(Press-News.org) Gardens offer a steady and reliable source of nectar all year round, helping to keep pollinators fed when farmland sources are limited, researchers have discovered.
This consistency means that even small patches of gardens in rural areas can sustain pollinators, particularly in early spring and late summer when nectar is scarce.
In the findings, published today in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, scientists at the University of Bristol discovered that gardens can provide between 50% and 95% of the total nectar during these critical times.
Lead author Dr Thomas Timberlake based in Bristol’s School of Biological Sciences explained: “It’s well known that gardens and urban areas can be great places for pollinators like bees, flies and butterflies. In fact, past research shows that cities often have more types and numbers of pollinators than farming areas.
“There’s also evidence that pollinator populations are healthier in rural areas when they’re close to small towns or villages so we know gardens are good for pollinators, but we don’t fully understand why.
“Our study aimed to figure out exactly what it is about gardens that makes them so beneficial for pollinators.”
The team looked at how much nectar, an essential food for pollinators, is available in gardens and farmland throughout the year. While gardens only provide a relatively small amount of nectar in rural areas (less than 15%), the stability and continuity of this nectar supply makes it much more valuable to pollinators. In contrast, farmland [TT1] nectar almost disappears during certain months potentially leaving pollinators struggling.
More than 90% of farmland in Great Britain is within one kilometre of a garden. This means that the flowers in people’s gardens are accessible to many insects living in farmland areas nearby. If gardens are managed in a pollinator-friendly way, their positive impact can extend far beyond the garden fence, helping pollinators all across the country.
Dr Timberlake continued: “Many people feel powerless when it comes to fighting biodiversity loss, thinking it’s too big of a problem to tackle on their own. But our study shows that individual citizens can make a big difference.
“People can support pollinators in their gardens and surrounding farmland by simply making sure their garden has pollinator-friendly flowers blooming throughout the year—especially in early spring and late summer, when pollinators are hungriest.”
Now the team plan to find out which specific plants are best at filling those seasonal hunger gaps and whether gardens should be included in future environmental stewardship schemes. If gardens are proven to benefit pollinators more than some farmland habitats, then the creation of more pollinator-friendly gardens in rural areas could help us tackle pollinator declines.
Dr Timberlake concluded: "In a country like the UK, where towns and villages are spread throughout the countryside, gardens might be helping pollinators more than we ever realised.
“For the 27 million gardeners in the UK, this study highlights just how important their gardens can be in helping to reverse the decline of pollinators."
Paper:
‘Gardens reduce seasonal hunger gaps for farmland pollinators’ by TP Timberlake, NE New and J Memmott in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
These two bits of the sentence didn’t quite connect before, so I’ve just spelt out why it is that gardens can be so important even if they only provide a relatively small proportion of total nectar.
END
Gardens prevent pollinators from starving when farmland nectar is scarce, new study finds
2024-10-23
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Addiction treatment decreases suicide risk among people with opioid dependence
2024-10-23
Treating opioid use disorder significantly lowers the very high rate (8 times the general population) of suicide among people with opioid dependence.
A Scottish study led by Glasgow Caledonian University of over 45,000 patients receiving methadone or buprenorphine for opioid use disorder reported this important result today in the scientific journal Addiction.
There were 575 suicides among the group of 46,453 people with opioid use disorder, accounting for 1.2% of the group. Although every member of the group received an OAT prescription at some point between 2011 and 2020, some ...
Abundant urban green space linked to lower rates of heat related illness and death
2024-10-22
Abundant green space in urban areas is linked to lower rates of heat related illness and death as well as better mental health and wellbeing, finds a systematic review of the available research, published in the open access journal BMJ Open.
Green space may help offset the adverse health effects of high temperatures, conclude the researchers.
In recognition of the detrimental heat related effects of increasing urbanisation and climate change, one of the UN Sustainable Development Goal targets stipulates the ...
Lifetime sudden cardiac death risk 4+ times higher for those with schizophrenia
2024-10-22
The lifetime risk of an unexpected and sudden death from a cardiovascular cause in the absence of pre-existing heart disease—known as sudden cardiac death—is more than 4 times higher for people with schizophrenia than it is for the general population, indicates Danish research published online in the journal Heart.
The risk is still around twice as high for those with other types of mental ill health, such as depression, whatever their age, indicate the findings, which suggest that an 18 year old can expect to live around 10 fewer years than someone of the same age without mental health issues.
The research to date indicates ...
Scurvy may be re-emerging amid cost of living crisis and rise of weight loss surgery
2024-10-22
The scourge of scurvy, which is caused by vitamin C deficiency, may be re-emerging amid the cost of living crisis and the rise in weight loss (bariatric) surgery, suggest doctors in the journal BMJ Case Reports after treating a middle-aged man with the condition.
Scurvy is eminently treatable, but because it’s a disease of the past, first associated with sailors during the Renaissance era, it may be mistaken for other conditions, especially inflamed blood vessels (vasculitis), potentially risking fatal bleeding if left untreated, highlight the authors.
Signs can appear as early as a month after a daily intake ...
Ethical framework aims to counter risks of geoengineering research
2024-10-22
WASHINGTON — As interest grows in geoengineering as a strategy for tackling global warming, the world’s largest association of Earth and space scientists today launched an ethical framework as a guide to responsible decision-making and inclusive dialogue.
The report, facilitated by the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and advised by a global panel of experts, says any research into large-scale interventions in Earth’s climate system must be grounded in sound ethical principles so society can make informed choices about whether to deploy them. It warns that the unintended consequences ...
New AI tool set to be a “game changer” in improving outcome predictions for kidney transplant patients
2024-10-22
A new advanced artificial intelligence (AI) tool, developed by renal doctors internationally, represents a significant step forward in predicting and potentially improving outcomes for UK kidney transplant patients.
For patients with late-stage renal failure, a kidney transplant can be life-changing, offering the promise of improved survival and a better quality of life compared to other treatment options. But in the UK alone, around 5,000 people are on the waiting list for a kidney transplant, ...
New VUMC hospital expansion to be named Jim Ayers Tower
2024-10-22
Vanderbilt University Medical Center will name the new expansion tower for Vanderbilt University Hospital the Jim Ayers Tower in recognition of Janet and Jim Ayers’ philanthropic legacy and abiding interest in improving the health care and quality of life for Tennesseans.
The naming of the 15-level, 470,000-square-foot tower, currently under construction between 21st Avenue South and Medical Center Drive on the Main Campus in Nashville, honors the couple’s steadfast community leadership and longtime connection to VUMC. The tower is scheduled to ...
New drug, WNTinib, delays tumor growth and improves survival in mouse models of children’s liver cancer
2024-10-22
Barcelona, Spain: A new drug called WNTinib can delay the growth of tumours and improve survival in hepatoblastoma, a type of liver cancer that occurs in young children. This effect was seen in cancer cells taken from patients and implanted into mice.
The researchers are now working on strategies to identify children who may benefit from the treatment, according to Ms Ugne Balaseviciute, a pre-doctoral researcher in the Translational Research in the Hepatic Oncology Group led by Professor Josep M, Llovet at Institut D'Investigacions Biomediques ...
Clinical study confirms tissue stiffening in breast cancer can drive metastasis
2024-10-22
TUCSON, Arizona — A study published in Clinical Cancer Research confirmed that tissue stiffening in the most common types of breast cancer, HER2-negative, can directly cause disease progression and metastasis, leading to detrimental outcomes for patients. The work was a collaboration between researchers at the University of Arizona Health Sciences and clinicians in Spain.
Researchers led by Miguel Quintela-Fandino, MD, at the Spanish National Cancer Research Center evaluated the MeCo Score™, a diagnostic test invented at ...
Medicare has a revolving door, study suggests
2024-10-22
Right now across the country, tens of millions of older adults and people with serious disabilities have a choice to make: whether to stick with their current Medicare option, or change during Open Enrollment.
One of the biggest decisions they face is whether to go with a Medicare Advantage plan offered by an insurance company, or traditional Medicare coverage offered directly by the federal government.
If they change from one to the other, a new University of Michigan study finds, they may be entering a revolving door and find themselves changing again in the future.
On average, the study shows, 3% of people with traditional Medicare switch over to ...