Opportunities and challenges in Asian bee research and conservation

Michael Orr

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2023.110173

Opportunities and challenges in Asian bee research and conservation

Michael Orr

Chulalongkorn University
National University of Singapore
University of Calcutta
University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Institut Pertanian Bogor
Flinders University
The University of Hong Kong
Bioversity International
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
The Natural History Museum, London
CAS - Institute of Zoology
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu
Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment
University of Massachusetts Boston
Radford University
Indian Institute of Science Bangalore
Washington State University Pullman
Smithsonian Institution
University of the Philippines
Mountain Bee Development Center
Agriculture and Forestry University
Bee Research Centre
Universidade Federal do Sul da Bahia
Universidad Nacional de Río Negro
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Zoological Survey of India
Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China
Andong National University
University of Freiburg
United States Department of Agriculture
Columbia University
American Museum of Natural History
Chiang Mai University
China Agricultural University
Yunnan Agriculture University
Mianyang Normal University
Royal University of Bhutan
Forest Research Institute Malaysia
University of Guelph
University of Bern and Agroscope
CAS - Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden
RAS - Far Eastern Branch
Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Entomologie, Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

48 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The challenges of bee research in Asia are unique and severe, reflecting different cultures, landscapes, and faunas. Strategies and frameworks developed in North America or Europe may not prove applicable. Virtually none of these species have been assessed by the IUCN and there is a paucity of public data on even the basics of bee distribution. If we do not know the species present, their distribution and threats, we cannot protect them, but our knowledge base is vanishingly small in Asia compared to the rest of the world. To better understand and meet these challenges, this perspective conveys the ideas accumulated over hundreds of years of cumulative study of Asian bees by the authors, including academic, governmental, and other researchers from 13 Asian countries and beyond. We outline the special circumstances of Asian bee research and the current state of affairs, highlight the importance of highly social species as flagships for the lesser-known solitary bees, the dire need for further research for food security, and identify target research areas in need of further study. Finally, we outline a framework via which we will catalyze future research in the region, especially via governmental and other partnerships necessary to effectively conserve species.

Original language	English
Article number	110173
Journal	Biological Conservation
Volume	285
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2023.110173
Publication status	Published - Jun 2023

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SDG 2 Zero Hunger

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10.1016/j.biocon.2023.110173

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@article{294320da009947b08fa435de4a0b8cbc,

title = "Opportunities and challenges in Asian bee research and conservation",

abstract = "The challenges of bee research in Asia are unique and severe, reflecting different cultures, landscapes, and faunas. Strategies and frameworks developed in North America or Europe may not prove applicable. Virtually none of these species have been assessed by the IUCN and there is a paucity of public data on even the basics of bee distribution. If we do not know the species present, their distribution and threats, we cannot protect them, but our knowledge base is vanishingly small in Asia compared to the rest of the world. To better understand and meet these challenges, this perspective conveys the ideas accumulated over hundreds of years of cumulative study of Asian bees by the authors, including academic, governmental, and other researchers from 13 Asian countries and beyond. We outline the special circumstances of Asian bee research and the current state of affairs, highlight the importance of highly social species as flagships for the lesser-known solitary bees, the dire need for further research for food security, and identify target research areas in need of further study. Finally, we outline a framework via which we will catalyze future research in the region, especially via governmental and other partnerships necessary to effectively conserve species.",

author = "\{Michael Orr\} and Natapot Warrit and John Ascher and Parthib Basu and Vasuki Belavadi and Axel Brockmann and Damayanti Buchori and Dorey, \{James B.\} and Alice Hughes and Smitha Krishnan and Ngo, \{Hien T.\} and Paul Williams and Zhu, \{Chao Dong\} and Dharam Abrol and Kamal Bawa and Chet Bhatta and Borges, \{Renee M.\} and Silas Bossert and Cleofas Cervancia and Nontawat Chatthanabun and Douglas Chesters and Chinh, \{Phung Huu\} and Kedar Devkota and Duc, \{Hanh Pham\} and Rafael Ferrari and Lucas Garibaldi and Jin Ge and Dibyajyoti Ghosh and Dunyuan Huang and Chuleui Jung and Klein, \{Alexandra Maria\} and Koch, \{Jonathan Berenguer Uhuad\} and Erin Krichilsky and Krushnamegh Kunte and Ling, \{Tial C.\} and Shanlin Liu and Xiuwei Liu and Arong Luo and Shiqi Luo and Junpeng Mu and Tshering Nidup and Niu, \{Ze Qing\} and Nur-Zati, \{A. Mustafa\} and Olsson, \{Shannon B.\} and Otis, \{Gard W.\} and Fang Ouyang and Peng, \{Yan Qiong\} and Windra Priawandiputra and Maxim Proshchalykin and Min Tang and Yi Zou",

note = "Funding Information: This effort is a product of the IUCN Wild Bee Specialist Group's Asia Section. We thank Michael Kuhlmann for helpful suggestions. We thank Clay Bolt and Eli Wyman for providing a picture of Megachile pluto. Smitha Krishnan/ SK would like to thank all funders who supported this research through their contributions to the CGIAR Trust Fund: https://www.cgiar.org/funders/ and the Nature-Positive Initiative Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 The Author(s)",

year = "2023",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1016/j.biocon.2023.110173",

language = "English",

volume = "285",

journal = "Biological Conservation",

issn = "0006-3207",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Opportunities and challenges in Asian bee research and conservation

AU - Michael Orr

AU - Warrit, Natapot

AU - Ascher, John

AU - Basu, Parthib

AU - Belavadi, Vasuki

AU - Brockmann, Axel

AU - Buchori, Damayanti

AU - Dorey, James B.

AU - Hughes, Alice

AU - Krishnan, Smitha

AU - Ngo, Hien T.

AU - Williams, Paul

AU - Zhu, Chao Dong

AU - Abrol, Dharam

AU - Bawa, Kamal

AU - Bhatta, Chet

AU - Borges, Renee M.

AU - Bossert, Silas

AU - Cervancia, Cleofas

AU - Chatthanabun, Nontawat

AU - Chesters, Douglas

AU - Chinh, Phung Huu

AU - Devkota, Kedar

AU - Duc, Hanh Pham

AU - Ferrari, Rafael

AU - Garibaldi, Lucas

AU - Ge, Jin

AU - Ghosh, Dibyajyoti

AU - Huang, Dunyuan

AU - Jung, Chuleui

AU - Klein, Alexandra Maria

AU - Koch, Jonathan Berenguer Uhuad

AU - Krichilsky, Erin

AU - Kunte, Krushnamegh

AU - Ling, Tial C.

AU - Liu, Shanlin

AU - Liu, Xiuwei

AU - Luo, Arong

AU - Luo, Shiqi

AU - Mu, Junpeng

AU - Nidup, Tshering

AU - Niu, Ze Qing

AU - Nur-Zati, A. Mustafa

AU - Olsson, Shannon B.

AU - Otis, Gard W.

AU - Ouyang, Fang

AU - Peng, Yan Qiong

AU - Priawandiputra, Windra

AU - Proshchalykin, Maxim

AU - Tang, Min

AU - Zou, Yi

N1 - Funding Information: This effort is a product of the IUCN Wild Bee Specialist Group's Asia Section. We thank Michael Kuhlmann for helpful suggestions. We thank Clay Bolt and Eli Wyman for providing a picture of Megachile pluto. Smitha Krishnan/ SK would like to thank all funders who supported this research through their contributions to the CGIAR Trust Fund: https://www.cgiar.org/funders/ and the Nature-Positive Initiative Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s)

PY - 2023/6

Y1 - 2023/6

N2 - The challenges of bee research in Asia are unique and severe, reflecting different cultures, landscapes, and faunas. Strategies and frameworks developed in North America or Europe may not prove applicable. Virtually none of these species have been assessed by the IUCN and there is a paucity of public data on even the basics of bee distribution. If we do not know the species present, their distribution and threats, we cannot protect them, but our knowledge base is vanishingly small in Asia compared to the rest of the world. To better understand and meet these challenges, this perspective conveys the ideas accumulated over hundreds of years of cumulative study of Asian bees by the authors, including academic, governmental, and other researchers from 13 Asian countries and beyond. We outline the special circumstances of Asian bee research and the current state of affairs, highlight the importance of highly social species as flagships for the lesser-known solitary bees, the dire need for further research for food security, and identify target research areas in need of further study. Finally, we outline a framework via which we will catalyze future research in the region, especially via governmental and other partnerships necessary to effectively conserve species.

AB - The challenges of bee research in Asia are unique and severe, reflecting different cultures, landscapes, and faunas. Strategies and frameworks developed in North America or Europe may not prove applicable. Virtually none of these species have been assessed by the IUCN and there is a paucity of public data on even the basics of bee distribution. If we do not know the species present, their distribution and threats, we cannot protect them, but our knowledge base is vanishingly small in Asia compared to the rest of the world. To better understand and meet these challenges, this perspective conveys the ideas accumulated over hundreds of years of cumulative study of Asian bees by the authors, including academic, governmental, and other researchers from 13 Asian countries and beyond. We outline the special circumstances of Asian bee research and the current state of affairs, highlight the importance of highly social species as flagships for the lesser-known solitary bees, the dire need for further research for food security, and identify target research areas in need of further study. Finally, we outline a framework via which we will catalyze future research in the region, especially via governmental and other partnerships necessary to effectively conserve species.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85169010982

U2 - 10.1016/j.biocon.2023.110173

DO - 10.1016/j.biocon.2023.110173

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85169010982

SN - 0006-3207

VL - 285

JO - Biological Conservation

JF - Biological Conservation

M1 - 110173

ER -

Opportunities and challenges in Asian bee research and conservation

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