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The Value of Bees

The Value of Bees as Pollinators

 

Additional Resources

Bees are undoubtedly the most abundant pollinators of flowering plants in our environment. The service that bees and other pollinators provide allows nearly 70 percent of all flowering plants to reproduce; the fruits and seeds from insect pollinated plants account for over 30 percent of the foods and beverages that we consume. Beyond agriculture, pollinators are keystone species in most terrestrial ecosystems. Fruits and seeds derived from insect pollination are a major part of the diet of approximately 25 percent of all birds, and of mammals ranging from red-backed voles to grizzly bears. However, many of our native bee pollinators are at risk, and the status of many more is unknown. Habitat loss, alteration, and fragmentation, pesticide use, and introduced diseases all contribute to declines of bees.

 

 

Farming with Pollinators: Increasing Profit and Reducing Risk (Xerces Society)

The Buzz on Bees: Why Nature Needs its Native Bees (Wildlife Society 2008)

Importance of pollinators in changing landscapes for world crops (Klein et al. 2007)

Economic Value of Commercial Beekeeping (PAN North America & Beyond Pesticides)

Types of Bees * Bees & Pesticides * CCD * Conservation * Plants for Pollinators * Bumble Bees * EPA * European Union * Workshop * Research


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Last modified on June 06, 2013