Bees urgently need conservation as natural (biological) pollinators like bees are showing an alarming decline in their populations due to several natural and anthropogenic factors. Bees, moths and butterflies, different species of flies, beetles, wasps, hornets, ants, molluscs (some species of snails and slugs), birds (such as hummingbirds, parakeets, sunbirds, flowerpeckers etc), mammals (bats, some species of primates, arboreal rodents) are all important natural pollinators.

They are essential for the survival of global agriculture, forestry and apiculture industries. But relentless over-exploitation of natural resources along with severe negative impacts of global ecological degradation, loss of biodiversity and severe pressure of environmental pollution are responsible for the depletion of different species of our natural (biological) pollinators.

Among all these biological pollinators, bees are the worst impacted. These include both our commercial honeybees as well as native (local or indigenous or endemic) bee species. However, commercial honeybee colonies are produced by apiculturists and it is a thriving industry by itself.

Therefore, there are chances of reviving, replacing or replenishing depleted honeybee colonies in the case of the commercial apiculture industry. However, there are very little or no regeneration or conservation efforts available for the regeneration of native bees. As a consequence global native bee populations are the worst hit. In many instances, across North American and European continents several species of native bees are reported to demonstrate between 97-99% population decline in their habitats.

The most significant factor impacting the rapid decline of bee populations around the planet includes the excessive application of toxic chemical pesticides for crop protection. The chemical residues that collect on the soil are washed away by both irrigation and rainwater that percolates into the nesting holes of several ground nesting native bees killing the queen bees and leading to a complete population crash in some species. The droplets of toxic insecticides also land upon the poor bees while they are foraging for nectar and pollen grains.

As a consequence mass decline in the bee population is being reported across developed and developing nations. Other factors include a change in land use patterns, industrial agriculture, an increase in bee diseases, poor immunity and disease resistance in various bee species, lack of adequate bee foraging plants (melliferous flora) impacting bee nutrition, Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) to mention only a handful. Climate Change, particularly Global Warming has been identified by many researchers as an important factor in the global decline of bee populations.

Why are we so concerned about the loss of the native bees?

Bees are responsible for the pollination of almost 85% of flowering plant species around the planet. These include our numerous forest herbs, shrubs, and trees. Such forest plants are exclusively dependent on natural pollinators for their pollination.

What is pollination?

It is the transfer of anthers from making flowers to the stigma of the female flowers for the production of fruits and seeds to ensure the survival of the next generations of plant species. Pollination Biology though a very important branch of studies has long been neglected by mainstream research. But recently it is showing a global revival and it is astonishing to note that modern science knows very little about the intricate details of pollination mechanisms and the different biological species taking part in this process.

Hence, it is absolutely necessary to take urgent steps for the purpose of conservation of friendly natural pollinators like honeybees and native bees. Stringent legal restrictions regarding the overuse of toxic synthetic chemical pesticides globally is an urgent need of the hour.

Bees constitute very important strata in our ecosystem, and if that is destroyed it is going to cause serious disruptions both in terms of ecological dynamics and economic stability. Thus for both ecology and economy to work hand in hand; it is important that we seriously understand and appreciate the role played by bees to sustain our agriculture, forestry and apiculture industries.

(Saikat Kumar Basu is a Canada-based academic and active researcher dedicated to agriculture, life and environmental sciences.)