Bee Extinction Essay

1538 Words4 Pages

Decline and Conservation of Bumble Bees, Journal, D. Goulson, G.C Lye, and B. Darvill. September 5, 2007. School of Biological & Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, United Kingdoms. 53: 191-208. 10.1146/annurev.ento.53.103106.093454. Decline in bumble bee species have been studied extensively in the past 60 years in regards to the European species. Only recently has data on the American species been gathered, which has been collected since the 90´s. According to D. Goulson, G.C Lye and B. Darvill the decline in bee populations is primarily driven by; habitat loss, the decline in floral diversity and abundance, monoculture agriculture, pesticides, inbreeding, commercial trafficking, pathogens and environmental and demographic stochastic. What’s clear is that the drivers, which threaten the pollinating services to wildflowers and crops, are widespread. The solution is simple but requires a reform in the way society is structured; all the large scaled monoculture crops must leave space for habitat/floral (which words seems better?) biodiversity, which is needed to support viable bee populations in the long term. The information gathered in this journal has been greatly beneficial to my research, not only has it thoroughly explained some of the drivers behind bee decline and possible solutions in great detail with citations referring to other viable sources, it has given me a new perspective on the importance of bees to the human race. Bees need flowers to survive, it is a mutually dependent relationship, and if one of the two partners is going extinct it will drive the other to extinction as well. This is called an ”extinction vortex”. Understanding the importance of bees to the survival humans might ... ... middle of paper ... ...our fruits and vegetables industries but it also affects the diary and beef industry, which needs feed for its cattle. So the scope of of impact the bee has on society is so vast that we cant afford to loose them. If honeybees completely disappeared there would be a domino effect in the food chain, and organisms that have a mutual dependent relationship with bees would suffer an extinction vortex, potentially reducing mankind to little more than a water diet. This article states a lot of information about the decline and possible solutions, which are prominent in the other sources I have mentioned. What is becoming more clear as I continue my study is that decline is widespread, that it is a domino effect of multiple drivers, and that the only way to prevent it is to change our state of global conciseness in regards to the importance of bees to our own survival.

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