Peter Soroye: Bumble bee declines and a new method for assessing the risk of local extinction

This week on the podcast I have a conversation with Peter Soroye, a Ph.D. student at the University of Ottawa and the lead author of a recent paper in Science Magazine that provides evidence of rapid and widespread declines in bumble bee populations across North America and Europe. This work received plenty of news coverage, and you may have seen some of the headlines that painted a rather grim picture.

However, the real purpose of this research by Peter, Tim Newbold and Jeremy Kerr, was to test a new method for assessing the risk of local extinction for a species – which, ideally, would lead to the creation of more effective conservation efforts through a better understanding of what animals are at the greatest risk in different locations.

• Climate change contributes to widespread declines among bumble bees across continents (Science) https://bit.ly/3a8PCyq

Peter Soroye:
• Twitter @PeterSoroye
• Instagram @puffypete
• Website www.petersoroye.com

WEEKLY UPDATE

• Why the next threat to bees is organized crime (The Guardian) https://bit.ly/2wakZKo

• Minnesota cities could get the power to ban pesticides (The Star Tribune) http://strib.mn/2Vv8P9s

• Maine bill would limit use of neonicotinoids (Maine Public) https://bit.ly/2PyEVNU

• Bumble bees can create mental imagery, a 'building block of consciousness' (ABC) https://ab.co/2T5SRkE

• Honey bees forage less efficiently in high winds (The Guardian) https://bit.ly/2w8qR6O

EXTRA

• Bee Better Certified Production Standards https://bit.ly/397CkC6

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Questions or comments about the show? You can get in touch with me at tbr at bymattkelly dot com.