Mysterious collapses of pollinator populations

Maybe climate change isn't the issue that will most poignantly demonstrate humanity's over-intrusion and disruption of the planet's ecological balance.

Maybe it's pollination. An unambiguous ecosystem service, not debatable or negotiable, not a realistic job for human laborers, not considered unreliable so far.

Bee and bat populations are mysteriously crashing in some places. The solution, like ecosystems, will probably be very complicated.




Bees: Colony Collapse Disorder

Colony Collapse Disorder (or CCD) is a little-understood phenomenon in which worker bees from a beehive or Western honey bee colony abruptly disappear. CCD was originally found in Western honey bee colonies in North America in late 2006.

European beekeepers observed a similar phenomenon in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, and initial reports have also come in from Switzerland and Germany, albeit to a lesser degree. Possible cases of CCD have also been reported in Taiwan since April 2007.

The cause (or causes) of the syndrome is not yet well understood. Hypotheses include environmental change-related stresses, malnutrition, pathogens (i.e., disease including Israel acute paralysis virus), mites, pesticides such as neonicotinoids or imidacloprid, radiation from cellular phones or other man-made devices, and genetically modified (GM) crops with pest control characteristics such as transgenic maize. Some claim that the disappearances have not been reported from organic beekeepers, suggesting to some that beekeeping practices can be a primary factor.

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Bats: White Nose Syndrome

White nose syndrome is a poorly understood malady associated with the deaths of thousands of bats. The condition, named for a distinctive ring of fungal growth around the muzzles, and on the wings of many affected animals, was first identified in several caves near Albany, New York in January 2007 but has spread to other New York caves and into Vermont and Massachusetts in 2008. The condition has been found in over 25 caves and mines mostly in the northeastern U.S.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation expert Alan Hicks has described the impact as "unprecedented" and "the gravest threat to bats ... ever seen." The mortality rate in some caves has exceeded 90 percent. At greatest risk is the endangered Indiana bat, whose primary hibernaculum in New York has been affected. Deaths of eastern pipistrelles, northern long-eared myotis and little brown bats have also been attributed to the condition. The long-term impact of the reduction in bat populations may be an increase in insects, possibly even leading to crop damage or other economic impact in New England.