Study Warns of Elevated Extinction Risk for One-Fifth of Native Pollinators

A study led by NatureServe and published in the PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America) revealed that more than 22% of native pollinators in North America are at an elevated risk of extinction. The wide-ranging study evaluated nearly 1,600 pollinator species, including bees, beetles, butterflies, moths, flower flies, bats, and hummingbirds. Researchers found native bee species to be at particular risk. In addition, the study found the highest concentrations of at-risk species in the American Southwest. NatureServe points out that pollinators are vital for food production and ecosystem health, contributing over $15 billion annually to North American agriculture, and that their decline threatens not only biodiversity but also the stability of food systems and human livelihoods.