all-ireland pollinator plan 2015-2020 consultation · leafcutter & mason solitary bees are...
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ALL-IRELAND POLLINATOR PLAN 2015-2020
CONSULTATION
Úna FitzPatrickNational Biodiversity Data Centre
POLLINATORS IN IRELAND
Ireland has 97 native bee species:
1 20 76
Ireland has 180 hoverfly species:
Dara Stanley
BUMBLEBEES: 20 different species
Gypsy Ray John Breen
John Breen
Ralph Sheppard
Dara Stanley Ralph Sheppard
Queen emerges from
hibernation in early spring
Forage and
find a nest
Prepares a pollen loaf and a nectar
pot and starts laying eggs fertilised
with sperm stored from previous year
Queen remains in
the nest laying eggs
Female workers emerge
and take over nest duties
New queens and males
leave the nest to find mates
In mid-late summer the
queen lays unfertilised eggs
which will become males.
She also allows some new
queens to develop
Mated new queen forages to build
up reserves before hibernation.
Workers, males and old queen die
LIFE CYCLE: BUMBLEBEES
Food source
Nest site
Food source
Food source
Hibernation site
WHAT DO BUMBLEBEES NEED?
Hibernation site
Underground, generally in north facing banks or slopes. Base of a wall, compost bin, loose soil in flower pots
Frequent nesting sites include holes in the ground, tussocky grass, hedgerows, under garden sheds.
Nest site
BBCT
POLLINATORS NEED FOOD SOURCES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
In the early days of the nest it is estimated that a Bombus terrestris queen may have to visit as many as 6000 flowers/day to get enough nectar to maintain the heat needed to brood her eggs
EARLY SPRING: queens are establishing nests
SPRING – SUMMER: nests are growing, workers are active
AUTUMN: queens are fattening up ready for hibernation
Bombus terrestris queens need to weigh at least 0.6 g to successfully hibernate and emerge next spring.
Nest sites
Do you need pollinators here?
Fruits and vegetables in gardens
The number of wild flowering plants in this area = 371.
Probably around 75% of these require pollination by animals
Bumblebees can travel up to 5km but commonly forage within 1-2km of their nest
Tom Cuffe
SOLITARY BEES: 76 different species
Mining bees Cuckoo bees Sweat bees
Mason bees Leaf cutter bees Sharp-tailed bees White-faced bees
Mate
Female prepares
a nest
Female lays eggs and leaves
a food supply of pollenThe larvae overwinter
Males and females die
Females and males
emerge in spring
LIFE CYCLE: SOLITARY BEES
Nest site
Food source
John O’BoyleHarm Deenan
WHAT DO SOLITARY BEES NEED?
Nest sites – mining bees
John O’Boyle
Nest sites – cavity nesting bees
Michael O’Donnell John O’Boyle
15
23
16
12
7
30
5
10
15
20
25
March April May June July August
No
of
sp
ec
ies
Month
Number of solitary species to emerge each month
Andrena clarkella - willow
Andrena denticulata –yellow asteraceae
Andrena fuscipes – Heather
WHAT DO SOLITARY BEES NEED?
Food for when they emerge from hibernation
Fussy eaters:
Solitary bees can travel up to 1km but commonly forage within 100-200m of their nest
Studies have shown that an increase in 150m between the nesting site and food plants can reduce the number of viable offspring by more than 70%
Leafcutter & mason solitary bees are among the world's most efficient pollinators
This is partly because are extremely inefficient at gathering pollen compared to all other bee families, requiring on average nearly ten times as many trips!
ARE SOLITARY BEES IMPORTANT POLLINATORS?
Research has shown that one female Red mason bee (Osmia bicornis) does the pollination work of between 120 and 160 honeybees
ARE HOVERFLIES IMPORTANT POLLINATORS?
Hoverflies pollination efficiency is about one fifth that of
wild bees and they forage on a much smaller range of
flowers
To ensure pollination of Irish crops and wild plants we should initially focus on:
Healthy honeybee colonies in combination with high abundance and species richness in wild bee populations, as
well as other wild pollinators such as hoverflies
WHY DOES POLLINATION MATTER?
WEALTH
HEALTH
WILDLIFE
Out of 100 crop species which provide 90% of food worldwide, 71 of these are
bee-pollinated
US research: approximately one out of every three mouthfuls of food we eat and beverages we drink are the result of pollination by bees
Pollinators contribute €53 million annually to the Irish economy
Without pollinators it would be extremely difficult to have a healthy balanced diet
Less colour in the countryside and knock-on impacts on our biodiversity
ARE POLLINATORS DECLINING IN IRELAND?
More than half of Ireland’s bee species have undergone substantial declines in their numbers since 1980.
Two species have become extinct
6 species are critically endangered, 10 endangered14 vulnerable
IS POLLINATION SERVICE DECLINING IN IRELAND?
2011: the abundance of four species of bumblebee in the US had dropped by a startling 96% in just the past few decades
For common species we don’t know if the
abundance is changing?
All-Ireland bumblebee monitoring scheme was
established in 2011 to provide
this data
WHY ARE POLLINATORS DECLINING?
HABITAT LOSS
DECLINE IN WILDFLOWERS
PESTS AND DISEASE
AGROCHEMICALS
CLIMATE CHANGE
HOMELESSNESS
HUNGER
SICKNESS
POISONING
CHANGING ENVIRONMENT
The loss of floral resources in the agricultural landscape is probably the key driver of
pollinator declines
WHAT CAN WE DO?
HABITAT LOSS: HOMELESSNESS
GENERAL DECLINE IN WILDFLOWERS: HUNGER
PESTS AND DISEASE: SICKNESS
AGROCHEMICALS: POISONING
CLIMATE CHANGE: CHANGING ENVIRONMENT
1. Accept that pollination is important
2. Recognise there is a problem
3. Start to build a framework for positive action
John Fogarty
All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2015-2020
Creating an Ireland where pollinators can survive and thrive
STEERING GROUPDr Úna FitzPatrick (chair): National Biodiversity Data CentreDr Jane Stout: Trinity College DublinDr Tomás Murray: National Biodiversity Data CentreDr Archie Murchie: Agri-Food and Biosciences NIMr Jerome Walsh: Department of Agriculture, Food and the MarineDr Veronica Santorum: Community Initiatives: Limerick’s BuzzingDr Brian Nelson: National Parks and Wildlife ServiceMr Ken Bradley: DOE Environmental Policy DivisionMs Melina Quinn: Northern Ireland Environment AgencyMs Catherine Bertrand: NGO’s: Butterfly Conservation NIDr Damian McFerran: Centre for Environmental Data and Recording (CEDaR)Dr John McMullan: Honeybee expertDr Gerry Clabby: Local Authorities: Fingal County CouncilDr Vincent O’Malley: National Roads AuthorityMs Catherine Keena: Teagasc
Driving pollinator conservation through better data since 2008
Researching the drivers and consequences of pollinator decline in Ireland since 2004
Providing food and shelter across all types of land so that our pollinators can
survive and thrive
MAKING IRELAND POLLINATOR FRIENDLY
Provide food and shelter across all types of land so that our pollinators can survive and thrive
Farmland: 4 targets & 11 actionsPublic land: 3 targets & 11 actionsPrivate land: 2 targets & 3 actions
All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2015-2020
Creating an Ireland where pollinators can survive and thrive
Making sure we’re doing the
right thing
3 targets & 9 actions
Collecting evidence to track
change and measure success
3 targets & 4 actions
Managed pollinators –
supporting beekeepers
3 targets & 5 actions
Raising awareness of
pollinators and how to
protect them
3 targets & 8 actions
The draft Plan identifies a total of 21 targets and 51 actions
In all cases there is scope for new initiatives and new ideas
Joined up network of diverse and flower-rich
habitats to support pollinators across Ireland
MAKING IRELAND POLLINATOR FRIENDLY
Provide food and shelter across all types of land so that our pollinators can survive and thrive
Making Ireland pollinator friendly
• Increase the area of farmland that is farmed in a pollinator friendly way• Create a network of magnificent meadows to serve as pollinator havens• Promote the sustainable use of agricultural pesticides• Provide clearer information on pollinators to the farming community
• Increase the area of public land that is managed in a pollinator friendly way• Create linking areas of flower rich habitat along transport routes• Reduce the use of pesticides on public land
• Increase the number of gardens across Ireland that are pollinator friendly• Encourage businesses to become pollinator friendly
FARMLAND
PUBLIC LAND
PRIVATE LAND
WHAT KIND OF THINGS CAN YOU DO ON A FARM?
Plant nectar and pollen rich trees and shrubs
Encourage flowering plants on the farm
Hedgerows, cut less often to allow flowering –Hazel, Blackthorn, Hawthorn
Manage field margins and buffer strips through grazing and cutting to prevent grasses dominating and encourage wildflowers to grow
Use pesticides responsibly & minimiseuse outside cropping systems
Leave long grass in uncultivated field corners
Reduce the use of spring herbicide to encourage non-competitive weeds in the crop
Incorporate clover into grass dominated swards
1. Encourage farmers to take very low cost voluntary actions
2. Identify the difficulties to taking actions
3. Where actions have a cost investigate agri-environment incentives
WHAT CAN YOU DO IN A SMALL GARDEN?
Flowering tree
Shrub that flowers in autumn-winter
Pots with herbs
Lawn with some weeds
Fruit trees
Area with long grass
Un-mowed strip
Shrub that flowers in spring - Broom
Shrub that flowers in autumn - Ivy
Bee friendly garden plants –Lavender, Comfrey
More herbs that flower throughout the year
Solitary bee nest box
Create a system to track progress in the creation of pollinator habitat
Small garden:
School:
Farm:
TARGETS FOR CONSULTATION PHASE
• BEE KEEPERS
• FARMING ASSOCIATIONS
• BORD BIA
• FORESTRY
• PEATLANDS
• BUSINESSES
• OTHER TRANSPORT NETWORKS
• NGOS
• LAND MANAGEMENT GROUPS
52 GROUPS HAVE
BEEN SPECIFICALLY INVITED TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON THE
PLAN
The draft Plan identifies a total of 21 targets and 51 actions
1. General2. Farmland3. Public land4. Private land5. Raising awareness6. Supporting bee keepers7. Research8. Data and tracking progress
9. Things for general discussion
FEEDBACK BOARDS
Areas for general discussion
- Farmland – how best to engage with farmers?- Will the availability of native wild flower seed be a limiting factor?- Should we have a dedicated action on sourcing funding?- Promotion & communication of the Plan- Greenways
If you have skills or expertise and are willing to provide voluntary advice or assistance please get in touch?
PR Contacts within key groupsDesign Writing and reviewing (actions 32, 33)Project management Sourcing fundingDevelopment of info-graphics Social media campaigns
CONSULTATION – UNTIL 1st MARCH http://pollinators.biodiversityireland.ie
Please input your ideas and suggestions so that the plan can be as constructive and positive a document for Irish pollinators as possible
TIME FRAMES
1. Public consultation ends on 1st March2. Wider stakeholder consultation ends in mid-March3. Plan will be reviewed by steering group4. Final draft will be produced5. Plan will be designed and info-graphics developed6. Publication in summer 2015
CALL TO ACTION
Zoe Devlin
Tom Cuffe
Thank You