07/10/2015

Is Climate Change the Plight of the Bumblebee?

9:47 minutes

A bumblebee of the species Bombus huntii, from Badlands National Park, South Dakota. Credit: USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab

Climate change has caused bumblebee ranges to shrink by as much as 190 miles in some areas, according to a new study in Science. Jeremy Kerr, a biologist and lead author on the study, says that the pollinators are not migrating northward like most animals. Kerr discusses why the bumblebees are so susceptible to climate change and if assisting the insects in their migration might be an option.

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Jeremy Kerr

Jeremy Kerr is a biology professor and the University Research Chair of Macroecology and Conservation at the University of Ottawa in Ontario.

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About Alexa Lim

Alexa Lim was a senior producer for Science Friday. Her favorite stories involve space, sound, and strange animal discoveries.