Native bees that boost food crops are in decline but changing fire management policies could help them.
Native bees that boost food crops are in decline but changing fire management policies could help them.
Most flowering plant farms employ honeybees, a non-native species originally imported from Europe and managed by beekeepers. However, research shows that farms surrounded by natural bee habitat have higher crop yields.
UC Riverside entomologist Lauren Ponisio explains that native bees are increasingly important to food growers. They pollinate crops on the fringes of a farm and could potentially also be used for agricultural purposes.
“The non-native honeybees currently used for crops are having problems, and we’re in trouble if native bees can’t replace or supplement them on our farms,” Ponisio said. “Relying on one species of bee to pollinate all our crops is unsustainable.”
Read more at University of California - Riverside
Image: Native bee in Yosemite National Park's Illilouette Basin. (Credit: Lauren Ponisio / UCR)
