"The number of wild bee species in Europe at risk of extinction has more than doubled over the past decade, while the number of endangered butterfly species has almost doubled. The jeopardy facing crucial pollinators was revealed by scientific studies for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of threatened species, which found that at least 172 bee species out of 1,928 were at risk of extinction in Europe."
"Up to 90% of flowering plants in Europe depend on animal pollination, according to Dr Denis Michez, lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. Sadly, wild bee populations are in drastic decline and cannot be easily replaced by managed colonies, he said. If wild bees disappear, many wild plants might be at risk too of which flower-rich meadows and beautiful orchid species are just a few e"
At least 172 wild bee species out of 1,928 in Europe are now at risk of extinction, and endangered butterfly species have risen from 37 to 65. One species, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni), has been declared extinct. Major causes include agricultural intensification, land abandonment, wetland drainage, overgrazing, and the use of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoids, alongside habitat fragmentation. Global heating now threatens 52% of endangered butterflies, roughly double the proportion a decade ago. Up to 90% of flowering plants in Europe depend on animal pollination, and wild bee declines cannot be readily replaced by managed colonies, risking many wild plants and flower-rich habitats.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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