Biologists compare new bees to 100-year-old records
Thursday, February 28, 2013 - 17:00
in Earth & Climate
Researchers have found that bees and plants have been surprisingly resilient in the face of warmer temperatures and changing land use. The forests that once grew 10 miles outside of Carlinville are fragments of what they were when Robertson, who collected specimens in the late 1800s, drove his horse and buggy. Fields of corn have replaced acres of trees and prairie. Natural areas have been converted to agricultural, commercial or residential uses. Winter and spring temperatures have risen an average of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit. But the researchers say that the good news is that these systems and the way they are structured make them really resilient to change.