Beacons for bees
Sam Droege, a renowned Wildlife Biologist at the USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab reminds us that bees like any true hero will go wherever they are called to – the flowers, plants, and grasslands acting as a homing beacon beckoning them forth, as their very own “bat signal.”
“Our 4000 species of bees in the U.S. are picky. They will travel impressive distances to feed on specific species of flowering plants," says Droege. "If you plant them, they will come. We’ve seen that even if the climate changes where the plants can grow, the bees will follow.”
He emphasizes the importance of individual action, stating, “By planting native blooming plants in your yard, you become a guardian for native bees, creating vital 'flower stepping stones' for their survival.”
A grassland is one type of ecosystem where bees play multiple important roles. These often-overlooked habitats are composed not just of grasses but of a broad community of wildflower species and flowering shrubs. Without the help of these fastidious creatures, flowering plants would no longer be able to reproduce at the same rate, eventually dying out, and we’d lose these species-rich and diverse ecosystems. This would be a big problem for our planet because unlike the grasses that grow in your local park, or shallow-rooted crops like corn and wheat, native grasslands plants often have very deep roots that reach 15 feet or more into the soil. While a forest stores the bulk of its carbon above ground in a tree’s trunks and branches, most grassland carbon is safely held below ground within these roots. Unlike forests, which lose most of their carbon once their trunks have burned, the carbon within a healthy grassland remains beyond the reach of fire, providing a second line of defense against a changing climate.
A secret superpower: improving soil health
A bee’s impact below the soil line doesn’t end with carbon sequestration. More than 90% of the world’s bee species are solitary (think hardworking single mothers), and many of these nest within the soil. In more arid regions of the world, including those that harbor temperate grasslands, solitary bee species nest in large, communal aggregations. These gatherings may include hundreds or even thousands of individual bees, whose nests may go many feet into the soil, providing aeration and opportunities for water sequestration. However, the most important way that bees impact soil is through, you guessed it, the plants that they help produce.
Plant roots are often vast in comparison to the structures that you see above ground. These root systems not only feed the plant but hold the soil together. This allows the soil to provide food and shelter for small insects and species that till the soil and break down organic matter—a necessary process for returning vital nutrients to the earth. In addition, soil composition is more than just a collection of uniformly sized granules. Healthy soil contains areas of blocky matter, fine granules, mixes of clay, and various minerals to name a few components. A healthy plant community is vital to retaining this soil variability and nutrient richness, which many species depend on. Where they are found, bees play a significant role in ensuring these soils remain healthy.
