Science Stats Ecosystems

Bee losses followed World Wars

British historical records show century-long decline of pollinators

graph on decline

DIE-OFF  Extinctions of bees and some wasps in Britain zipped upward in the decades after the world wars, probably because of land use and agricultural changes.

J. Ollerton et al/Science 2014, adapted by E. Otwell

By Beth Mole

- More than 2 years ago

Between 1851 and 1986, withering wildflower populations and booming agriculture may have joined forces to knock down the number of pollinators buzzing in Britain.