Good places to be a bee

Bees and beetles; pollinators and pest controllers. These insects do incredible things that help ensure you get food on your plate. It makes sense, therefore, to know where they are and what they are doing for us. That is exactly what researchers at CEH, including BRC staff, have been doing.

In a recent paper²⁶⁰ maps have been produced showing where there is the greatest variety of species and greatest variety of behaviour (species richness and functional diversity). The highest values indicate a resiliant ecosystem best able to serve agriculture. However the result show that a lack of semi-natural habitat actually makes intensively farmed areas the least popular place to be a bee.