传粉者的保护

蜜蜂和蝴蝶一起在黄花上
蜜蜂和蝴蝶在一起吃饭
Glenn Seplak摄

近几十年来, populations of important pollinators have been declining throughout much of North America. 美国的养蜂人.S. have been suffering from unusually high 利率 of colony loss of the domesticated honey bee (的蜜蜂). 美国西部几种大黄蜂种类的丰度.S. has declined dramatically, with at least one species now believed to be extinct. And both the eastern and western populations of the monarch butterfly have declined precipitously, 随着东部人口近年来创下新低.

With these continued declines, pollinator conservation has become a national priority. Recently the Desert Museum and the Community Food Bank of Southern 亚利桑那州 (CFBSA) began working together with the overarching goal of promoting healthy pollinator populations throughout the City of Tucson. This new partnership speaks to the fact that biodiversity and conservation efforts are, 事实上, 与粮食生产密切相关, and in no case is that connection clearer than when it comes to pollinators.

看一个短视频 about this collaborative effort to promote biodiversity and support urban agriculture in Tucson, 亚利桑那州.

In 2016, 由环境合作委员会提供资金, we launched an effort to create pollinator gardens at dozens of sites across the city. These garden sites not only provide high quality habitat for pollinators but also benefit urban gardeners and farmers, 谁依靠传粉媒介来获得水果和蔬菜的高产. 但也许最重要的是, these gardens have become places where city residents connect with biodiversity, 在那里他们可以看到和感受到大自然对他们的好处.

拉斯米尔皮塔斯入口标志
拉斯米尔皮塔斯入口
Lois settmeyer摄

In addition to creating high quality pollinator habitat throughout the city, 推荐一个买球网站发起了一项关于野生蜜蜂种群的长期研究 Las Milpitas de Cottonwood这是一个位于图森市中心的六英亩农场. Many wild bees are excellent pollinators of both wild and cultivated plants, 随着蜜蜂数量的持续下降, 支持野生蜜蜂种群从未像现在这样重要.

这项工作在与科学家的合作下得到了扩展, 老师, 学生和社区科学家都是 图森蜜蜂合作. The 图森蜜蜂合作 is a partnership of the University of 亚利桑那州, 皮马社区学院, the Desert Museum and local high schools who are working together to document the diversity of native bees in our region.

索诺兰沙漠是种类繁多的蜜蜂的家园, boasting more species of bees than just about anywhere else in the world, yet we know very little about the status of wild bee populations in the desert. Growing evidence suggests that the same factors driving honey bee declines (poor nutrition, 病原体, 和杀虫剂)可能会影响整个北美的野生蜜蜂. 往好的方面想, a substantial body of research has shown that wild bees can thrive in urban environments if their modest food and nesting resource needs are met. In fact, many of these needs are already being met through commonplace landscaping practices. 例如, 在园林绿化中使用本地植物的房主, 很简单,因为本地植物很容易照料, 也, 也许不经意间, 为野生蜜蜂和其他野生动物提供食物!

So the good news is that there’s a lot you can do to help out our Sonoran Desert bees without spending a fortune to makeover your yard. Below we outline some simple steps that you can take to make your yard more bee-friendly.

野蜜蜂在地球仪上
野生蜜蜂拜访推荐一个买球网站本土的锦葵,
有时被认为是杂草
Glenn Seplak摄

蜜蜂友好的景观美化措施

随着推荐一个买球网站城市的不断发展, what will sustain a thriving bee fauna is not just a few spectacular gardens, but rather a network of small patches of pollinator habitat scattered throughout our city. Your yard or pollinator garden doesn’t need to be perfect to be of value to bees. I am reminded of the popular saying that it takes a village to raise a child. 这对蜜蜂和孩子来说都是如此!

种植传粉者花园
志愿者在拉斯米尔皮塔斯种植传粉者花园
金·富兰克林摄
了解更多关于如何参与进来,通过参与 传粉热点公民科学家项目!

感谢推荐一个买球网站的支持者:

agnesese Nelms Haury环境与社会正义项目

Agnese Nelms Haury Program in Environment and Social Justice - University of 亚利桑那州 - Logo

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