Pollinators and pollination services under global change
Short description
Pollinators are currently facing several threats due to human activities, such as the exposure to pesticides, climate change and land use change. Not only are the pollinators themselves threatened, but also the pollination services they provide, as many plants depend on insect pollination. In several projects, we are trying to understand the effects of environmental change on pollinators and pollination.
Pollinators and their contribution to wild plant reproduction in the Arctic and subarctic
The Arctic - the most rapidly warming biome – has relatively few pollinator species, yet many Arctic plants invest substantial resources to attract pollinators. Using field observations and experimental manipulation of flowers, we want to shed light on the current contribution of insect pollination to plant reproduction in the arctic. This information will allow us to better understand the likely effects of global warming on pollinators and pollination in the future.
The conservation of wild bees at the Swedish West coast
The ongoing biodiversity decline of insect pollinators threaten ecosystem functioning. Yet, pollinators are often neglected in conservation efforts and the role of protected areas to preserve pollinators is unclear. To reverse pollinator decline, conservation efforts must be effective, sustainable and include relevant stakeholders.
Wild bees and honey bees are both important pollinators of wild plants and crops, but concerns have been raised that managed honey bees can impoverish wild bee populations. However, the concerns can counteract conservation efforts as they fuel tensions between conservationists and beekeepers and miss the opportunity for a united voice for bee conservation.
The overall goal with the project is to investigate the role of protected areas for wild bee conservation and identify management and communication efforts to benefit bee diversity. We will identify bee community structure (e.g. richness, diversity) of protected areas in relation to their management and to non-protected areas and quantify the degree of honey bee – wild bee competition. Also, we will evaluate existing communication efforts and investigate how social learning can reduce barriers for bee conservation.
