An estimated 3,600 wild bee species in the U.S. are essential for agriculture, yet their populations are declining, and conservation has been challenging. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has developed a new tool that leverages data from birds, specifically the gray catbird, to track and predict wild bee diversity. This tool integrates eBird data with satellite land cover information, offering a way to estimate bee populations indirectly while direct data collection is ongoing, providing an urgent resource for conservation efforts as bee species face imminent risks.
Birds can be powerful bioindicators, and they can provide a really useful lens to better understand what's happening with bee declines.
To be clear - we absolutely need more and better direct, on-the-ground data on bees, but that takes time. We know decisions must be made now to conserve bee populations - if we don't, we'll lose the battle.
Integrating data from Cornell Lab's eBird program with satellite information better predicted wild bee diversity across the eastern and central U.S. than satellite imagery alone.
Bees and birds respond similarly to some of the same agricultural practices that are being used, some of the same habitat attributes, or even what's happening in the overall landscape.
#wildlife-conservation #bee-diversity #environmental-research #biodiversity-tools #pollinator-decline
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