In the latest episode of the ZEIT podcast “Auch das noch?” I talk about my career path, research on plant-pollinator interactions, measures for biodiversity restauration in agricultural landscapes, our Horizon Europe project RestPoll and my involvement in the IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services).
These are a few important take-home messages from this podcast episode:
- The honey bee is one of around 570 bee species in Germany. The number of wild bee species and individuals is declining, but research is lacking for many species.
- Land use and climate change are the major drivers of pollinator decline.
- Wild bees need both nesting habitats and food resources (including water) to thrive in agricultural landscapes. This means that measures like flower strips are not effective, if wild bees can’t find nesting resources in close proximity.
- Meaningful changes in land use practices must be carried out in collaboration with farmers and land users. This is why we collaborate closely with farmers and other stakeholders to develop and evaluate measures for pollinator restauration in agricultural landscapes.
If you are interested in pollination of crop plants, you can look forward to our new book “Praxishandbuch Nutzpflanzenbestäubung” that will be available early next year.