On April 14, 2024, a recent study by The University of New Mexico alumna, Melanie Kazenel, and her colleagues delves into the potential effects of climate change on bee populations in the Southwest United States. The research, titled "Heat and desiccation tolerances predict bee abundance under climate change," was published in the prestigious journal, Nature.
Kazenel, who completed her Ph.D. in Biology at UNM and is currently a visiting assistant professor of Biology at Earlham College in Indiana, expressed, "I study how native bees are responding to climate change." She highlighted the importance of bees as essential pollinators for both natural ecosystems and agricultural crops and the threats they face from factors like habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change.
The study, conducted at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR) in New Mexico, which houses a diverse bee population, aimed to understand how climate shifts impact bee communities in the region. Kazenel emphasized, "Our work paints a mixed picture about the future of bees in New Mexico."
The research team found that climate significantly influences bee population dynamics, with aridity playing a crucial role in predicting bee abundance. While some bee species demonstrate resilience to climate change, nearly half are projected to experience declines, potentially leading to more homogenous bee communities in the future.
Kazenel stressed the urgency for action to mitigate climate change effects, stating, "Our work thus broadly speaks to the importance of swift action to curtail greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate future climate change to conserve the biodiversity that sustains our planet."
Acknowledging the collaborative effort involved in the study, Kazenel commended the team's dedication, highlighting the immense task of identifying the diverse bee species in the region. The research, supported by the National Science Foundation Long Term Ecological Research Program, underscores the significance of understanding and preserving bee populations amidst changing environmental conditions.
As Kazenel and her colleagues continue their research on climate change effects on bees, they aim to further explore the intricate relationship between bee abundance and plant species, as well as the potential shifts in bee and plant phenology under changing climate conditions.