The Birds & Bees, and Bats, too
Bad news for plant reproduction.
The National Academy of Sciences released a report yesterday (with a free summary) expressing concern that populations of key pollinators – including honeybees, bumblebees, hummingbirds, and bats – are declining. These population declines are a problem for the more than 75% of plants that rely on a little help from pollinators to reproduce.
The report identifies several causes for pollinator declines, including introduced parasites, habitat loss and fragmentation, and global climate change. The short report summary doesn’t specifically discuss the widespread use of pesticides as a factor, but the US Fish & Wildlife Service certainly does.
The National Academies reports offers a number of recommendations, ranging from inspecting imported insects to stop parasites, to bulking up federal funding for pollinator research, to maintaining Endangered Species Act protections for pollinators (although, by the time a species is on that list, an ecosystem that depends on it will already be in real trouble).
This is an issue where individual action can make a difference. The National Academies report advises:
“Landowners such as homeowners and businesses could contribute to the conservation of pollinators by planting wildflowers to provide floral resources for resident and migratory adult pollina¬tors and by providing nesting sites for females.”
Fortunately, a number of wildlife groups provide resources that can help with this. The NC Wildlife Federation’s backyard habitat program offers great suggestions for creating habitat (click the Program tab, then the link to backyard habitats). Audubon NC’s website includes links to inform about making yards hospitable to birds. Finally, for information about bats, we’re big fans of Bat Conservation International, whose website includes a discussion of how putting up bat houses can help these pollinators. Finally, check out the Pesticide Education Project’s factsheets on good alternatives to pesticides.
