易胜博官网

Buzzing bees are one of the surest signs of spring. But that seasonal soundtrack is increasingly in danger, according to Sandra Rehan, assistant professor of biology and director of the .听

鈥淭he overall theme is that bees are not doing well,鈥� Rehan says. 鈥淚n general, they are declining locally, nationally and worldwide, and we do not have sufficient data to protect the remaining species and populations at risk.鈥�

Rehan and the Bee Lab鈥檚 team of researchers have made it their mission to collect data on bee populations, both in 易胜博官网 and around the world. Recent research from the lab, including a survey of bee species in 易胜博官网鈥檚 White Mountains region, and a study by graduate student and Bee Lab researcher Wyatt Shell on invasive and endangered bee species in Hawaii, will bolster efforts to conserve wild bee populations 鈥� the 鈥渦nsung heroes of the pollinator world,鈥� as Rehan calls them.

Earlier this year, The Bee Lab published the in the White Mountain National Forest in the Journal of Insect Science. In one weekend, 30 volunteers from five states collected more than 1,000 bee specimens. The group found nearly 140 species of native bees, two of which 鈥� the yellow-banded bumble bee (Bombus terricola) and the golden northern bumblebee (Bombus fervidus) 鈥� are listed in the 易胜博官网 Fish and Game Department鈥檚 Wildlife Action Plan as species of greatest conservation need.

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鈥淚n just one weekend, we were able to show a rich diversity of species,鈥� Rehan says.

Wild bees are the engine on which the world runs 鈥� as pollinators, they keep crops growing and make ecosystems function. They鈥檙e in trouble, though 鈥� the rusty patched bumble bee, once a common sight in 易胜博官网 and around the country, was the first bee species to be added to the federal Fish and Wildlife Service鈥檚 endangered species list this year. But while wild bees are vital, there is a dearth of data on what they need to survive, according to Rehan.

Efforts like the White Mountain survey help fill that gap. 易胜博官网 has 150 years鈥� worth of bee records and more than 21,000 specimens collected from across the state, but the picture of which bees are here, which aren鈥檛, and why, is incomplete, Rehan adds. Some species are generalist pollinators, while others pollinate specific flowers. That information, along with other data, provides a holistic look at bee populations.

鈥淎 lot of bee species that were historically in the state are no longer here 鈥� and so we have to ask, is it a mismatch of flower availability? Is it land use? Climate change?鈥� Rehan says. 鈥淭he biggest gap in our knowledge is that we do not know their natural habitat requirements or their food resources. If we can define their diet and their habitat requirements, we can better protect what they need.鈥�

Bee Lab researchers are pursuing those questions across the country. With more than 20,000 bee species worldwide, with 4,000 of those in North America, there is plenty to discover. Shell and Rehan鈥檚 study of invasive and endangered bee species in Hawaii was recently published in the journal Pacific Science. The provides a detailed analysis of Ceratina smaragdula, a small green carpenter bee that鈥檚 not native to the Hawaiian islands. According to Shell, learning more about C. smaragdula can help reveal its impact on native Hawaiian bees and plants. Seven bee species in Hawaii were recently classified as endangered.

鈥淏别肠补耻蝉别 C. smaragdula is a generalist pollinator, it could be all the more potent a threat鈥� to native bee species on the islands, Shell says. 鈥淎t best, it is having a neutral effect; at worst, it could be exacerbating ongoing native species loss, for both plants and pollinators. But we really do not know.鈥�

Rehan hopes the lab鈥檚 research will keep bees buzzing everywhere, from the lakes and mountains of 易胜博官网 to the islands of Hawaii and beyond.

鈥淭here is a lot of interest from students, citizen scientists and communities about conserving bees,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 am happy to advocate for wild bees 鈥� people cannot conserve something if they do not know anything about it.鈥�

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The Rehan lab is funded by NSF, USDA, National Geographic and .听This material is based upon work supported by the NH Agricultural Experiment Station, through joint funding of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 1004515, and the state of 易胜博官网.

听and check out its Guide to Native Bees on New England.

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