Study: Wild insects key to crop pollination

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
Wild insect populations are critical to pollinating plant life. Bob Berwyn photo.

Wild insect populations are critical to pollinating plant life. Bob Berwyn photo.

Honeybees augment, but don’t replace diverse insect populations

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — With a lot of recent concerns focused on the decline of honeybee populations, a new study shows that wild insects even even more important as pollinators for certain crops for crops stocked routinely with high densities of honey bees, including almonds, blueberries, mangos and watermelons.

“Our study shows that losses of wild insects from agricultural landscapes impact not only our natural heritage but also our agricultural harvests,” said Lucas A. Garibaldi, of the Universidad Nacional de Río Negro – CONICET, Argentina.

“We found that wild insects consistently enhanced the number of flowers setting fruits or seeds for a broad range of crops and agricultural practices on all continents with farmland,” Garibaldi said. “Long term, productive agricultural systems should include habitat for both honey bees and diverse wild insects. Our study prompts for the implementation of more sustainable agricultural practices.” (more…)

Filed under: agriculture, biodiversity, Environment | Tagged: , , , | 3 Comments »

Global warming: Extreme spring warmth affects popular firefly watching event in Great Smoky Mountains NP

Posted on June 3, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

A firefly closeup, courtesy of Firefly.org. Click on the image to see more great firefly shots.

Warming temps disrupt delicate cycles involving plants, insects and birds

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — If you miss this year’s synchronized firefly display in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you can blame it on freakishly warm spring weather, perhaps linked to predicted weather extremes caused by global warming.

Because of the unseasonably warm spring, the synchronized fireflies in the park  are displaying earlier than ever recorded, according to park officials.

Fireflies are in trouble as it is, with habitat loss and artificial night lighting cited as the main threats to their survival by Firefly.org. A rapidly changing climate probably won’t help their chances, as the timing of larval emergence and the blooming of plants the insects depend on changes. (more…)

Filed under: biodiversity, climate and weather, Environment, global warming, national parks, public lands, seasons | Tagged: , , , , | 5 Comments »

Morning photo: Critter cam

Posted on July 9, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Bugs, birds, bison …

Stopping at a gas station a few miles south of New Orleans, I spotted this unusual translucent green dragonfly sitting on a Bungee cord holding down luggage on the car roof. I grabbed the small Fuji Finepix, turned on the flash and snapped a couple of quick frames.

SUMMIT COUNTY — Today was #FriFotos on Twitter, a social media chat that involves posting photos about a different topic each week, and this week the topic was animals. Turns out I have quite a few critter pics, including domestic dogs, dolphins, sea birds and, yes, even a few insects.

A petrel soars above the waters of the Drake Passage, between Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica.

(more…)

Filed under: daily photoblog, photography, Summit County Colorado, Travel | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Environment: Bumblebees in decline

Posted on February 13, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Populations of some bumblebee species have declined by as much as 96 percent in recent decades.

Research suggests genetic factors and parasites are factors

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — The buzzing of bumblebees during summer is a comforting sound, but it’s also an economic factor in multibillion dollar tomato and berry crops, as the insects intentionally use those vibrations to shake loose pollen. Their robust size and long tongues also help them pollinate efficiently, but recent studies have documented an alarming decline in bumblebee populations in North America and the U.S.

Altogether, bees pollinate about 90 percent of the world’s commercial plants, so the decline has spurred environmental and economic concerns, along with more studies, and the results are not good. Most research is pointing toward a significant loss, possibly due to the introduction of a tiny parasite that’s common in Europe. In one of the most significant research efforts, scientists at the University of Illinois said populations of four common species of bumblebees have dropped by 96 percent in recent decades. (more…)

Filed under: Colorado, Environment, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news | Tagged: , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Morning photo: Macro

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Bob Berwyn

Shelter from the storm

An ant takes shelter under a spreading blossom at the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens in Vail. Click on the image to visit the gardens online.

SUMMIT COUNTY — It’s not true macro photography, I admit. I don’t have a fancy macro lens, just a little point and shoot Fuji Finepix that I carry wherever I go. This summer I played with the macro setting on the Fuji, learning that, if the light is just right, and I hold the darn thing steady, I can capture some decent images. With a bit of digital cropping and sharpening, it’s close enough to get a little taste of the macro world. 

Click here to see previous editions of the morning photo essays. And you can support independent journalism in Summit County by visiting our online photo galleries and buying prints. Of if you like what you see in our daily photoblogs, contact us directly, bberwyn@comcast.net. Online photography at Imagekind, framed prints and greeting cards … More Summit County images online at RedBubble …Click on the read more button to see a few more “macro” images. (more…)

Filed under: daily photoblog, photography, Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Morning photo: Nectar

Posted on July 21, 2010 by Bob Berwyn

A bumblebee pays an evening visit to fireweed blossoms in Frisco, Colorado

Our morning photo helps show there is life after death in Summit County's devastated lodgepole pine forests, where wildflowers, lodgepole seedlings and aspens are all starting to thrive.

SUMMIT COUNTY — We have some more fun photo links today. Click on the read more button and then click on the photos below to see more. (more…)

Filed under: Breckenridge, photography, snow sculpting | Tagged: , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Beetles infested another half-million acres in 2009

Posted on January 22, 2010 by Bob Berwyn

An aerial image clearly shows reddish-brown areas of trees killed by beetles in contrast with stands of green aspens north of Highway 6 in the vicinity of Keystone.

Forest experts concerned about Front Range impacts after seeing an explosion of new beetle activity in Larimer County in 2009

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — Although the pace of pine beetle attacks in Summit County may have slowed slightly last year, the overall spread of the insect infestation shows no signs of slowing in the southern Rockies, forest experts said Friday as they released the results of aerial surveys from 2009.

Another half million acres of lodgepole pines were hit by the tiny bugs last year, and there are indications that the insects are spreading into new areas with vast stands of as-yet untouched lodgepoles. Most alarming was the rapid spread into the Front Range, especially in Larimer County, where 220,000 acres of trees were affected.

In Montana, 2.7 million acres of lodgepoles were infested by pine beetles in 2009, according to a story in the Billings Gazette.

Federal and state foresters said that, if the pine beetles decide to attack ponderosa pines in a big way, Front Range forests could be in big trouble. Ponderosas are also in the five-needle pine family, but thus far, the beetles have been spreading mostly through lodgepole forests west of the Continental Divide during the current outbreak.

(more…)

Filed under: Environment, Forest health, global warming, pine beetles and wildfires, public lands, recreation, Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

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