global warming
We sometimes forget that bees are an essential part of our lives, contributing to the
development of our precious flora, cosmetic formulas and the production of health beneficial honey. Right now, they are having a hard time doing their jobs because of the imprints we leave on the earth from human activity. Global warming is increasing at an alarming rate and the bees need our help.
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Our modes of transportation are dominantly using petrol which is made from fossil fuels dug up from under the earth. By constantly using these vehicles, we burn excessive amounts of fossil fuels, releasing carbon pollution into the air (World Wide Fund New Zealand, n.d.).
The demand for cheap and durable synthetic materials such as plastic require an excessive amount of energy to produce a small amount. Energy sources used to generate such industrial factories are mostly non-renewable, contributing to the large carbon footprint we are tainting the atmosphere with (World Wide Fund New Zealand, n.d.).
Forests help to absorb this carbon dioxide using photosynthesis to convert it into the oxygen we breathe. But with the increase in land for pastures, farming grounds and living spaces, trees are being cut down and are often used for building materials and as a source of energy. Thus deforestation contributes to the planet's warming due to the unstable ratio of carbon dioxide to oxygen (World Wide Fund New Zealand, n.d.).
Methane and nitrous oxide are other greenhouse gases that are having a negative impact. Animal agriculture is a big emitter of these gases as it is a natural consequence of cattle meat slaughter. With an increase in population, a resulting increase of meat consumption is booming the meat industry thus increasing these greenhouse gases (World Wide Fund New Zealand, n.d.).
New Zealanders are one of the 30 biggest per capita emitters in the world, and our emissions are still growing. Our emissions are projected to have grown by 32-37% from 1990 to 2020. Though we're a small country (absolute total emissions are small), our emissions per person are big. Per person, we're one of the thirty biggest emitters worldwide with the average New Zealander emitting over 16 tonnes of greenhouse gases every year - more than the average European, and over twice the average Chinese person's emissions (World Wide Fund New Zealand, n.d.).
According to the Ministry for the Environment’s (2018) recent climate predictions for New Zealand, by the end of this century we could be expected to have:
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rising temperatures
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increasing sea levels
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exponential rate of extreme weather patterns (droughts and floods)
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erratic rainfall patterns with “increased summer rainfall in the north and east of the North Island and increased winter rainfall in many parts of the South Island.”
What is Global Warming?
Earth’s atmosphere traps oxygen and greenhouse gases that warms the earth and prevents it from freezing. From the past 150 years there has been a growing increase in human-induced activities such as industry, agriculture and transportation, hence increasing the level of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere and causing the Earth to heat up at an unprecedented rate (Ministry for the Environment, 2018).
Swarming up Problems
Temperature
In temperate regions, small amounts of colony loss frequently occur each winter because queens and/or worker bees are too weak to survive the cold or because they are otherwise compromised by pests, diseases, exposures to toxins, lack of food, or bad foraging weather. Natural disasters from climate change such as gale force winds, flooding, and fire, may contribute significantly to colony loss. Beekeepers with more than 250 colonies who reported having any losses attributed 2.82% of their losses to natural disasters. (Ministry for Primary Industries, 2017)
With warmer temperatures increasing from global warming, it favours to the optimum weather for bee activity. However it also favours the spread of disease and pests, affecting both fauna and flora. This is the main source of depressing bee health, causing colony death numbers to increase as they are unfit to survive the winter. Because of warmer temperatures, the changing of seasons come earlier than predicted. Earlier springs and longer frost-free seasons could disturb the timing of first flowering and health of flowering plants. This could mean that there is a decrease in nutritional value in the honey produced and an increase in pollination for the plants to grow in good health (Ministry for the Environment, 2018).
Precipitation
An El Niño weather pattern arose according to evidence from the Ministry for Primary Industries (2016). Higher humidity, heavy rainfall, wind, and low temperatures have unfavourable effects as honey bees do not exit bee hives during these undesirable weather conditions, especially on rainy days. Rain has a strong negative impact on honey bee activity and pollination (Puškadija, 2007). With higher levels of rainfall forecasted, because the daily bee activity significantly decreases during precipitation, it decreases the amount of pollen collected that will therefore decrease the honey yield and the honey that the bees eat, decreasing bee health and causing an increase in colony deaths. Long periods and/or heavy precipitation could also lead to plant damage, reducing the nectar the bees harvest and the quality of it too. Therefore these fluctuating weather patterns could cause a lot of damage to the nectar source as well as the bees (Ministry for the Environment, 2018).
Mānuka honey yield was quite variable across the country and even within beekeeping areas. Mānuka in Northland performed well overall, while the Coromandel had a poor season with heavy rain over the Christmas-New Year period. Later flowering mānuka areas such as Taranaki and the central plateau also had a poor season, due to frequent rain and cooler temperatures in January and February 2016. (Ministry for Primary Industries, 2016)
Pricing
Because of the global demand for manuka honey, the prices have increased. However, the fact that bee health, honey yield and nectar sourcing has become at risk due to global warming, the pricing has skyrocketed. As the price of mānuka honey continues to rise, domestic and overseas consumers are increasingly concerned that honey labelled as ‘mānuka’ is authentic, due to low yield and possible cross pollination of plants rather than pure manuka. This consequently could mean that the quality and health benefits of manuka honey could plummet and the affordability of the product would also depreciate. This is incredibly important in order to boost the food export industry of new zealand. (Ministry for Primary Industries, 2016).
Deforestation
With the demand for land and energy sources, deforestation has become a societal norm. Manuka trees are often considered unwanted scrub and are burned or poisoned in order to clear land for pasture. Removing kānuka and mānuka/kahikātoa often eliminates the potential for further forest regeneration, not only is it not helping to reduce greenhouse gas build up but with the decrease in manuka nectar sources it decreases the yield of honey produced and causes the bees to forage for other nectar sources (Department of Conservation, n.d.). Removal of major pollen or nectar sources can significantly impact beekeeping operations financially and/or via bee health, as can the arrival of pests or diseases via relocation of new hives to the area.
It could also cause bees robbing hives as an additional cause of winter colony loss (Ministry for Primary Industries, 2017).
Swarming
Once the winter hibernation season is over, the mass spring emergence of worker bees occur where the bees will collect as much nectar from flowers as possible. This stimulates bees to swarm that seriously reduces the honey harvest. This is because the first flowering period and the main spring nectar sources are overlapping due to the warmer weather. This can result in an overflow of nectar and bee colonies may not be able to exploit all of the available resources. Foraging resources are limited in number, particularly in spring when the colony builds up strength. Therefore, bees respond to an overflow of nectar by multiplying and preparing to swarm, which limits honey production. This also causes starvation for the bees, contributing to poor bee health (Langowska et al., 2014). According to Ministry for Primary Industries (2017), Starvation may be a symptom of excessive competition for nectar and pollen sources.
Foraging
Bees can take advantage of the fact that spring nectar and pollen flow stimulate colony growth, therefore are better prepared to explore summer flows. Higher temperatures also extend the beekeeping season, therefore, bees may explore new flows (Langowska et al., 2014). Manuka is not a preferred nectar species of honey bees. Honey bees prefer clover and also other native species such as kamahi, towai and rewarewa, which will dilute the Manuka honey and reduce the MGO levels. Therefore the larger the area planted in Manuka the less likely the bees are going to collect nectar from other sources, (Wearmouth, 2015). If pollen and nectar sources within foraging range are insufficient, bees consume their stores. If the weather is too severe for bees to forage and if they do not have sufficient stores of pollen and nectar in the colony, then bees will starve (Ministry for Primary Industries, 2017).
References
Ministry for Primary Industries. (2016). Apiculture Monitoring Programme. Retrieved from
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/16621/loggedIn
Ministry for Primary Industries. (October, 2017). New Zealander’s Views of the Primary Sector. Retrieved
from https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/27582/loggedIn
Ministry for Primary Industries. (February, 2017). New Zealand Colony Loss Survey Report – 2016
(MPI Technical Paper No: 2017/16). Retrieved from https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/16711/send
Langowska, A., Zawilak, L., Sparks, T. H., Glazaczow, A., Tomkins, P. W., Tryjanowski, P. (December, 2016)
Long-term Effect of Temperature on Honey Yield and Honeybee Phenology. International Journal of Biometeorology. Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5486770/
Wearmouth, A. (July, 2015). Preparation for a Manuka Plantation in 2016. Retrieved from
https://www.kauriparknurseries.co.nz/preparation-manuka-plantation-2016/
Puškadija, Z., Štefanić, E., Mijić, A., Zdunić, Z., Paradžiković, N., Florijančić, T., Opačak, A. (May, 2007).
Influence of Weather Conditions on Honey Bee Visits (Apis Mellifera carnica) During Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) Blooming Period. Retrieved from
https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/24437
Ministry for the Environment. (May 2018). Evidence for climate change. Retrieved from
Ihttps://www.mfe.govt.nz/node/16597
Department of Conservation. (n.d.). Mānuka/kahikātoa and kānuka. Retrieved from
https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-plants/manuka-kahikatoa-and-kanuka/
Ministry for the Environment. (May 2018). Overview of likely climate change impacts in New Zealand.
Retrieved from
https://www.mfe.govt.nz/climate-change/likely-impacts-of-climate-change/overview-of-likely-climate-change-impacts
World Wide Fund New Zealand. (n.d.). Causes of Climate Change. Retrieved from
https://www.wwf.org.nz/what_we_do/climateaction/