Estimating possible bumblebee range shifts in response to climate and land cover changes

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Conservation Biology
• Zoology

Background:

• Wild bee populations, including bumblebees (Bombus spp.), face global declines.
• Climate and land cover changes are primary drivers of range shifts.
• Limited data hinders understanding of bumblebee range dynamics in some regions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate past and present distributions of six major Japanese bumblebee species.
• To identify range shifts and the influence of climate and land cover changes.
• To inform conservation strategies for bumblebees in Japan.

Main Methods:

• Species distribution modeling using current occurrence data.
• Incorporation of past and present climate and land cover data.
• Comparison of estimated past and present bumblebee ranges.

Main Results:

• Five of six studied bumblebee species (B. diversus, B. hypocrita, B. ignitus, B. honshuensis, B. beaticola) showed range contractions over 26 years.
• Bumblebee range's lower altitudinal limits increased with rising temperatures.
• Increased forest area, potentially from agricultural land abandonment, slightly reduced the range of B. diversus.

Conclusions:

• Bumblebee ranges in Japan are shifting, primarily upwards in altitude due to warming.
• Habitat management, particularly of secondary and planted forests, is crucial for bumblebee conservation.
• Conservation efforts must consider both climate change adaptation and land cover dynamics.