Prof Richard Pywell of the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology is a co-author (with Marek Nowakowski) of Habitat Creation and Management for Pollinators. This freely available guide outlines simple actions for land managers to take to improve the environment for pollinators. Richard's presentation at the launch event for the guide explains more about the years of applied pollinator research that has informed the publication. See more: http://www.ceh.ac.uk/news-and-media/blogs/pollinators-research-and-practical-management-white-coat-and-welly-boot

1. The Science Behind the Guide
Professor Richard Pywell
Photocredit:JamesPeat

2. 16+ years of applied pollinator research

3. Status of wild pollinators
 Analysis of volunteer-collected data
showed marked decline of rare bees
(esp. bumblebees) after 1960
 6 bumblebees and 13 other bees
prioritised for conservation under the
UK Biodiversity Action Plan
1900-1959 1960-2010
Change in species richness
rare bumblebees
BWARS
Bees, Wasps & Ants
Recording Society
Photocredit:MarekNowakowski

4. Trends in pollinators
 New Government Indicator for 2015 to track status & trends of pollinators
 Uses volunteer-collected records
 28 – 51% of species less widespread between 1980–2010
 14 – 27% of species became more widespread (depending on criteria)
Pollinator indicator 2015
Year
n = 213
Scaledoccupancyindex
http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-6851

5. Causes of pollinator decline
Bee forage plants Other plants
• Analysis of national monitoring
data showed first evidence for 20th
Century declines in important bee
forage plants
• 76% of key flowering plants have
declined since 1930
• Informed design of simple, low-
cost ‘Pollen & Nectar’ seed mixes
to create habitats for bees in the
farmed landscape
Photocredit:LucyHulmes,CEH
Carvell, C. et al. (2006) Declines in forage availability for
bumblebees at a national scale. Biological Conservation
132: 481-489.

6. Designing new pollinator habitats
 BUZZ Expt tested benefits of new AES
management for pollinators over 5 years
 Wildflower mixes provided excellent
continuity of flowers (incl. early season)
& were attractive to widest range of
bees
 Low-cost Pollen & Nectar mixes based
on agric. clovers were quick to establish;
provided abundant flowers for long-
tongued bees, but were short-lived (3
years)
 Science from BUZZ helped engage &
train farmers across the UK and Europe
to create habitat for insect pollinators
Photocredit:LucyHulmes,CEH
Carvell, C. et al. (2007) Comparing the
efficacy of agri-environment schemes to
enhance bumblebee abundance and
diversity on arable field margins. Journal of
Applied Ecology, 44, 29-40.

7. Pywell, R.F. et al. (2011) Management to enhance pollen and nectar resources for
bumblebees and butterflies within intensively farmed landscapes. Journal of Insect
Conservation, 15,853-284.
Habitat quality is vital
26May
15Jun
05Jul
25Jul
14Aug
03Sep
26May
15Jun
05Jul
25Jul
14Aug
03Sep
Early Summer cut
Removal of cutting
• Early summer cutting prolongs
flowering of Pollen & Nectar habitat
• Removal of cuttings increases flower
numbers
• Cutting half a Pollen & Nectar margin
in May/June extends flowering to late-
summer for queen bees & reduces
damage to butterfly breeding habitat
Photocredit:UptonEstate

8. The importance of landscape
• New pollinator habitat benefited
bees more in intensively farmed
areas than diverse landscapes where
other foraging habitats exist
• DNA analysis and landscape mapping
showed bumblebees forage closer to
their nests in farmland with higher
proportions of flower-rich habitats
• Informed the development of new
‘packages’ of measures for
pollinators under the agri-
environment schemes
Photocredit:LucyHulmes,CEH
Carvell. C, et al. (2011) Bumblebee species’ responses to a targeted conservation measure
depend on landscape context and habitat quality. Ecological Applications, 21, 1760-1771.
JW Redhead, et al. (in press). Effects of habitat composition and landscape structure on
worker foraging distances of five bumblebee species. Ecological Applications. Doi:10.1890/15-
0546.1.

9. Farmer training delivers more pollinators
Improving
agri-environment
schemes
Improving
agri-environment
schemes
Untrained
Trained
 Farmer experience of agri-environment
management & training had a strong
positive effect on the quality of Pollen &
Nectar habitat produced
 Bee abundance & diversity was much
higher on these better quality, farmer
managed habitats
Photocredit:CEH
Photocredit:CEH
McCracken, M.E. et al. (2015) Social and ecological drivers of success in agri-
environment schemes: the roles of farmers and environmental context. Journal of
Applied Ecology, 52, 696-705.

10. Pollinator habitat creation benefits food production
• An experiment on a commercial
farm tested the effects of removing
3% and 8% of low yielding cropland
from production to create habitats
for pollinators & other wildlife
• Yields at the field-scale were
maintained for cereals and enhanced
for some insect pollinated crops -
despite the loss of land
• These beneficial effects became
more pronounced over 6 years

11. The need for improved pollinator monitoring
• The National Pollinator Strategy cites need for
improved evidence by developing a
sustainable long-term monitoring programme
• CEH led a consortium of volunteer schemes,
NGOs, universities to develop and test a
National Pollinator Monitoring Framework
• Objectively assessed various costed scenarios
• Will inform policy decisions on future
monitoring of pollinators & pollination service
• Published 6 May
Cost Scenario
Very low Strengthen existing biological recording
Low Augmented with additional measures on existing scheme sites
Medium Volunteer-led water trapping & identification
High Professionally-led repeated systematic sampling of crops & habitats
http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?M
enu=Menu&Module=More&Location=No
ne&Completed=2&ProjectID=19259

12. Thank you
Design:
Heather Lowther
Illustrations & images:
Chris Shields, Tony Hopkins, Brigit Strawbridge,
Mike Edwards, Lucy Hulmes, Emorsgate &
Octopus Press
Support:
Andrew & Anne Hitchens, Richard Brow, William
Wolmer, Andrew & Jane Ingrams, Robin & Sue
Faccenda, Jon Marshall, Geoff Coates, Belinda
Bailey, David Langton, Claire Bend, Simon Ward,
Richard Brown, Ian Wilkinson, Mike Green, Keith
Porter, Richard Brand-Hardy, Ken Slater, Bill Meek,
Mike Edwards & David Bellamy
Funding: