was associated with a microsporidian pathogen and reduced genetic diversity 10

$charts) Sizes of the pie charts indicate total number of individuals surveyed at each location; size of the orange segment indicates the fraction of the respective target species collected at that$

11 Bumble bee decline Summary of Bombus individuals surveyed from 382 collection locations for eight target species, including historical range maps (grayscale shading) with current sightings (pie charts) Sizes of the pie charts indicate total number of individuals surveyed at each location; size of the orange segment indicates the fraction of the respective target species collected at that site 11

12 Overwintering populations of monarch butterflies in Mexico are in steep decline 12

13 as are overwintering populations in California 13

14 Where? Pollinator decline appears to be a global phenomenon Honey bee numbers are down across Europe 14

15 In Britain, both wild bees and flower flies (syrphids) have been declining (and those are among very few groups of insects people pay attention to ) 15

16 Why? More than 67 percent of flowering plants ( 240,000 sp.) require a pollinator insect to move pollen. 16 Photo: Edward S. Ross

17 The economic impact of insect pollination worldwide is estimated at 170 billion dollars ( 150 billion, Gallai et al. 2009) and disproportionately affects fruits, vegetables, edible oil crops, stimulant crops, and nuts. 17

18 Pollination a 20+ billion dollar service to US agriculture (honey bees alone provide $15 billion) Direct result: apple, almond, avocado, blueberry, cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, cucumber, citrus, plums, peaches, pumpkin, strawberries Indirect result: dairy products (from alfalfa and clover hay), seeds (carrots, celery, onion), higher yields (peanuts, soybeans, olives, grapes) 18

Pumpkins, melons, horseradish, peaches, popcorn and grapes for wine production are just some of the lesser-known crops grown on 100,000 acres of Illinois

19 Pumpkins, melons, horseradish, peaches, popcorn and grapes for wine production are just some of the lesser-known crops grown on 100,000 acres of Illinois farmland each year. In 2010, specialty crops generated more than $390 million in sales. 19

(e.g., peaches, 48%, watermelon 70%) (e.g., pumpkin, 90%) http://expectattitude.

20 (e.g., peaches, 48%, watermelon 70%) (e.g., pumpkin, 90%) 20

21 There s no way to place an economic value on pollination of native plants by native insects 21

22 How to help? Almost 8 years after CCD first made headlines, what do we know? Well, we know that pollinator health is complicated Farmers, beekeepers, and the general public all have to work together 22

23 Farmers, beekeepers, and the general public can ALL cut down on pesticide use 23

24 And everyone should cut down on pesticides that serve no purpose 24

25 Seed treatments provide negligible overall benefits to soybean production in most situations 25

26 Farmers, beekeepers, and the general public can ALL diversify the landscape to provide pollinator habitat 26

stressors Pollen-fed honey bees deal with

27 and to improve pollinator nutrition Good nutrition helps bees and other pollinators cope better with other stressors Pollen-fed honey bees deal with organophosphate pesticides better than honey bees not receiving pollen 27

28 And pollen diversity is particularly critical when pathogens are present (survival is maximized on mixed pollen) 28 28

29 Natural components of honey, pollen and propolis upregulate genes that encode proteins that detoxify pesticides (such as cytochrome P450s) AND that strengthen immunity 29

Beekeeping practices that replace honey with sucrose

30 Beekeeping practices that replace honey with sucrose or highfructose corn syrup may thus compromise detoxification and immunity. Why do beekeepers feed their bees sucrose or fructose syrup? Guts of honey bees consuming sugar are flaccid and reduced in size in comparison with guts of bees consuming honey

31 Back in 2009, habitat loss was linked to CCD: The greater the amount of open land, the greater the honey yield; the lower the ratio of open to developed land, the higher the proportion of colony loss. Bees are having trouble finding enough highquality food 31 31

32 And with drought s making losses of diversit y more acute, bees have resorted to weirder foods 32

33 Here in Champaign County 33

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The Conservation Reserve Program encourages farmers to convert highly erodible cropland or other environmentally sensitive acreage to vegetative cover, such as cultivated or native bunchgrasses and

35 The Conservation Reserve Program encourages farmers to convert highly erodible cropland or other environmentally sensitive acreage to vegetative cover, such as cultivated or native bunchgrasses and grasslands, wildlife and pollinators food and shelter plantings, windbreak and shade trees, filter and buffer strips, grassed waterways, and riparian buffers (Wiki) In 2013, the total acreage enrolled, 25.3 million acres, was the lowest total since 1988 when the program had just started 35

36 In Illinois in particular, losses of CRP land are high 36

37 In the In the Corn Belt, much of the increase in corn acreage came at the expense of soybeans, a nectar and pollen source for bees 37

38 Suburban lawns, as currently configured, aren t ideal for pollinators either Plant flowers with nectar and pollen or tolerate more weeds (after all, they re just wildflowers ) 38

39 You can also help pollinators by helping scientists learn about them 39

Date and locality information are also entered and

40 Citizen-scientists upload digital images of honey bees and bumble bees and identify them based on a user-friendly color-based keys Date and locality information are also entered and cross-referenced with the Illinois Natural History Survey historical collections 40

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42 --Support your local beekeeper; buy local honey! 42

43 And learn all you can about pollinators and then tell your friends! 43

44 Thank you! Thank you! 44

The Honey Bee Health Crisis. Is that still a thing?

The Honey Bee Health Crisis. Is that still a thing? The Honey Bee Health Crisis Is that still a thing? Interesting Facts on the subject More Beekeepers and Bees than prior to 2006 and Colony Collapse Disorder Higher Annual Hive losses too (40%) Higher Input