Bees are at risk of extinction as climate change affects plants
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Drought roughly halved the overall number of flowers, meaning less food for bees and other pollinators, it found. The University of Exeter research, carried out in collaboration with the
University of Manchester and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, is published in the journal Global Change Biology. Ben Phillips, of the Environment and Sustainability Institute on the
University of Exeter’s Penryn campus in Cornwall, was joint lead researcher for the work. He said: “The plants we examined responded to drought in various ways, from producing fewer flowers
to producing flowers that contained no nectar. “But overall there was a very clear reduction in the number of flowers that were available – and obviously this means less food for flower
visiting insects such as bees.” Bees are already under pressure from threats including habitat loss, the use of particular pesticides and the spread of diseases. Dr Ros Shaw, of the
University of Exeter, said: “Not only are these insects vital as pollinators of crops and wild plants but they also provide food for many birds and mammals.”