About 50% of Germany's surface area is used for agriculture. Agriculture has a significant impact on biodiversity and the population dynamics of wild bees, as it provides their habitats and resources. It therefore plays an important role in conserving and promoting these important pollinators.
Since 2019, we have been developing and testing methods that will enable the long-term, nationwide, uniform and population-friendly recording of wild bees in agricultural landscapes in the future. We are striving to make monitoring a permanent feature. There is currently no standardised database that can be used to make scientifically sound statements about the status and development of wild bees in Germany's agricultural landscapes.
Wild bee monitoring in agricultural landscapes is one module of the MonViA joint project.
Active Volunteers Nationwide
Over 300 volunteers across Germany are currently engaged in wild bee monitoring. As of 2024, 15 new nesting aid sponsorships have been taken up, bringing the total number of active sponsorships to nearly 100. More than 800 nesting aids are situated in 73 of the study areas pertinent to monitoring.
A total of 83 volunteers are taking part in bumblebee monitoring, with 54 of these participants joining the programme for the first time in 2024 (as of April 2024).
Monitoring of Cavity-Nesting Wild Bees in Nesting Aids
Approximately 25% of Germany's native wild bee species nest above ground in pre-existing cavities, such as hollow plant stems or dead wood. By utilising standardised nesting aids, we are able to record and conserve cavity-nesting species in agricultural landscapes, thereby helping to preserve their populations.
The floors of the 25-storey nesting aid house a valuable repository of data, comprising nesting material, eggs, larvae, and their remnants. These are assessed utilising photo documentation and molecular biological analyses, thereby facilitating the preservation of the population.
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Bumblebee Monitoring Scheme
Bumblebees (genus Bombus) are among the most important pollinators of wild and cultivated plants and are of particular economic and ecological importance in agricultural production systems. Some fodder and green manure plants that are central to agriculture (e.g. red clover and alfalfa) and a number of vegetable varieties (e.g. tomatoes and pumpkins) are pollinated exclusively or predominantly by bumblebees.
Long-term data series on the abundance and diversity of bumblebees are needed to better understand the interrelationships and make reliable statements about development trends and consequences for biodiversity and the economic efficiency of agricultural production systems. Nationwide standardised bumblebee monitoring is intended to close this data gap.
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Discover more about our research into wild bee monitoring in agricultural landscapes by visiting the project pages of the Thünen Institute of Biodiversity.
We are currently working on several key initiatives, including:
- The development of standardised, population-friendly methods for recording cavity-nesting wild bees
- The creation of molecular biological methods and evaluation protocols for environmental DNA (eDNA) from nesting aids
- The establishment of a nationwide bumblebee monitoring scheme in Germany
- The conduct of trend analyses and the development of stress indicators to inform conservation efforts
Click on the links below to learn more about each of these projects:
