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The findings come from scientists at S\u00e3o Paulo State University<\/a> (UNESP), based on research supported by FAPESP.<\/p>\n \u201cIn terms of calories potentially lost in the nectar<\/a>, this is equivalent to more than a ton of sugar per hectare, from 1,325 to 71 kilos. Without nectar to consume, the bees leave, the plants don\u2019t reproduce, and the farmers lose production,\u201d said study co-author Professor Elza Guimar\u00e3es.<\/p>\n Rainfall, drought, and food for bees<\/p>\n The research team found that more rain can actually help nectar production. Under increased rainfall, nectar calories jumped by 74 percent. But that doesn\u2019t mean \u201cmore rain\u201d is always good.<\/p>\n \u201cA high frequency and intensity of rainfall can have devastating consequences for plants, flower visitors such as birds and insects, and the maintenance of interactions between plants and pollinators<\/a>,\u201d said Maria Luisa Frigero, the study\u2019s first author, who conducted the research during her master\u2019s program at UNESP.<\/p>\n Rainfall<\/a> affects everything from how easily bees can fly, to how much energy they need to stay warm and forage, to how nutrients move through soil. Heavy rains can wash away vital nutrients, erode topsoil, and suppress pollinator activity.<\/p>\n \u201cThe most recent IPCC report, AR6, presents evidence that extreme events, such as intense rainfall and droughts, are becoming increasingly frequent and severe in different regions worldwide,\u201d wrote the researchers.<\/p>\n \u201cOn one hand, the direct effects of an excessive increase in rainfall on crop production include soil erosion and damages to crop, jeopardizing food production; on the other hand, extended periods of drought can lead to land degradation, resulting in a decrease of crop productivity.\u201d<\/p>\n Inside the greenhouse<\/p>\n The team conducted controlled experiments using zucchini<\/a> plants, growing them in greenhouses where light, temperature, and nutrients were kept consistent. The only variable was the amount of water each group received. <\/p>\n The researchers tested four different watering scenarios: one group received normal rainfall, serving as the control; another group received 30% less water; a third group got 57% more; and the final group experienced a simulated drought<\/a> followed by extreme rainfall.<\/p>\n Each group had 30 plants. In total, 120 plants were observed for 60 days. No pollinators were allowed in, ensuring precise measurement of nectar and sugar production per flower and per plant.<\/p>\n Even though this work focused on one species under greenhouse conditions, the researchers believe the results are representative of what could happen to other crops in natural environments.<\/p>\n The impact of drought on bees<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re now exploring the effects of climate change on native and cultivated plant species by testing the impact of heat waves and other extreme events,\u201d said study co-author Priscila Tunes.<\/p>\n \u201cAnother development of this study is the investigation of how bees react to the changes that occur in flowers in this context, by means of behavioral analyses.\u201d<\/p>\n Tunes and the team are pushing the research forward, not just by measuring what plants produce, but by watching how pollinators respond.<\/p>\n From nectar to our plates<\/p>\n This study draws a direct line from climate change to nectar, pollinators, and food production. It shows how changes in rain patterns \u2013 something as simple as more or less water \u2013 can ripple outward into big, visible consequences.<\/p>\n And it raises real questions for the future: What happens if flowers stop feeding bees? Who will pollinate the plants? And what will we do when the crops<\/a> don\u2019t come?<\/p>\n \u201cAnimal pollination is responsible for most plant species\u2019 reproduction including several crops that rely especially on bees for fruit and seed production,\u201d wrote the researchers.<\/p>\n \u201cThus, extreme climate events can cause disruptions in pollination mutualism and lead to a decrease in the production of many crops worldwide.\u201d<\/p>\n The full study was published in the journal Scientific Reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2014\u2013<\/p>\n Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter<\/a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.\u00a0<\/p>\n Check us out on EarthSnap<\/a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls<\/a> and Earth.com.<\/p>\n \u2014\u2013<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By the end of this century, drought conditions could leave bees with nectar that\u2019s nearly empty of calories…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":220185,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3843],"tags":[728,70,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-220184","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-environment","9":"tag-science","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114758646920582839","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/220184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=220184"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/220184\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/220185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=220184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=220184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=220184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}