A tenth of Europe's wild bees risk extinction: report

Reuters Yahoo News 20 Mar 15;

OSLO (Reuters) - Almost one in 10 of Europe's wild bee species is at risk of extinction because of threats from the spread of farms and pesticides among other factors, a first assessment of the continent's bee populations showed on Thursday.

Bees are vital to food production but are in decline in many parts of the world. There are 1,965 wild bee species in Europe and 9.2 percent of them are at risk of extinction while another 5.2 percent are likely to be threatened in the near future, according to the international study, funded by the European Commission.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) also said its study showed that 57 percent of all European bee species, which include types of bumblebees, honey bees and solitary bees, were so little known that it was impossible to judge whether they were at risk or not.

"We're laying down a benchmark" to help judge future trends, lead author Ana Nieto of the IUCN, which groups governments, scientists and conservationists, told Reuters. "We were shocked that there is not enough information for so many species."

The bees work in pollinating crops is worth an estimated 22 billion euros ($23 billion euros) a year in Europe, and 153 billion euros worldwide, according to the study.

Cullum's bumblebee, found in Europe and Asia, was among those most at risk and was rated "critically endangered" because of the loss of its favorite clover flowers to farming.

The report said that threats to bees included more intensive farming, insecticides, and climate change - causing more heavy rainfalls, droughts and heat waves that can harm bees and their access to food.

(Reporting By Alister Doyle; Editing by Susan Fenton)

One in ten wild bees face extinction in Europe
Helen Briggs BBC News 20 Mar 15;

Almost one in 10 of Europe's native wild bees face extinction, according to the most comprehensive expert assessment so far.

The European Red List, drawn up by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, found 9.2% of nearly 2,000 species are threatened with extinction.

Another 5% are likely to be threatened in the near future.

Threats include loss of habitat from intensive farming, pesticide use, urban development and climate change.

Jean-Christophe Vié, of the IUCN Global Species Programme, said the assessment was the best understanding so far on wild bees in Europe, but knowledge was incomplete due to "an alarming lack of expertise and resources".

"Bees play an essential role in the pollination of our crops," he said.

"We must urgently invest in further research in order to provide the best possible recommendations on how to reverse their decline."

The new assessment made a number of recommendations, including:
=Better monitoring and assessment of common and rare species
=More protection for habitats supporting bees
=Regulation of trade in managed bees, which may spread diseases
=Long-term incentives to farmers to provide habitats for bees.
=Flowers in gardens attract bees
=Pollination is delivered by a range of insects
=Allotments in urban areas provide habitat
=Allotments in urban areas can provide valuable habitat for bees

The study adds to growing evidence that multiple environmental pressures are driving the loss of bees both in the wild and in hives.

Commenting on the findings, Prof Mark Brown of the School of Biological Sciences at Royal Holloway, University of London, said: "A lot of our bees have been in decline or are at risk of extinction and we need to change how the landscape is managed to deal with that.

"Bees need to be incorporated into how we think about and develop sustainable agriculture."

Insect pollination has an estimated economic value of 15bn euros per year in the EU alone.

Boosting populations of pollinators would bring benefits to wildlife, the countryside and food producers, said the report.

"Our quality of life - and our future - depends on the many goods and services that nature provides for free," said Karmenu Vella, EU commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.

"If we don't address the roots of the decline in wild bees, and act urgently to stop it, we could pay a very heavy price indeed."