http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1314012.stm
Saturday, 5 May, 2001,
07:46 GMT 08:46 UK
Bumblebees could face extinction
Bumblebees'
normal habitats are dwindling
By the BBC's Graham Satchell
QUOTE:
"If bumblebees were to die out, it would be a tragedy
and an environmental disaster."
Dr. Dave Goulson
Bumblebees are disappearing
at such an alarming rate in Britain
that scientists are warning they could be wiped out within a few
years.
DNA experts are now
investigating ways to stop the insect's decline.
They are using genetic
technology to build up the first accurate
picture of the diversity and health of remaining bee populations.
Three of the 19 UK
species are already extinct and a further nine
are on the critically endangered list.
Their numbers have
been falling in recent years, largely due to
intensive farming practices.
Dr Dave Goulson,
a senior lecturer at the University of Southampton,
says the picture is serious.
"The last 50 years
have seen hedgerows ripped up, and most
of the flower-rich grasslands once used for grazing have been
reseeded with rye grass.
"If bumblebees
were to die out, it would be a tragedy and an
environmental disaster. They are major pollinators of wild flowers.
"If the bees disappear,
the plants will set fewer seeds and
may themselves vanish."
Economic
impact
In Chichester, less
than 80 kilometres (50 miles) from
Southampton, Gerry Hayman inspects a vast glasshouse of
tomato plants.
Over a site covering
nine hectares (23 acres) more than
1,000 tonnes of the fruit are growing here at any one time.
The humble bumblebee
plays a critical role. In all, 8,000 buzz
around - pollinating the whole crop.
"None of our bees
are taken from the wild, they're bred and
imported from Holland. We use them to pollinate the plants,"
says Mr Hayman, chief scientific officer for the British
Tomato Growers' Association.
"Years ago, the
job was done by hand - growers would tap
each plant individually to loosen the pollen. It was a
laborious and time-consuming job.
"If numbers were
to decline it could have a serious economic
impact on the industry."
Genetic
fingerprint
Because the insects'
colonies are largely underground and
hard to find, conservationists have problems assessing the
state of the various species.
Dr Goulson has developed
a technique to catch the bees and
conduct a DNA analysis.
They are trapped in
nets and a miniature hypodermic needle
is used to remove a tiny amount of the bee's equivalent of
blood, which carries a genetic fingerprint.
''Individuals from
different nests are not visually
distinguishable, but the DNA analysis allows us to
tell them apart," says Dr Goulson.
"By identifying
which bees are sisters - and therefore
from the same nest - it should be possible to determine
just how many separate nests there are in an area.
"If we know in
which parts of the country they still
have strongholds, we can determine what types of land-use
suit them best."
The future of a whole
host of crops from oil seed rape,
strawberries and apples as well as wild flowers could depend
on the research and the plight of the bumblebee.
