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Conservation of Declining Populations

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What is Conservation Biology?

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2026

A 3D Printed Pollen Trap for Bumble Bee (Bombus) Hive Entrances

A 3D Printed Pollen Trap for Bumble Bee (Bombus) Hive Entrances

Published on: July 9, 2020

Decline and conservation of bumble bees.

D Goulson¹, G C Lye, B Darvill

¹School of Biological & Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK. Dave.Goulson@stir.ac.uk

Annual Review of Entomology

|September 7, 2007

Summary

Bumble bee populations are declining due to habitat loss and agricultural intensification in Europe, and introduced parasites in North America. Conservation efforts must regulate commercial bee use and enhance floral diversity.

Area of Science:

Ecology
Conservation Biology
Entomology

Background:

Bumble bee species have significantly declined over the past 60 years, particularly in Europe.
Agricultural intensification has led to habitat loss and reduced floral resources, impacting bumble bee populations.
The social structure and breeding system of bumble bees contribute to low effective population sizes, increasing vulnerability to extinction and inbreeding.

Purpose of the Study:

To summarize the primary drivers of bumble bee declines in Europe and North America.
To highlight the ecological and biological factors exacerbating these declines.
To propose conservation strategies to prevent further loss of bumble bee populations.

Main Methods:

Review of documented bumble bee population trends over the past 60 years.

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Analysis of factors contributing to declines, including habitat loss, agricultural practices, and introduced parasites.

Synthesis of ecological and biological characteristics of bumble bees relevant to population dynamics.

Main Results:

Habitat loss and agricultural intensification are key drivers of European bumble bee declines.
Introduced nonnative parasites, facilitated by global trade in domesticated bumble bee colonies, are a major cause of North American declines.
Bumble bee populations are susceptible to stochastic events and inbreeding due to their social nature and low effective population size.

Conclusions:

Urgent conservation actions are necessary to prevent further bumble bee declines.
Regulation of commercial bumble bee use is recommended to mitigate risks associated with introduced parasites.
Enhancing floristic diversity in agricultural landscapes through targeted schemes can support bumble bee populations.