'Buzz' Offers An Adoration For Bees Amid Continued Die-Offs
The severity of the enormous reduction in bee numbers over the past decade is at the heart of a new book by conservation biologist Thor Hanson, whose appreciation for the pollinators shines through.
Ecological statistics pertaining to bees carry a sting: More than 75 percent of the world's 115 primary crops require pollination or thrive better through interaction with pollinators.
Bees are the primary pollinators in the animal kingdom, yet sudden and massive die-offs of these insects began in 2006 and continue now, with a 30 percent annual loss reported by North American beekeepers.
These statistics — and the severity of this enormous reduction in bee numbers — is at the heart of Buzz: The Natureauthored by conservation biologist Thor Hanson.
