Declines in forage availability for bumblebees at a national scale

Carvell, Claire; Roy, David B. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5147-0331; Smart, Simon M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2750-7832; Pywell, Richard F. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6431-9959; Preston, Chris D.; Goulson, Dave. 2006 Declines in forage availability for bumblebees at a national scale. Biological Conservation, 132. 481-489. 10.1016/j.biocon.2006.05.008

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2006.05.008

Abstract/Summary

We assessed national scale changes in the forage plants of bumblebees in Britain, as a means of providing quantitative evidence for the likely principal cause of declines in bumblebee species. We quantified the relative value of native and long-established plant species as forage (nectar and pollen) resources for bumblebees by collating visitation data from 14 field sites across Britain. Twentieth Century changes in range and frequency of these forage plants were assessed using data from the New Atlas of the British and Irish Flora (1930–1969 to 1987–1999) and the Countryside Surveys of Britain (1978–1998). Forage plants declined in both large-scale range and local-scale frequency between the two survey periods. These changes were of greater magnitude than changes in other native plant species, reflecting serious reductions in quality of foraging habitats for bees as well as a general decline in insect-pollinated plants. Seventy-six percent of forage plants declined in frequency within 1-km squares, including those (e.g. Trifolium pratense) of particular value for threatened bumblebee species. We consider how our findings relate to other recorded changes in the British flora, how they may help to explain declines in bumblebees and how they could contribute to a conservation strategy.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1016/j.biocon.2006.05.008
Programmes:	CEH Programmes pre-2009 publications > Biodiversity
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	_ Ecosystem Assessment & Forecasting _ Ecological Processes & Modelling _ Biological Records Centre
ISSN:	0006-3207
Format Availability:	Electronic, Print
Additional Keywords:	Bombus, Forage plants, Habitat quality, Pollinators, Conservation
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment
Date made live:	15 Jun 2007 15:38 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/269

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1016/j.biocon.2006.05.008

Programmes:

CEH Programmes pre-2009 publications > Biodiversity

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

_ Ecosystem Assessment & Forecasting
_ Ecological Processes & Modelling
_ Biological Records Centre

ISSN:

0006-3207

Format Availability:

Electronic, Print