Bumble bees are charismatic and easily recognizable pollinators thanks to their large size, loud buzz, and distinctive color patterns of black and yellow, though often red, orange, or white too. They play an incredibly important role in sustaining the health of our environment by pollinating flowers in natural and urban areas, and by contributing to successful harvests on farms.
To help understand and conserve our state’s bumble bees, the Nebraska Environmental Trust has supported the Xerces Society and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in creating the Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas. The Atlas is a statewide community science project, meaning anyone can get involved, in which local people are provided an active role in pollinator conservation. Community scientists, including you, will work alongside researchers to better understand the status, distribution, and habitat needs of Nebraska’s bumble bees.
Nebraska is home to about 20 different bumble bees, and being near the middle of the country we are lucky to have an overlap of species typically found in the eastern and western United States. However, many of our bumble bees are in trouble and face an uncertain future. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has identified four of the state’s bumble bees as Species of Greatest Conservation Need: the western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis), southern plains bumble bee (Bombus fraternus), Suckley’s cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus suckleyi), and variable cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus variabilis). Unfortunately, the bumble bee situation in Nebraska bears out across much of North America. A recent study led by the International Union on Conservation of Nature’s Bumble Bee Specialist Group—supported by studies led by Dr. Sydney Cameron—and a status review by the late Dr. Robbin Thorp and the Xerces Society, demonstrate that one quarter of North America's nearly fifty species of bumble bees are undergoing dramatic population declines.
The causes of these declines are not fully understood, but the following are likely at fault: habitat loss, degradation or fragmentation, pesticide use, climate change, low genetic diversity, and the introduction and distribution of pathogens through commercial pollinators. Regardless of the ultimate cause of bumble bee declines, protecting and managing existing habitat or creating new habitat are some of the most immediate and productive steps that can be taken to conserve these important pollinators. That’s where the Atlas comes in.
In working together to collect data on bumble bees and the surrounding habitat, we will be able to identify areas in Nebraska that are supporting bumble bees and those in need of restoration or management. Additionally, we will be able to compare current bumble bee distributions to Nebraska’s rich historical database of bumble bee distributions that date back to 1880! The current and historical datasets will also allow us to assess the effects of land use change on bumble bee populations. Nebraska is a prime location to study this question as it has a diversity of ecosystems, such as the sandhills, tallgrass, mixed grass and shortgrass prairies, wetlands, and woodlands, many of which has undergone drastic land use change over the past 150 years. Understanding how species distributions have changed over time, in conjunction with habitat change, will help form accurate predictions as to what we should expect in the future, and aid in the design of effective conservation measures. However, because Nebraska is large and diverse, collecting this data will require widespread participation and collaboration by landowners, agencies, scientists and you.
With your help, we can quickly cover the entire state, collect scientific-quality data, and contribute to bumble bee conservation. Our effort will help conservation biologists, restoration practitioners, and policy makers do a better job protecting, restoring, and managing effective habitat that support healthy bumble bee populations. Training is offered to provide you with the necessary resources, skills and confidence to conduct your own bumble bee surveys as a community scientist.
Ready to get involved?
To help understand and conserve our state’s bumble bees, the Nebraska Environmental Trust has supported the Xerces Society and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in creating the Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas. The Atlas is a statewide community science project, meaning anyone can get involved, in which local people are provided an active role in pollinator conservation. Community scientists, including you, will work alongside researchers to better understand the status, distribution, and habitat needs of Nebraska’s bumble bees.
Nebraska is home to about 20 different bumble bees, and being near the middle of the country we are lucky to have an overlap of species typically found in the eastern and western United States. However, many of our bumble bees are in trouble and face an uncertain future. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has identified four of the state’s bumble bees as Species of Greatest Conservation Need: the western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis), southern plains bumble bee (Bombus fraternus), Suckley’s cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus suckleyi), and variable cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus variabilis). Unfortunately, the bumble bee situation in Nebraska bears out across much of North America. A recent study led by the International Union on Conservation of Nature’s Bumble Bee Specialist Group—supported by studies led by Dr. Sydney Cameron—and a status review by the late Dr. Robbin Thorp and the Xerces Society, demonstrate that one quarter of North America's nearly fifty species of bumble bees are undergoing dramatic population declines.
The causes of these declines are not fully understood, but the following are likely at fault: habitat loss, degradation or fragmentation, pesticide use, climate change, low genetic diversity, and the introduction and distribution of pathogens through commercial pollinators. Regardless of the ultimate cause of bumble bee declines, protecting and managing existing habitat or creating new habitat are some of the most immediate and productive steps that can be taken to conserve these important pollinators. That’s where the Atlas comes in.
In working together to collect data on bumble bees and the surrounding habitat, we will be able to identify areas in Nebraska that are supporting bumble bees and those in need of restoration or management. Additionally, we will be able to compare current bumble bee distributions to Nebraska’s rich historical database of bumble bee distributions that date back to 1880! The current and historical datasets will also allow us to assess the effects of land use change on bumble bee populations. Nebraska is a prime location to study this question as it has a diversity of ecosystems, such as the sandhills, tallgrass, mixed grass and shortgrass prairies, wetlands, and woodlands, many of which has undergone drastic land use change over the past 150 years. Understanding how species distributions have changed over time, in conjunction with habitat change, will help form accurate predictions as to what we should expect in the future, and aid in the design of effective conservation measures. However, because Nebraska is large and diverse, collecting this data will require widespread participation and collaboration by landowners, agencies, scientists and you.
With your help, we can quickly cover the entire state, collect scientific-quality data, and contribute to bumble bee conservation. Our effort will help conservation biologists, restoration practitioners, and policy makers do a better job protecting, restoring, and managing effective habitat that support healthy bumble bee populations. Training is offered to provide you with the necessary resources, skills and confidence to conduct your own bumble bee surveys as a community scientist.
Ready to get involved?
Contact Us
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Project Coordinators:
Katie Lamke Bumble Bee Conservation Specialist The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation 1700 E. Campus Mall Lincoln, NE 68583 Phone: (707) 477-2224 katie.lamke@xerces.org Rich Hatfield Senior Conservation Biologist The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation 628 NE Broadway, Suite 200 Portland, OR 97221 Phone: (503) 232-6639 x115 rich.hatfield@xerces.org |
Project Partners:
Doug Golick Associate Professor of Entomology University of Nebraska-Lincoln 1700 E. Campus Mall Lincoln, NE 68583 Phone: (402) 472-8642 dgolick2@unl.edu |
Supported by:
The Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas is funded through a grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust. The Trust is funded by proceeds from the Nebraska Lottery and has awarded more than $305 million to more than 2,200 conservation projects across the state of Nebraska since 1994.
The Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas is funded through a grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust. The Trust is funded by proceeds from the Nebraska Lottery and has awarded more than $305 million to more than 2,200 conservation projects across the state of Nebraska since 1994.
