Experts at St. Olaf: World Bee Day
World Bee Day on May 20 celebrates the vital role pollinators play in ecosystems and biodiversity across the globe. St. Olaf College Associate Professor of Practice in Biology Diane Angell provides further insight on the importance of bees—and why we should pay attention to their alarming decline towards extinction.
Why are bees important for ecosystems?
Many plants rely on bees to move their pollen from one plant to another. Without these pollination services, some plants would be unable to reproduce, and we would not have the foods like blueberries, almonds, and apples that we humans enjoy eating. However, the story of bees is more complicated—and more interesting—than you might think. Bees responsible for producing many fruits and nuts are mostly honey bees, a species that was brought to North America several hundred years ago. While honey bees have been experiencing their own challenges, our native bees are also declining. These native species are especially important, as many of our native plants rely on them for pollination.
How do bees pollinate?
You have probably noticed that many bees are rather fuzzy. As bees move from flower to flower looking for nectar, pollen grains stick to them and then get dropped off at other flowers. I particularly love watching the big bumble bees that “buzz pollinate”, vibrating flowers to release pollen. Native bumble bee species are much more efficient pollinators than the introduced honey bees. They are able to move larger quantities of pollen much greater distances, and––because they are fuzzy––they are able to be out when it’s cold.
What is the relationship between climate change and bee populations?
We are still figuring that out. While bees can fly and can theoretically shift their range as certain areas experience increases in temperature and changes in rainfall, they also have close relationships with the plants they rely on for nectar. This means that, as they adjust their range, the bees risk moving to areas that have a very different plant community. Also challenging is the fact that in the midst of this changing climate, we continue to see declines in available native bee habitat. In Minnesota, that natural bee habitat once consisted of vast stretches of prairie and woodland that have largely disappeared.
What happens if bee populations decline?
Since there are many kinds of bees, we will likely see many different kinds of effects. Reductions in honey bee populations would make it more difficult for bee keepers to maintain healthy hives and would create challenges for blueberry, almond, and apple producers. Declines in our native bees may be less noticeable to most people, since we don’t depend on them for direct economic reasons. However, maintaining the habitats and plant communities our native bees depend on remains essential—both for our ecosystem health and just because it is the right thing to do.
Through educating students at St. Olaf, how does your work in the biology department spread awareness on not only bees but endangered species in general?
I rely on research students and field ecology students to help with bumble bee surveys in local remnant prairies and in the prairies that are part of our Natural Lands. One species we are fortunate to have on our campus is the federally endangered rusty patched bumble bee. Although this bee is very rare, we typically see several individuals each year in late August. It’s a great example of how the plant communities we create—both on campus and in the Natural Lands—are valuable spaces for species of conservation concern.
About Diane Angell
Diane Angell is an associate professor of practice in biology. She works in both the Biology and Environmental Studies departments. Her classes include Foundations of Biodiversity, Ecology, Field Ecology, Environmental Health, and Environmental Studies.
Outside of the classroom, Angell works on research with small mammals and bumble bees in mosaics of restored and remnant prairies. With restored prairie patches now existing around Northfield, her research works to understand the roles of small mammals in an environment disrupted by agriculture. Angell’s studies also work to understand bumble bee distribution in the prairies by identifying the floral resources different bumble bee species specifically rely on.
Other research and programs Angell works with include the National Science Foundation EMERGE, Metacognition and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, and Wetlands Elementary Environmental Education.