Andrena Gravida is the name of a wild bee declining in the
United Kingdom and the Netherlands. A (31) of months ago the
recent drop in migratory bird populations was known, based on a study
(32) in the Netherlands. Now there’s more troubling news
from that part of the world: a study released today by the journal Science
reports that there’s been a dramatic loss of (33) among wild
bees over the past 25 years in Holland. There’s (34)
to a 70% decline in the variety and (35) of bee
(36) in some areas in Britain. A loss of biodiversity is
more subtle (37) an overall drop in absolute numbers of
(38) or plants, but it’s still (39) a
problem because the (40) species in an ecosystem, the more
the system (41) on each one of them, and if disease or some
other (42) wipes out a species, its function could go
unfilled. In the (43) of bees, that (44)
is to pollinate plants, both wild and crop plants. And (45)
the authors of the study show, there’s been a (46) decline
in plants that were once pollinated (47) the disappearing
bees. Indeed, it isn’t clear (48) came first, the plant
decline or the decline in bees. It’s also not clear (49) any
crops are in trouble, only that there’s a potential for it if this trend
continues. It’s also not clear (50) it’s happening. Climatic
changes caused by global warming are a possibility, but so is the destruction of
wild habitat in both countries, as population and industry both expand.