Bumblebees are disappearing at rates 'consistent with a mass extinction.' Scientists said that North America's bumblebee populations fell by 46% between the two time periods the study used – from 1901 to 1974 and from 2000 to 2014. Bee populations were hardest hit in warming southern regions like Mexico, due to extreme warm years, which exceeded the species’ historical temperature ranges, according to the study.
Lead author Peter Soroye, PhD student at the University of Ottawa:'If declines continue at this pace, many of these species could vanish forever within a few decades.'
Bumblebees are the best pollinators we have in wild landscapes and the most effective pollinators for important crops like tomato, squash, and berries. 'Our results show that we face a future with many less bumblebees and much less diversity, both in the outdoors and on our plates.'
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