Senior Endangered Species Conservation Biologist Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation Portland, Oregon
To date, most occurrence data that we have for bumble bee (Bombus spp., Apidae) populations comes from museum specimens. While these data are incredibly valuable, they were not collected for the purpose of conservation decision-making, or assessing extinction risk. As such, in order to make evidence-based decisions to advance conservation action, we've been forced to make assumptions. Despite their limitations, these data provide a strong and consistent indication that some bumble bee species in North America are imperiled (some critically so), and the time to act is now. Yet, how do we prioritize which species to protect, and what are the right actions to take? Equally, what does a healthy population look like, and how can this inform recovery efforts? While there are certainly some things we can (and must) do now, ultimately we need better data to address these questions that were collected specifically for the purpose of conservation decision making. Over the last 10+ years, the Xerces Society has been exploring the best ways to gather these data with the help from the general public. Next year, we'll be coordinating bumble bee atlas projects in 10 states across the U.S., helping to gather data that will begin to address these conservation prioritization questions. We'll share our successes and potential pitfalls, as well as opportunities to continue filling existing data gaps.
