Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- List of abbreviations
- 1 Introduction
- PART I FACTORS DRIVING CHANGES IN WILDLIFE
- PART II CONSERVATION IN ACTION
- PART III THE CASE HISTORIES
- 15 Mammals in the twentieth century
- 16 Bats
- 17 State of bird populations in Britain and Ireland
- 18 The conservation of the Grey Partridge
- 19 Reptiles
- 20 Amphibians
- 21 Freshwater fishes: a declining resource
- 22 Riverflies
- 23 Bumblebees
- 24 Butterflies
- 25 Moths
- 26 Dragonflies (Odonata) in Britain and Ireland
- 27 Flies, beetles and bees, wasps and ants (Diptera, Coleoptera and aculeate Hymenoptera)
- 28 Hemiptera
- 29 Grasshoppers, crickets and allied insects
- 30 Aerial insect biomass: trends from long-term monitoring
- 31 Other invertebrates
- 32 Land and freshwater molluscs
- 33 The seashore
- 34 The offshore waters
- 35 Plants
- 36 Conclusion: what is the likely future for the wildlife in Britain and Ireland?
- Glossary
- Name index
- Subject index
- Plate section
- References
23 - Bumblebees
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 August 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- List of abbreviations
- 1 Introduction
- PART I FACTORS DRIVING CHANGES IN WILDLIFE
- PART II CONSERVATION IN ACTION
- PART III THE CASE HISTORIES
- 15 Mammals in the twentieth century
- 16 Bats
- 17 State of bird populations in Britain and Ireland
- 18 The conservation of the Grey Partridge
- 19 Reptiles
- 20 Amphibians
- 21 Freshwater fishes: a declining resource
- 22 Riverflies
- 23 Bumblebees
- 24 Butterflies
- 25 Moths
- 26 Dragonflies (Odonata) in Britain and Ireland
- 27 Flies, beetles and bees, wasps and ants (Diptera, Coleoptera and aculeate Hymenoptera)
- 28 Hemiptera
- 29 Grasshoppers, crickets and allied insects
- 30 Aerial insect biomass: trends from long-term monitoring
- 31 Other invertebrates
- 32 Land and freshwater molluscs
- 33 The seashore
- 34 The offshore waters
- 35 Plants
- 36 Conclusion: what is the likely future for the wildlife in Britain and Ireland?
- Glossary
- Name index
- Subject index
- Plate section
- References
Summary
Summary
Since bumblebees are a group associated with cool climates, Britain supports a large proportion (~10%) of the world's bumblebee fauna. However, three of our 25 species have become extinct, and seven species are Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) listed, a higher proportion than for any other insect group. Declines are primarily driven by habitat loss and declines in floral abundance resulting from agricultural intensification, notably the loss of ~97% of all species-rich grasslands (haymeadows, calcareous grasslands) in the last 60 years. The decline in the abundance of Red Clover, once a common fodder and ley crop and a major source of pollen and nectar for many bumblebee species, is likely to have had a significant impact. Effects of habitat degradation and fragmentation are compounded by the social nature of bumblebees and by their largely monogamous breeding system, which means that they have a very low effective population size (most bumblebees are sterile workers). Hence, populations are susceptible to chance extinction events and inbreeding. Given the importance of bumblebees as pollinators of crops and wildflowers, their declines have broad ecological and economic significance. Suggested measures for their conservation include tight regulation of commercial bumblebee use and targeted use of agri-environment schemes to enhance floristic diversity in agricultural landscapes.
Introduction
The drone of bumblebees busily collecting nectar and pollen is, for me, the sound of summer: I have fond memories of childhood days spent in our garden in Shropshire catching bumblebees and imprisoning them temporarily in jam jars.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Silent SummerThe State of Wildlife in Britain and Ireland, pp. 415 - 429Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010
References
- 196
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