{"id":44462,"date":"2024-12-09T08:57:55","date_gmt":"2024-12-09T07:57:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/e9e2dc94-0891-4075-a91e-bbc0925d1410"},"modified":"2024-12-09T10:27:24","modified_gmt":"2024-12-09T09:27:24","slug":"biologists-went-into-19-abandoned-quarries-in-germany-and-they-found-something-vital","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/biologists-went-into-19-abandoned-quarries-in-germany-and-they-found-something-vital\/","title":{"rendered":"Biologists went into 19 abandoned quarries in Germany \u2013 and they found something vital"},"content":{"rendered":"

The seemingly barren sites were home to an astonishing 114 species of bee, including 35 listed as endangered. <\/p>

By Daniel Graham\n <\/p>

Published: Monday, 09 December 2024 at 07:57 AM<\/p>

\n\n

A new study in the Lower Saxony region of Germany has shed light on the significance of limestone quarries for wild bee conservation.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

The findings, published in the\u00a0Journal of Applied Ecology<\/em><\/a>, highlight the value of strong connections between quarries and calcareous grasslands \u2013 biodiversity hotspots that thrive on the region\u2019s chalk or limestone soils.\u00a0<\/p>

Led by Dr Felix Kirsch from the Th\u00fcnen Institute\u2019s Institute of Biodiversity, a team of researchers say these often-neglected sites require local management to protect their ecological value, and that “landscape-scale restoration and conservation of dry grasslands is the most promising approach to promote endangered bee species through enhanced habitat connectivity.”<\/p>

The research team studied quarries, such as this one, looking at size, age, scrub cover and abundance of flowers to find out what is important for wild bees and whether the structure of the surrounding landscape plays a role\/Annemarie Wurz <\/figcaption> <\/figure>

What they found \u2013 and why it matters<\/h2>

The team conducted surveys across 19 mainly disused quarries near the town of G\u00f6ttingen in central Germany, using hand nets to collect data on bee populations in the most flower-rich areas.\u00a0<\/p>

They identified 2,360 individual bees, which included 114 species \u2013 35 of these are listed as endangered.\u00a0<\/p>

The study examined various quarry features \u2013 such as size, age, scrub cover and flower abundance \u2013 and assessed the role of the surrounding landscape.\u00a0<\/p>

Results showed that older quarries with strong connections to nearby calcareous grasslands supported more stable populations of endangered bees.<\/p>

\u201cQuarries provide valuable habitats for wild bees and other animals and plants that occur on the now rare calcareous grasslands,\u201d says Kirsch.<\/p>

Kirsch underscores the importance of maintaining large, old and flower-rich quarries, noting that \u201cmany wild bee species nest in the ground and often need open, sunny areas to do so.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>

Heavily overgrown quarries lose these critical habitats, leading to lower bee populations, say the researchers.<\/p>

\"Bee\"
The team surveyed bee communities, such as this wild bee visiting a flower, in 19 mainly disused quarries in the G\u00f6ttingen region using hand-held nets\/Ira Hannappel <\/figcaption> <\/figure>