TY - JOUR
T1 - Why bees are so vulnerable to environmental stressors
AU - Klein, Simon
AU - Cabirol, Amélie
AU - Devaud, Jean-Marc
AU - Barron, Andrew B.
AU - Lihoreau, Mathieu
PY - 2017/4
Y1 - 2017/4
N2 - Bee populations are declining in the industrialized world, raising concerns for the sustainable pollination of crops. Pesticides, pollutants, parasites, diseases, and malnutrition have all been linked to this problem. We consider here neurobiological, ecological, and evolutionary reasons why bees are particularly vulnerable to these environmental stressors. Central-place foraging on flowers demands advanced capacities of learning, memory, and navigation. However, even at low intensity levels, many stressors damage the bee brain, disrupting key cognitive functions needed for effective foraging, with dramatic consequences for brood development and colony survival. We discuss how understanding the relationships between the actions of stressors on the nervous system, individual cognitive impairments, and colony decline can inform constructive interventions to sustain bee populations.
AB - Bee populations are declining in the industrialized world, raising concerns for the sustainable pollination of crops. Pesticides, pollutants, parasites, diseases, and malnutrition have all been linked to this problem. We consider here neurobiological, ecological, and evolutionary reasons why bees are particularly vulnerable to these environmental stressors. Central-place foraging on flowers demands advanced capacities of learning, memory, and navigation. However, even at low intensity levels, many stressors damage the bee brain, disrupting key cognitive functions needed for effective foraging, with dramatic consequences for brood development and colony survival. We discuss how understanding the relationships between the actions of stressors on the nervous system, individual cognitive impairments, and colony decline can inform constructive interventions to sustain bee populations.
KW - brain functions
KW - central-place foraging
KW - cognition
KW - environmental stressors
KW - pesticides
KW - pollinators
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85009830752&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.tree.2016.12.009
DO - 10.1016/j.tree.2016.12.009
M3 - Review article
C2 - 28111032
AN - SCOPUS:85009830752
SN - 0169-5347
VL - 32
SP - 268
EP - 278
JO - Trends in Ecology and Evolution
JF - Trends in Ecology and Evolution
IS - 4
ER -