New Curtin University research has found the impact of bushfires and prescribed burns on global bee populations is highly varied, with some species benefiting from fire while others face severe risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study, led by Adjunct Research Fellow Dr Kit Prendergast<\/a> from Curtin\u2019s School of Molecular and Life Sciences, examined 148 studies from around the world to understand how fire impacts bees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The review considered the severity, frequency and duration of fires, along with the different characteristics of bees, such as where they nest, their body size, how specialised their diet is and whether they live alone or in groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr Prendergast said while declining pollinator numbers are being increasingly recognised as a major threat to biodiversity and sustainability, little was known until now about how they respond to fires that are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change and land management practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe found that ground-nesting bees and those that feed on many different plants often flourished in the open, sunny conditions that follow a fire. But bees that nest in little pre-made holes in trees or those that rely on just a few plant species for food were far more vulnerable, as fires can destroy their nesting sites and the plants they depend on,\u201d Dr Prendergast said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOverall, our findings show that bee responses to fire are highly varied, with some species benefiting, while others decline or disappear altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe review highlighted significant research gaps, with most existing studies coming from North America and Europe, rather than fire-prone Southern Hemisphere ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDespite Australia being home to a rich diversity of native bees and some of the world\u2019s most fire-affected landscapes, there is a lack of research into how our unique native bees cope with fire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n