BEES AND POLLINATORS IN PERSPECTIVE: A REVIEW AND A CASE STUDY from CHEC India

Honey Bee on a Peepal tree at a village near Jai Samand (Udaipur) photo by: Harsh Vardhan
(Inset) Rani Vidya of Jaipur at the Indian Birding Fair.

CHEC is proud to announce the publication of CHEC India’s report on pollinators, BEES AND POLLINATORS IN PERSPECTIVE: A REVIEW AND A CASE STUDY. The abstract of the report is below and the full report can be read here.

Abstract

“Pollinators are a key component of global biodiversity, providing vital ecosystem services to crops and wild plants. 88% of flowering plants are pollinated to some degree by animals. There is a clear evidence of recent declines in both wild and domesticated pollinators, and parallel declines in the plants that rely upon them. Bees are subject to numerous pressures in the modern world. The abundance and diversity of flowers have declined; bees are chronically exposed to cocktails of agrochemicals and they are simultaneously exposed to novel parasites accidentally spread by humans. It seems certain, that a chronic exposure to multiple interacting stressors is responsible for the loss of honeybee colonies and the consequent decline of wild pollinators. Taking immediate steps to reduce the stress on bees is necessary for sustainable farming methods through enforcing effective quarantine measures on bee movements. Besides, effective monitoring of wild pollinator populations is urgently needed to execute management strategies for the future. The present review provides an insight into the decline of bee populations and suggests methods of a wider bee census in Rajasthan, India.”