Pollinators, like the bumblebee, are necessary for crop growth. Unfortunately, bee populations have significantly declined, some more than others. Habitat loss, pesticides, disease, and climate change factors like increased wildfires, extreme weather, and persistent drought negatively affect all pollinators.
Several bee species are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. For example, the Rusty Patched bumblebee was the first of the species to be considered threatened in 2017.
Additionally, two organizations, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Bombus Pollinators Association of Law Studehave, have petitioned to add the American bumblebee to the endangered list. Experts say this species was once a wide-ranging insect. However, that is no longer the case, and protection is critical. Their report states, “the American bumblebee has declined by 89% in relative abundance and continues to decline toward extinction.”
In the past two decades, these bumblebees have completely disappeared from eight states, Idaho, Maine, North Dakota, Oregon, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wyoming.
Moreover, they have become rare in many others, like New York, where the species has dropped by 99% since 2000. The species has also declined by more than half in the Midwest and the Southwest.
Some people might wonder why scientists keep track of bumblebees, honeybees, and other insect populations. According to the University of Florida Thompson Earth Systems Institute, “a diverse range of insect species is critical to the survival of most life on Earth, including bats, freshwater fishes, and even humans. Along with plants, insects are the foundation of the food web, and most of the plants and animals we eat rely on insects for pollination or food.”
Roughly 35% of the food humans eat depends on pollinators to reproduce. Bees, wasps, moths, butterflies, flies, and beetles play roles in pollinating flowering plants like tomatoes and almond trees. Pollinator visits also result in larger, more delicious fruits and increased crop yields. Growers depend on bumblebees for greenhouse and netted crop pollination.
The Endangered Species Act Can Protect the American Bumblebee
According to scientists, the Endangered Species Act is the best tool to prevent the American bumblebee extinction because of its 99% success rate in saving protected species. For example, the 50-year-old law saved the bald eagle, the American crocodile, and more.
Environment America states, “By listing the American bumblebee as endangered, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would be required to evaluate protected habitat.” Moreover, the agency would be required to “create a scientifically rigorous recovery plan. Helping to create safe havens for these bumblebees and give them the protection they need to begin to thrive again.”
Notably, government agencies cannot prevent bumblebee extinction alone. Americans can help prevent their loss by adding pollinator-friendly plants to their gardens. Pesticide-free plants like basil, rosemary, tomatoes, squashes, sunflowers, etc., encourage bees and other pollinators to visit.
Written by Cathy Milne Ware
Sources:
Brightly: Are Bees Endangered in 2023? At-Risk Species and What’s Causing a Decline; by Angelica Pizza
Environment America: It’s time to list the American bumblebee as endangered
USDA: Why is Pollination Important?
Center for Biological Diversity: Native Bees
UCDavis: Climate Change Is Ratcheting Up the Pressure on Bees; by Jennie L. Durant
Florida Museum: UF Thompson Earth Systems Institute: The Insect Effect: Insect Decline and the Future of Our Planet
Featured and Top Image by Dmitry Grigoriev Courtesy of Unsplash
First Inset Image by Krzysztof Niewolny Courtesy of Unsplash
Second Inset Image by Liam Spradlin Courtesy of Unsplash
