Of the68 speciesof bumblebee found in Europe , 16 are now threatened with extinction . This is concerning because humblebee act as an important role as insect pollinators of European crops . Not only do they assist in plant facts of life , they help the output of authoritative foods in our diet such as various fruits and vegetables . pollinate insect are estimated to chip in an excessiveness of 22 billion Euros to agriculture in Europe per annum .
The European Commission funded subject field showed that 46 % of the bumblebee species were know decline , 29 % were stable , but 13 % were also increasing . Ana Nieto , European Biodiversity Officer of IUCN and coordinator of the study state in a tidings sack " We are very implicated with these finding . Such a gamy proportion of threatened bumblebees can have serious implication for our solid food yield . "
Habitat change and loss stay a major threat to the bumblebee universe , and this is come due to 2 major factors . First , clime change has resulted in both increasing temperatures and , at times , long period of drought . Some bumblebees are restricted to certain geographic neighborhood such as theBombus hyperboreus , which only resides in Scandinavian tundra and the utmost North of Russia . Climatic change to these areas could therefore dramatically affect the population of these bees . Second , change in agrarian practices also negatively impact humblebee populations . A combination of the removal of clover , which establish the main forage of theBombus cullumanus , and habitat atomisation has resulted in a dramatic 80 % decay in the population of this bumblebee over the last decennium . " They are often extremely specialized on their host plant , which makes them susceptible to any environmental change , " say Pierre Rasmont of the IUCN .
Measures to forestall further decline are already underway in Europe . Increasing the margins around agricultural airfield to secure that there is a sufficient expanse of land rich in flush is critical , alongside the preservation of grassland . " The EU recently banned or restricted the use of certain pesticides that are dangerous to bee and is fund research into condition of pollinators , " said EU Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik in a tidings release . " However , efforts clearly require to be scaled up . "
