The Conservation and Biology of Bees in Temperate Habitats (Symposia of…

Bees form a vital part of many natural and farmed landscapes all over the world. Both as pollinators and as a part of the wider insect community, their activities not only promote healthy ecosystems but in many cases are essential to the life cycles of particular plant species. Their complex coevolutionary relationships to their forage plants are a subject of fascination to biologists and conservationists, and of economic importance to crop managers. But everywhere bees are under pressure, both from the direct impact of pesticides in the environment as well as the indirect effects of habitat alteration and destruction. This volume focuses on a number of important topics in bee biology and conservation in the temperate regions of four continents. The varieties of habitats needed for bees to thrive, the essential links and interactions between bees and many plant species, and the current state of bee biodiversity and conservation are all dealt with by an international cast of authors. Anyone with an interest in bees, or in insect and plant conservation in general, will find important subjects discussed in this book.