Bumblebee populations in Europe and North America have declined sharply due to rising temperatures due to climate change, and some species may even disappear, according to Canadian researchers. "If the decline continues at this rate, many of these species may become extinct forever within a few decades," said the study's lead author, Peter Soroye, of the University of Ottawa.
Conclusions all the more worrying in terms of biodiversity as the bumblebee plays an important role as a pollinator. To arrive at this observation, the researchers took into account more than 500,000 data on 66 species of bumblebees in Europe and North America, covering the period 1901-1974 then 2000-2014. They compared the geographic distribution and diversity of these populations with changes in temperature and precipitation.
Not the first study
Conclusion: the probability of seeing a site occupied by bumblebees is significantly lower in the 2000-2014 period than in the 1901-1974 period. This drop amounts to 46% in North America and 17% in Europe. "We can expect an even greater decline for bumblebees in terms of land use and biodiversity in places where climate change exceeds what the species can tolerate," write the researchers.
In recent years, other studies have highlighted the threats to a multitude of animal species. It is however complicated to determine the share of responsibility for climate change and that of environmental problems (pesticides, etc.). According to scientists, heat waves are an unequivocal marker of global warming and these heat waves are expected to further multiply, lengthen and intensify.
Planet
Two new pesticides harmful to bees banned from January 1
Planet
Bees: The ban on two pesticides will not be challenged
- Environment
- study
- Planet
- Animals