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Bees are the most important pollinators of virtually all fruit and berry trees and bushes, vegetables and many other fodder plants and crops, as well as of numerous wild forest and field plants. Up to 30% of foodstuff consumed by humanity is produced due to bee pollination.
According to the research in German and French universities, honey bees and other pollinating insects contribute to the world wide agricultural food production by 153 billion euros or 9,5% of the cost of all food products, consumed in the world . Bees' disappearance can cause 350 billion euros of damage to the world. Though the total damage will exceed this sum significantly as it's almost impossible to evaluate bees' contribution to biodiversity on the planet.
It is bees’ pollination activity that supports species diversity on Earth, being the most important factor in the existence of vegetation. The disappearance of the bees will not only lead to the fatal reduction of many species of plants and animals, but also to the reduction of the diversity of natural resources, which in turn would entail the destruction of the biosphere - air and water pollution, the development of infectious diseases, a giant complex of environmental and social catastrophes.
The rescue and protection of honeybees are necessary for the conservation and sustainable development of nature, society and life on the planet as a whole. In many countries there is awareness of the scale of threats associated with the phenomenon of bees’ death and disappearance and certain steps are taken to combat this threat. Thus in the United Kingdom, a national bee database is to be set up to monitor colony collapse as a result of a 15% reduction in the bee population over the last two years. In particular, the register, funded by the Department for the Environment and administered by the National Bee Unit, will be used to monitor health trends of bees. Britain's 20,000 beekeepers have been invited to participate.
Consequences for the mankind
Bees are the most important pollinators of virtually all fruit and berry trees and bushes, vegetables and many other fodder plants and crops, as well as of numerous wild forest and field plants. Up to 30% of foodstuff consumed by humanity is produced due to bee pollination.
According to the research in German and French universities, honey bees and other pollinating insects contribute to the world wide agricultural food production by 153 billion euros or 9,5% of the cost of all food products, consumed in the world . Bees' disappearance can cause 350 billion euros of damage to the world. Though the total damage will exceed this sum significantly as it's almost impossible to evaluate bees' contribution to biodiversity on the planet.
It is bees’ pollination activity that supports species diversity on Earth, being the most important factor in the existence of vegetation. The disappearance of the bees will not only lead to the fatal reduction of many species of plants and animals, but also to the reduction of the diversity of natural resources, which in turn would entail the destruction of the biosphere - air and water pollution, the development of infectious diseases, a giant complex of environmental and social catastrophes.
The rescue and protection of honeybees are necessary for the conservation and sustainable development of nature, society and life on the planet as a whole. In many countries there is awareness of the scale of threats associated with the phenomenon of bees’ death and disappearance and certain steps are taken to combat this threat. Thus in the United Kingdom, a national bee database is to be set up to monitor colony collapse as a result of a 15% reduction in the bee population over the last two years. In particular, the register, funded by the Department for the Environment and administered by the National Bee Unit, will be used to monitor health trends of bees. Britain's 20,000 beekeepers have been invited to participate.
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