News
Report on curbing decline of (wild) pollinators
In the project ‘Bee Landscape’ of Groene Cirkels, researchers of Wageningen University & Research (WUR) are collaborating with societal partners to curb the decline of (wild) pollinators. “We want to achieve this by offering wild pollinators more food and nesting opportunities,” says project leader Eveliene Steingröver of Wageningen Environmental Research. “Managers are also using chemical products with more care. This is making the landscape more attractive and colourful.”
Science, private companies, government, nature managers and many more organisations are working in the region Zoeterwoude, Alphen aan de Rijn, Leiden, Leiderdorp and Zoetermeer along with farmers and bee-keepers to realise this ambition and to give bees and other pollinators a proper future. The project aims at creating a regional network of flowery gardens, yards, parks, roadsides, industrial parks, recreational- and nature areas, with sufficient nesting- and feeding spots for (wild) pollinators.
To make an assessment of the progress of 'Bee Landscape", the current ecological network of the region has been delineated using the model LARCH-SCAN, with data about areas managed in a bee-friendly way. The results are given in summary in the report with the contours of the ecological network as envisaged at the end of 2017. The report includes advice to strengthen the current network and to expand it. It is intended to study a larger area in the coming 2 years. This would show whether any progress is made, information also needed for the VCA- reporting ('verified conservation area') which is a status the region strives for.
Eveliene Steingröver: "Our analysis makes clear that we are well underway with the Bee Landscape. It is our ambition to realise one big ecological network in this area of the Province of Zuid-Holland. The backbone of the network is now being formed by one large and four medium-sized networks, that have great opportunities to be mutually connected. This would create a large, robust network, with sufficient so-called B&B-areas for a large and diverse group of pollinators. Besides, we also see a good opportunity to spatially expand the area of the ecological network."
Download the report Contouren regionaal ecologisch netwerk voor bestuivers (in Dutch).