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Rainforest Deforestation More Than Doubled Under Cover of Coronavirus
Charlie Rogers / Moment / Getty Images
As the COVID-19 virus was spreading around the world, deforestation in the world's rainforests rose at an alarming rate, the German arm of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said in a study published on Thursday.
The study, which analyzed satellite data of 18 countries compiled by the University of Maryland, found that deforestation rose by 150% this March compared 2017-2019 average for the same calendar month.
Around 6,500 square kilometers (2,510 square miles) of rainforest were felled in March alone — an area seven times the size of Berlin, the WWF said.
"This indicates that we're dealing with a coronavirus effect on the exploding rates of deforestation," Christoph Heinrich, the head of nature conservation with WWF Germany, said in a statement.
Indonesia Forests Hit Hardest
The forests most heavily hit by deforestation in March were in Indonesia, with more than 1,300 square kilometers lost.
The Democratic Republic of Congo saw the second-largest forest loss with 1,000 square kilometers followed by Brazil with 950 square kilometers.
The Brazilian non-profit research institute Imazon told news agency DPA that deforestation was up in April as well. The institute recorded a loss of 529 square kilometers in the Amazon in April, a rise of 171% compared to last year.
Tied to COVID-19
The WWF says there's ample evidence to suggest the boom in rainforest deforestation is being fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
With stay-at-home orders and strict lockdowns in place in countries around the world, authorities haven't been able to patrol nature preserves and indigenous territories as often — a situation that criminal organizations and illegal loggers have been using to their advantage.
The virus has also prompted massive job losses in many countries, leaving many newly-unemployed people increasingly desperate for sources of income.
The WWF noted that the legal timber trade is a substantial source of income for several African countries but is virtually on ice amid various coronavirus shutdowns. The broken supply chains have led to concerns that the forests are losing their value and forest conservation efforts are losing their foothold.
Along the Mekong River in southeast Asia, tourists have disappeared and with them a substantial source of income for local merchants selling forest products like honey, nuts or berries. Many have left the cities and returned to their home villages and are cutting down trees for firewood or a source of income.
The WWF said governments providing financial and technological support to locals could help reduce the rise in deforestation.
Reposted with permission from Deutsche Welle.
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The U.S. Department of Transportation has called for more research leading to new guidelines for safer intersections, crosswalks, lights, and more. georgeclerk / Getty Images
Walking to work or to the store is better for the climate than driving, so climate advocates encourage people to leave their cars at home when possible.
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<p>But for the past decade, pedestrian safety in the U.S. has been headed in the wrong direction. Fatal accidents involving pedestrians have gone up 44%.</p><p>"We see speed – vehicle speed – is a major factor in pedestrian deaths," says Dan Gelinne of the University of North Carolina's Highway Safety Research Center.</p><p>He says research shows that design can make a big difference.<span></span></p><p>"Changing the roadway design to facilitate lower speeds by vehicles, to improve visibility of pedestrians, to make it more comfortable to walk – these are the things that really are proven to decrease death and injury," Gelinne says.</p>
<p><span style="background-color: initial;">The U.S. Department of Transportation has released a new </span><a target="_blank" href="https://highways.dot.gov/sites/fhwa.dot.gov/files/2020-11/FHWA_PedSafety_ActionPlan_Nov2020.pdf" style="background-color: initial;">pedestrian safety action plan</a><span style="background-color: initial;"> that calls for more research on these solutions.</span><br></p><p>The first-of-its-kind plan will lead to new guidelines for safer intersections, crosswalks, lights, and more.</p><p>"Anything that the plan can do to increase the uptake and the use of these effective roadway design strategies is going to really make a difference," Gelline says.</p><p>And that will help people walk safely wherever they need to go.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from </em><em><a href="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2021/03/thoughtful-design-can-make-streets-more-walkable/" target="_blank">Yale Climate Connections</a>.</em></p>
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Homes and roads in Dallas, Texas covered in snow. The 2021 winter storm dropped temperatures as low as zero degrees. Isaac Murray / Moment / Getty Images
An independent market monitor says ERCOT, the Texas grid operator, left wholesale electricity prices at the legal maximum for two days longer than necessary, and overcharged power companies $16 billion in the process during the winter storm that caused massive grid and gas system failures and left more than 4 million Texans without electricity.
<p>Potomac Economics, the firm hired by the state to assess ERCOT's performance, recommended to regulators that the charges be reversed. The move could help alleviate stress on Texas power providers facing shortfalls, default, or bankruptcy following the massive price spikes. </p>
<p>The "error" and potential reversal could also have major implications for the Texas <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wind">wind</a> energy industry. Due to the nature of the financial instruments used by Texas wind firms, those that were unable to produce power during the storm were forced to pay the legal maximum of $9,000 per megawatt hour (the average price in 2020 was $22.18) for four days. At that rate, wind companies could be forced into bankruptcy, owing their counterparties more than their entire wind farm is worth.</p>
<p>As reported by <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2AW027?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=114297436&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--Lf6GquilmyjzmWP5NDaiFS7vFlRay4xhT3Tw1eKfKJJCA2BM0YzrHomC529bhrsEjK0h14PTm5SoPTMfwGJu86hULEw&utm_content=114297436&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Reuters</a>:</p><blockquote>ERCOT's disclosure of those firms behind on their bills "is perfectly fair game," said Patrick Woodson, chief executive of retail power marketer ATG Clean Energy, whose company is not on the list.</blockquote><blockquote>"I hope they will apply the same standards to identifying the market participants who made massive profits during this disaster," he said.</blockquote>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong><br/></p><p>ERCOT error: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-04/texas-watchdog-says-power-grid-operator-made-16-billion-error?sref=oUjKJw8m&utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=114297436&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-__ZWo08eT7siApBDxWei2SO5X_4Dbb9MyeahBGiA1uTHRahlo6Y5E7k-T5DJaedfDV3QcSnP8aVipwKh70KRa1_nSrOw&utm_content=114297436&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a>, <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2021/03/04/ercot-texas-electricity-16-billion/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=114297436&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-__w5zt0pzYPmO_go8tZ7nEA4OGTsXFBml-wM3WhvJ9wjSqwV92P00lp4_5D3gOZO7CU225jBqzfbnMo1HFSGWr13AEgA&utm_content=114297436&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Texas Tribune</a>, <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/541662-texas-grid-manager-responsible-for-16-billion-in-overcharges?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=114297436&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8yKXE5XkR2-7RNz9Y4FQO3Q2-HY_t1oVSnpfONgz_krWqfdXLIWqvoDvn840cF1TetHY1Df7uyn45n8bNo8p_6mcRaLw&utm_content=114297436&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Hill</a>, <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/ad2e7ce9-b769-4d57-b6ce-fd1d9123f87c?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=114297436&_hsenc=p2ANqtz---dbnzMgh9HYQ_9x0xkSNr4FVnXJLnCForZfX5M7bRfSzCsHGrXNJhc63cxGbRzNckfQICmY9afb2n6fhvsvzzv50sNQ&utm_content=114297436&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FT</a>, <a href="https://login.politicopro.com/?redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fsubscriber.politicopro.com%2Farticle%2F2021%2F03%2Fwatchdog-texas-grid-operator-overcharged-16b-during-power-crisis-3987400%3Futm_campaign%3DHot%2520News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=114297436&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--z-oqFQ5PltKH46X7_AuHz-4u8es1sAhm87tDSuMgxyVQBeE1ndlCqEEOM2hNRo5hLZ4JZ70BoX_zSSq41B_wR3S9YQA&utm_content=114297436&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Politico Pro</a>; Power companies: <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2AW027?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=114297436&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--Lf6GquilmyjzmWP5NDaiFS7vFlRay4xhT3Tw1eKfKJJCA2BM0YzrHomC529bhrsEjK0h14PTm5SoPTMfwGJu86hULEw&utm_content=114297436&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Reuters</a>; Wind industry: <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/wind-power-was-thriving-in-texas-then-came-the-freeze-11614871347?mod=hp_lista_pos1&utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=114297436&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--tLVbIB7cfcGoyUN8pThG7TtEV_yIiAC7n0d1V-LSsPY5ZCG2aYflYXZtN9osYAYgvTqrf86zvsbDiTvuFo50UcY-ORg&utm_content=114297436&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal</a>; Climate Signals background: <a href="https://www.climatesignals.org/node/10081?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=114297436&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_74tp_PMuhwr-me_9SqzCg1KRZzvvq7WHb_MtcRJnihfJJcUKZBRBnAIUoY2dX0e5kd4PWXz-pBQe3UQUNq0av4ERH1Q&utm_content=114297436&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">February 2021 polar vortex breakdown and central U.S. winter storms</a></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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About 931 million tons of food waste were generated across the world in 2019, but there are gaps in the data. Wachira Wacharapathom / Getty Images
By Thomas Gordon-Martin
According to a global food waste index released on Thursday, some 931 million tons of food waste were generated across the world in 2019. The report, published by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and UK charity WRAP, equates that to 17% of all food available to consumers.
<p>At 61%, the majority was created in households. The retail and food service sectors performed better, generating 13% and 26% respectively. </p><p>The index does not factor in food loss, which differs from <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/learningpack-foodwaste/a-49571717" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">food waste</a> in that it occurs during production, storage or processing and never reaches the consumer. </p><p>"If we want to get serious about tackling climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste, businesses, governments and citizens around the world have to do their part to reduce food waste." UNEP Executive Director Inger Anderson said in a press release.</p><p><span></span>Six years after the UN agreed to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), an ambitious set of targets addressing global inequality and climate change, the report focuses attention on halving per capita global food waste by 2030. With that deadline looming, the document's 2019 data underscores the scale of the challenge in a world that saw at least 690 million people affected by hunger in 2019. And that figure is predicted to rise in the wake of the <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-exacerbates-indias-hunger-problem/a-55299109" target="_blank">global pandemic</a>. </p>
<h2>Household Food Waste Is Not Just a Problem in High-Income Countries </h2><p>One key finding points to broadly similar quantities of household food waste — which includes inedible parts such as bones and peel — in high-, upper-middle- and lower-middle-income countries. The global average for lower-middle-income countries such as Pakistan and Vietnam was 91 kilograms (200 pounds) per person, as opposed to 76 kilograms in middle-income countries and 79 kilograms in high-income countries such as Ireland and the United States. </p><p>This breaks with the narrative that food waste is an issue in high-income countries while <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/kenyas-farmers-face-threat-of-new-locust-swarms/a-56599904" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">food loss</a> is more prevalent in lower income states.</p><p>Although the report is missing valuable data about habits in lower-middle-income countries, one possible explanation for higher levels of waste is that more food is cooked at home and therefore more inedible parts are discarded. </p><p>Musa Aamir, co-founder of the food waste charity Rizq in the Pakistani city of Lahore, told DW that the group doesn't operate a food collection service in lower-income neighborhoods because "the quantity of foods recovered from there is practically negligible." </p><p>"When I see the household food waste problem exist, it is inextricably tied to the income structure of the household," Aamir said. </p>
<h2>Data Gaps </h2><p>The report also exposes holes in global data. For example, there is little information from low-income countries or on retail and service waste outside high-income countries. </p><p>"It's a mixed picture," Tom Quested, lead analyst at WRAP, told DW. "Highlighting these data gaps provide(s) the framework for them to be filled," which "is a crucial step towards halving global food wastage by 2030."</p><p>Data gaps correlate closely with the level of national income, and areas with higher coverage include parts of Europe and North America. Data is thinner to nonexistent in lower-income regions such as Northern Africa and Central Asia. </p><p>"Measuring food waste is a relatively new endeavor," Clementine O'Connor from UNEP, co-author of the report told DW in an email, adding that since the problem was previously presented as a developed country issue, many countries lacked the incentive to invest in tracking. </p><p>"This report shows that food waste is a significant issue in nearly every country where it has been measured, and makes a strong financial, food security and environmental case for middle-income countries to begin taking action," O'Connor said. </p>
<h2>U.S. Data Shows Culture of Food Waste </h2><p>The report found that the United States generated some 59 kilograms of household food waste per capita in 2019. That is significantly lower than the global average of 74 kilograms. </p><p>The country's service sector wastage, however, was estimated at 64 kilograms per capita, which is much higher than the global average of 32 kilograms. The authors say this reflects U.S. habits of consuming more meals away from home.</p><p>These findings are supported by a U.S. Department of Agriculture <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/90228/eib-196_summary.pdf?v=7048.6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">report</a> that said eating out had been gaining popularity since the 1980s. In 2010, the research found, spending on food away from home surpassed spending on food at home for the first time. </p>
<h2>What Can Be Done About Global Food Waste? </h2><p>To halve global <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/mealsaver-app-promises-to-cut-food-waste/a-38607944" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">food waste</a> by 2030, the index includes a three-tier guide to help countries measure waste on a national level. </p><p>"Approaches for tackling food waste will differ by country," Quested said. "Therefore, to ensure solutions are appropriate for a particular country, they need to be based on evidence relevant to that country."</p><p>The UNEP plans to collect national information every two years. This data will be published at regular intervals up to 2030 and made publicly available. The next results will be reported by February 2023. </p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from </em><em><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/household-food-waste-unep-environment-climate/a-56768848" target="_blank">Deutsche Welle</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Producing avocado and almond crops is having a detrimental effect on bees. Molly Aaker / Getty Images
At first glance, you wouldn't think avocados and almonds could harm bees; but a closer look at how these popular crops are produced reveals their potentially detrimental effect on pollinators.
<p>Turns out, bee labor is required to produce most avocados and almonds in the U.S. <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/honeybees" target="_self">Honeybees</a> pollinate most fruits and vegetables in the country, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/voraciously/wp/2018/10/17/sorry-vegans-if-you-dont-eat-honey-avocados-might-be-off-limits-too/" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a> reported. With native bee populations in sharp decline, there aren't enough of them to complete the job naturally or efficiently, The Post added.</p><p>Enter migratory beekeeping. Farmers truck beehives full of European honeybees across the country and into their fields so that the insects can pollinate crops during important fertile periods, The Post reported. Without this practice, farmers would lose about one-third of their crops, including broccoli, blueberries, cherries, apples, melons and lettuce, according to The Post.</p><p>The practice is so widespread that Tracy Reiman, a representative for <a href="https://www.peta.org/" target="_blank">PETA</a>, said, "Average shoppers can't avoid produce that involves migratory beekeeping, any more than they can avoid driving on asphalt," <a href="https://www.veganlifemag.com/vegan-myths-avocados-arent-vegan/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Vegan Life</a> reported.</p><p>In 2013, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/migratory-beekeeping-mind-boggling-math/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Scientific American</a> estimated that California's booming almond industry used 31 to 80 billion migrant honeybees a year in order to achieve maximum pollination during almond trees' two-week bloom. California produces up to 80 percent of all the world's almonds, Scientific American noted, and could not achieve such scale without migratory beekeeping.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxNzQ3MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMzkxOTkzOX0.LmTRyoERRLJCuh-ARqeTObYSHcw5Qn8pDPCzjfM51vY/img.jpg?width=980" id="84667" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="884827362b36cf8a6cb07fd06c0d3a23" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="5489" data-height="3678" />
Migratory beekeeping involves trucking millions of bees across the U.S. to pollinate different crops, including avocados and almonds. Timothy Paule II / Pexels / CC0
<p>According to <a href="https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/israeli-kitchen/beekeeping-how-to-keep-bees" target="_blank">From the Grapevine</a>, American avocados also fully depend on bees' pollination to produce fruit, so farmers have turned to migratory beekeeping as well to fill the void left by wild populations.</p><p>U.S. farmers have become reliant upon the practice, but migratory beekeeping has been called exploitative and harmful to bees. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/10/health/avocado-almond-vegan-partner/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported that commercial beekeeping may injure or kill bees and that transporting them to pollinate crops appears to negatively affect their health and lifespan. Because the honeybees are forced to gather pollen and nectar from a single, monoculture crop — the one they've been brought in to pollinate — they are deprived of their normal diet, which is more diverse and nourishing as it's comprised of a variety of pollens and nectars, Scientific American reported.</p><p>Scientific American added how getting shuttled from crop to crop and field to field across the country boomerangs the bees between feast and famine, especially once the blooms they were brought in to fertilize end.</p><p>Plus, the artificial mass influx of bees guarantees spreading viruses, mites and fungi between the insects as they collide in midair and crawl over each other in their hives, Scientific American reported. According to CNN, some researchers argue that this explains why so many bees die each winter, and even why entire hives suddenly die off in a phenomenon called colony collapse disorder.</p><p>Adding pesticides to the picture, bees don't stand a chance. Many countries still use <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/neonicotinoids" target="_self">neonicotinoid</a> pesticides (neonics), which are believed to kill bees. In Jan. 2021, the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/bees-pesticide-uk-2649874911.html" target="_self">U.K. faced backlash after approving the emergency use</a> of the toxin on sugar beets, despite pledging not to increase its usage in the wake of Brexit. Although restricted, this family of pesticides is still the most widely used in the U.S., and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/neonic-pesticides-food-supply-2650056933.html">scientists warn that neonics' continued prevalence</a> could be catastrophic for food supplies, honeybee populations and mass die-offs of native species. Neonics are a primary cause behind the massive honeybee and native bee losses each year, researchers and environmentalists argue.</p><p>In Columbia, mass bee deaths are being blamed directly on avocado farms, <a href="https://phys.org/news/2021-02-colombia-apiarists-avocado-bees.html#:~:text=It%20is%20used%20to%20control,from%20nearby%20passion%20fruit%20orchards." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Phys.org</a> reported. Avocado exports from Columbia skyrocketed from 1.7 tons in 2014 to 44.5 tons in 2019, and in 2021, Colombia became Europe's largest avocado supplier, Phys.org added. This boom has resulted in the increased use of neonic insecticide fipronil. <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/europe-france-bees-pesticides-2648176911.html" target="_self">Banned in Europe</a> and restricted in the U.S. and China, fipronil is still used in Colombia to grow avocados and citrus for export. This has been bad for neighboring bees, which become contaminated as they buzz through pesticide-treated plantations looking for food.</p><p>"They bring this poison to the hive and kill everyone else," Abdon Salazar, a Columbian beekeeper, lamented to Phys.org after losing 800 hives and 80 million bees in the last two years.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxNzQ4OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMjg5OTQ2NH0.Oq4fBa6JIt8zh9l_2638GKbYaf8eJu6z8HxItBENV3c/img.jpg?width=980" id="10a24" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e3a3fd25fe54760bf8a0f2c564c4dbf7" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="5616" data-height="3744" />
Avocado and almond crops depend on bees for proper pollination. FRANK MERIÑO / Pexels / CC0
<p>Salazar and other Columbian beekeepers described "scooping up piles of dead bees" year after year since the avocado and citrus booms began, according to Phys.org. Many have opted to salvage what partial colonies survive and move away from agricultural areas.</p><p>The future of pollinators and the crops they help create is uncertain. According to the United Nations, nearly half of insect pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies, risk global extinction, Phys.org reported. Their decline already has cascading consequences for the economy and beyond. Roughly 1.4 billion jobs and three-quarters of all crops around the world depend on bees and other pollinators for free fertilization services worth billions of dollars, Phys.org noted. Losing wild and native bees could <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/wild-bees-crop-shortage-2646849232.html" target="_self">trigger food security issues</a>.</p><p>Salazar, the beekeeper, warned Phys.org, "The bee is a bioindicator. If bees are dying, what other insects beneficial to the environment... are dying?"</p>
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An oblique (left) and dorsal (right) photo of a female Pharohylaeus lactiferous. J.B. Dorey / Journal of Hymenoptera Research
Australia is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. It is home to more than 7% of all the world's plant and animal species, many of which are endemic. One such species, the Pharohylaeus lactiferus bee, was recently rediscovered after spending nearly 100 years out of sight from humans.
<p><a href="https://www.jamesdoreyphotography.com.au/James-Dorey-Photography" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">James B. Dorey</a>, a Ph.D. student at Flinders University, was sampling more than 225 general and 20 targeted sites for research on native bee populations when he identified <em>P. lactiferus</em> among the specimens. Dorey took samples from areas around Queensland and New South Wales, two areas that have seen an <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/11-of-the-world-s-most-threatened-forests" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">increased loss of biodiversity</a> in the past decades. Dorey recently published his findings in the <a href="https://jhr.pensoft.net/article/59365/element/4/418//" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Journal of Hymenoptera Research</a>.</p>
<p>Prior to the study, the last publication on the bee species was recorded in 1923 in Queensland, with very little information on the bee's biology. However, the study in the Journal of Hymenoptera Research indicates that this bee is in need of special attention. Dorey asserts that the species "requires conservation assessment," due to its <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1051/apido/2009018" target="_blank">increasing loss of habitat</a>.</p>
<p>Deforestation seems to be at the top of the list of concerns for <em>P. lactiferus</em> and neighboring species. <a href="https://www.wwf.org.au/ArticleDocuments/355/pub-fact-sheet-tree-clearing-in-australia-23may17.pdf.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WWF</a> predicts that between 2015 and 2030, a mere 11 deforestation areas will account for more than 80% of global deforestation. Australia, specifically Queensland and New South Wales where <em>P. laciferus</em> resides, is in those top 11 regions. An alarming <a href="https://junctionjournalism.com/2019/09/20/australias-deforestation-rates-at-an-all-time-high/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">80% of deforestation</a> in Australia happens in the Queensland region, which threatens not only the endemic bee species but <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/csp2.117" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">other iconic Australian species</a> such as the koala. </p>
<p>However, Dorey cited bushfires as an equally dangerous threat to <em>P. laciferus</em> and other native bee species. Their <a href="https://www.rspcaqld.org.au/blog/wildlife-conservation/habitat-loss-and-bushfires" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">dependence on the bushland</a> for shelter and food nectar, coupled with habitat fragmentation from deforestation, has made the increasing intensity of Australian bushfires harder to survive. Dorey stated that "GIS analyses... indicate susceptibility of Queensland rainforests and <em>P. lactiferus</em> populations to bushfires, particularly in the context of a fragmented landscape."</p>
<p>Dorey also noted that the 2019 and 2020 bushfire seasons "burnt a greater area than in any year prior," for the habitats in which<em> P. laciferus</em> resides. However, the devastating <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/environment-and-health/short-term-health-impacts-2019-20-bushfires/contents/summary" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bushfires of 2019 and 2020</a> are not only affecting the bees in Queensland, but are also potentially fueling the <a href="https://therevelator.org/australia-bushfires-extinction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">extinction crisis</a> throughout Australia. University of Sydney ecologist, <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/billion-animals-australia-fires_n_5e13be43e4b0843d361778a6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chris Dickman, told Huffington Post</a> that an estimated 1 billion species were affected during the wildfires. <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/wildfires-climate-change-and-deforestation-increase-the-global-risk/a-51928388" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Compounding research on climate change</a> indicates that the wildfire crisis is global, and <em>P. laciferus</em> might be next on the list of species affected.</p>However, there is hope for this rare bee and the other species facing real threats from the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/species-extinct-in-2020-2649768697.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1" target="_self">world's extinction crisis</a>. <a href="https://www.jamesdoreyphotography.com.au/Projects" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dorey's work</a> in ecology research, as well as wildlife photography, is helping to fuel wildlife preservation in Australia and beyond. To see more of his work with native Australian bees, <a href="https://www.jamesdoreyphotography.com.au/Galleries/Australian-Native-Bees/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">click here</a>
<p><em>Savannah Hasty is an environmental writer with more than six years of experience and has written thousands of articles for clients around the world. Her work focuses on environmental news, lifestyle content, and copywriting for sustainable brands. Savannah lives on the sunny coast of Florida and is inspired by this to play an active role in the preservation of the state's marine life and natural ecosystems.</em><br/></p>From Your Site Articles
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