Honey bee food resources under threat from climate change

TL;DR

Climate change is reducing the diversity of food resources for honey bees in Europe, threatening pollination and food security.

Contribution

This study quantifies the impact of warming and drying on bee foraging resources and resilience across Europe using metabarcoding data.

Findings

Rising temperatures and reduced precipitation decrease floral resource diversity for honey bees.

Combined warming and drying reduce the resilience of plant-pollinator interactions.

Declines in bee food resources threaten ecosystem functioning and food security.

Abstract

Plant-pollinator interactions are essential for plant productivity but face growing threats from climate change, including vegetation loss and mismatches in flowering. Yet, the consequences for bee food resources remain poorly understood at continental scales. Here, we analyse 2 500 samples collected by honey bees (Apis mellifera) between May and August 2023 from 310 locations across Europe using ITS2 metabarcoding. We derive climatic response curves of floral resources and assess exceedance risks of interaction loss under projected climate scenarios. Our findings reveal that rising temperatures and reduced precipitation decrease the diversity of foraging resources across Europe, pushing many plants beyond critical limits. When both warming and drying coincide, the potential for resilience through temporal or spatial buffering is strongly constrained. These declines pose serious risks to bee nutrition, ecosystem functioning, and food security. Our study underscores the urgency of mitigating climate change to preserve vital plant-pollinator systems and the services they sustain.

Plant-pollinator interactions are vital for food security and ecosystem stability but threatened by climate change. This study shows how warming and drying limit floral diversity, interaction resistance, and resilience for honey bees across Europe.

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