Bumblebee may be on road to extinction
Pesticides, climate change and habitat loss cited as reasons
The American bumblebee, a widespread species that appears to be in decline, is being reviewed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for possible federal protection under the Endangered Species Act.
The bee once occupied one of the widest ranges of all North American bumble bees — nearly all the continental U.S., including Pennsylvania — but many studies suggest it is declining, especially in the northern part of its range. It is listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, which is a critical indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity.
According to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, “Throughout its range the American bumblebee faces many threats, all of which are likely contributing to its decline. The main threats identified for this species are climate change, pesticide use, habitat loss, the spread of pathogens and parasites, and low genetic diversity.”
The FWS has launched a 90-day review of the bee’s status in response to a petition submitted earlier this year by the Center for Biological Diversity and the Bombus Pollinator Association of Law Students of Albany Law School.
“The decline of the American bumblebee is indicative of the significant threats that bumblebees face throughout the continent,” said Leif Richardson, conservation biologist for the Xerces Society and lead of the California Bumble Bee Atlas. “It is encouraging to see the service take this positive step toward conservation. If this species receives federal protection, an untold number of other pollinators stand to benefit, ultimately improving food security and ecosystem health for our nation.”
To help assess the status of the American bumblebee, and other imperiled bumblebees, the Xerces Society, and federal and state partners, have launched several state bumblebee atlas projects across the country.
These efforts, largely conducted using the volunteer efforts of community scientists, have been successful in documenting populations of the American bumblebee, which will help the FWS conduct its assessment to determine if this bee should be added to the Endangered Species list.
Despite the overall status of thisspecies,therearehopesthat recovery may be possible.
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“From our bumblebee atlas projects, and other ongoing survey efforts, it appears that while the American bumblebee is declining in some parts of its range, it is still abundant in others,” said Rich Hatfield, senior conservation biologist and bumblebee program lead for the Xerces Society.
“Since the goal of the Endangered Species Act is to prevent species from going extinct, having areas with healthy populations makes this species a prime candidate for protection. Conservation efforts enacted now will have real and lasting effects on the survival of this species.”
If protection is warranted, the American bumblebee would join Franklin’s bumblebee and the rusty patched bumblebee on the ESA list.
Once added to the ESA list, opportunities for proactive and collaborative conservation efforts increase across much of the United States, and populations of this bumble bee would receive protection from direct harm.