The Homogenization of Nature
December 10, 2022 12:20 PM Subscribe
Native California bees are disappearing while domestic honeybees spread in part of a pattern where human activity is making ecosystems around the world look the same. Atlantic | Ungated
The UN Global Assessment on Biotic Homogenization
The UN Global Assessment on Biotic Homogenization
‘Honeybees are voracious’: is it time to put the brakes on the boom in beekeeping?
But there is growing concern from scientists and experienced beekeepers that the vast numbers of honeybees, combined with a lack of pollinator-friendly spaces, could be jeopardising the health and even survival of some of about 6,000 wild pollinators across the UK. Last year, Kew Gardens’ State of the World’s Plant and Fungi report warned: “Campaigns encouraging people to save bees have resulted in an unsustainable proliferation in urban beekeeping. This approach only saves one species of bee, the honeybee, with no regard for how honeybees interact with other, native species.”
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 1:29 PM on December 10, 2022 [8 favorites]
But there is growing concern from scientists and experienced beekeepers that the vast numbers of honeybees, combined with a lack of pollinator-friendly spaces, could be jeopardising the health and even survival of some of about 6,000 wild pollinators across the UK. Last year, Kew Gardens’ State of the World’s Plant and Fungi report warned: “Campaigns encouraging people to save bees have resulted in an unsustainable proliferation in urban beekeeping. This approach only saves one species of bee, the honeybee, with no regard for how honeybees interact with other, native species.”
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 1:29 PM on December 10, 2022 [8 favorites]
bbc recently aired a program about Turkey and communities aiming to improve beekeeping by reverting back to earlier ways, among other things ... for anyone interested
extreme conservation
posted by clandestiny's child at 1:38 PM on December 10, 2022
extreme conservation
posted by clandestiny's child at 1:38 PM on December 10, 2022
Humans have already steamrollered the diversity of every environment that's suited to large scale agriculture or animal husbandry.
This is just the homogenization reaching into the bits of the natural environment that aren't "good for anything" and smearing that flat also.
posted by Aardvark Cheeselog at 5:46 PM on December 10, 2022 [2 favorites]
This is just the homogenization reaching into the bits of the natural environment that aren't "good for anything" and smearing that flat also.
posted by Aardvark Cheeselog at 5:46 PM on December 10, 2022 [2 favorites]
I mean, at this point the ecosystem IS humans, most places.
posted by Scattercat at 7:41 PM on December 10, 2022
posted by Scattercat at 7:41 PM on December 10, 2022
I mean, at this point the ecosystem IS humans, most places.
It's people! It's people!
posted by notoriety public at 8:16 PM on December 10, 2022 [1 favorite]
It's people! It's people!
posted by notoriety public at 8:16 PM on December 10, 2022 [1 favorite]
How to create your own native pollinator habitat on a piece of land you control:
1.) Find reliable sources for information on plants that are native to your area. These can include native plant preservation groups, local botanical gardens, local departments of conservation, etc.
2.) Find reliable sources for information on plants that are invasive (both non-native and ecologically destructive) in your area. Remove as many of these from your space as reasonably possible. (You may find that local native plant enthusiasts are ready and willing to assist in invasive plant identification and removal if you ask.)
3.) Acquire native seeds or plants that are suitable to the sun, water, and soil conditions in the spaces were you will be planting, that are known to be good for native pollinators. Pick a set of plants with a range of different bloom times throughout the growing season for the best effect. Many areas have native plant swap groups where you can get native seeds and plants for free (you don't necessarily have to have something to trade). Some local departments of conservation will sell native plants for a discounted price. There are nurseries that specialize in selling native plants. Try if you can to get true wild type native plants not cultivars that have been bred to have different colored leaves or flowers or different bloom times etc. than their wild ancestors-- pollinators can be confused by cultivars that look different or bloom at the wrong time, and cultivars also may not have the right nutrient balance to support pollinators.
4.) Take care of your plants. A lot of people assume that native plants require ZERO care in a garden setting. This isn't entirely true. They tend to be very low maintenance compared to imported plants, since they are naturally adapted to your local environment, but just like any other plant, they are subject to transplant shock, extreme weather damage, animal damage, etc. If you are planting them in an area where the soil does not quite match their natural habitat, you may need to amend the soil a bit with compost or gravel or leaf mulch to help them out. Depending on requirements and conditions, they may benefit from occasional watering, sheltering during bad weather, etc., especially during the first year. You may also want to cage or fence them to protect them from rabbits etc. until they established enough to survive occasional browsing. But don't pour a bunch of synthetic fertilizer on them or give them more water than they need. We are not growing competition roses here. Some natives actually love things imports hate, like persistent dry conditions or low-nutrient soil. Too much coddling can kill your plants, too, so try to educate yourself about what the specific plants you are growing really need.
5.) After planting your native plants, make sure to avoid spraying pesticides designed to kill insects in that area, including organic ones. Remember that your goal is to attract insects. If you succeed, you will attract all sorts of insects, including ones you might not personally love seeing, like aphids. But aphids attract and feed native wasps and birds! So leave them there. Your plants might not look magazine-worthy, but that's not what we're trying to do here. As long as your native pollinator habitat is well cared for, eventually, it should reach an ecological balance where birds and predator insects take care of problematic plant pests. If you find problematic non-native invasive insects, see if you can use manual control (Japanese beetles can be knocked into a jar of soapy water using a stick, for example).
6.) Assuming this is allowed by local laws in your area: Resist cutting your plants back to the ground in the fall and winter. Many native bees use the stems of native plants as nesting sites. Cutting them down in the winter is counterproductive. Also, leave fallen leaves in your garden bed over the winter. These provide overwintering habitat for native insects including moths and fireflies. Your neighbors with golf course lawns may complain about this. It may help to put up a "native habitat" or "pollinator garden" sign.
7.) Once your own native pollinator garden is thriving, encourage curious friends and neighbors to learn more about your habitat and help them get started with planting their own.
posted by BlueJae at 8:02 AM on December 11, 2022 [11 favorites]
1.) Find reliable sources for information on plants that are native to your area. These can include native plant preservation groups, local botanical gardens, local departments of conservation, etc.
2.) Find reliable sources for information on plants that are invasive (both non-native and ecologically destructive) in your area. Remove as many of these from your space as reasonably possible. (You may find that local native plant enthusiasts are ready and willing to assist in invasive plant identification and removal if you ask.)
3.) Acquire native seeds or plants that are suitable to the sun, water, and soil conditions in the spaces were you will be planting, that are known to be good for native pollinators. Pick a set of plants with a range of different bloom times throughout the growing season for the best effect. Many areas have native plant swap groups where you can get native seeds and plants for free (you don't necessarily have to have something to trade). Some local departments of conservation will sell native plants for a discounted price. There are nurseries that specialize in selling native plants. Try if you can to get true wild type native plants not cultivars that have been bred to have different colored leaves or flowers or different bloom times etc. than their wild ancestors-- pollinators can be confused by cultivars that look different or bloom at the wrong time, and cultivars also may not have the right nutrient balance to support pollinators.
4.) Take care of your plants. A lot of people assume that native plants require ZERO care in a garden setting. This isn't entirely true. They tend to be very low maintenance compared to imported plants, since they are naturally adapted to your local environment, but just like any other plant, they are subject to transplant shock, extreme weather damage, animal damage, etc. If you are planting them in an area where the soil does not quite match their natural habitat, you may need to amend the soil a bit with compost or gravel or leaf mulch to help them out. Depending on requirements and conditions, they may benefit from occasional watering, sheltering during bad weather, etc., especially during the first year. You may also want to cage or fence them to protect them from rabbits etc. until they established enough to survive occasional browsing. But don't pour a bunch of synthetic fertilizer on them or give them more water than they need. We are not growing competition roses here. Some natives actually love things imports hate, like persistent dry conditions or low-nutrient soil. Too much coddling can kill your plants, too, so try to educate yourself about what the specific plants you are growing really need.
5.) After planting your native plants, make sure to avoid spraying pesticides designed to kill insects in that area, including organic ones. Remember that your goal is to attract insects. If you succeed, you will attract all sorts of insects, including ones you might not personally love seeing, like aphids. But aphids attract and feed native wasps and birds! So leave them there. Your plants might not look magazine-worthy, but that's not what we're trying to do here. As long as your native pollinator habitat is well cared for, eventually, it should reach an ecological balance where birds and predator insects take care of problematic plant pests. If you find problematic non-native invasive insects, see if you can use manual control (Japanese beetles can be knocked into a jar of soapy water using a stick, for example).
6.) Assuming this is allowed by local laws in your area: Resist cutting your plants back to the ground in the fall and winter. Many native bees use the stems of native plants as nesting sites. Cutting them down in the winter is counterproductive. Also, leave fallen leaves in your garden bed over the winter. These provide overwintering habitat for native insects including moths and fireflies. Your neighbors with golf course lawns may complain about this. It may help to put up a "native habitat" or "pollinator garden" sign.
7.) Once your own native pollinator garden is thriving, encourage curious friends and neighbors to learn more about your habitat and help them get started with planting their own.
posted by BlueJae at 8:02 AM on December 11, 2022 [11 favorites]
Interesting read. This is one of my biggest complaints about the franchizing and walmartizing of America. Everyone dresses the same, the houses all look the same, everyone eats the same things.
posted by olykate at 1:01 PM on December 11, 2022
posted by olykate at 1:01 PM on December 11, 2022
The loss of diversity is a loss of stability and resilience. Dicersity within and among species in a habitat is what allows that ecosystem to survive the variations in weather and pathogens.
We are doing more than homogenizing nature, we are setting it up to collapse.
You can also garden on land that is not yours. Guerrilla Gardening isnt just for weed in national forests, its good everywhere.
posted by anecdotal_grand_theory at 11:27 PM on December 11, 2022 [1 favorite]
We are doing more than homogenizing nature, we are setting it up to collapse.
You can also garden on land that is not yours. Guerrilla Gardening isnt just for weed in national forests, its good everywhere.
posted by anecdotal_grand_theory at 11:27 PM on December 11, 2022 [1 favorite]
I'm certainly not against tossing native seeds out in my local parks and vacant lots, either! But, when possible, I try to give my seeds to a neighbor or a native plant restoration project worker who I know will let them grow in a safe place. While you can plant things on land that is not yours, what you can't control is what happens to the plants afterward. You can't for example stop pesticides from being dumped on the plants while native bees are visiting them, or prevent someone from cutting them down while native bees are nesting inside them. Many beautiful and beneficial native plants are unfortunately viewed as nuisance weeds by uninformed people. It's a more certain prospect to start with land that you do control-- land you own or otherwise have permission to plant on-- if possible. Planting a native garden on land you do control and helping it thrive will lead to the spread of native plants outside the area you control, as long as you don't deadhead flowers or otherwise impede seed dispersal, because native plants are for the most part pretty good at dispersing pollen and seeds over a distance if given the chance. So by tending your own native garden you are automatically encouraging the spread of native plants, and native pollinators, elsewhere in your area.
You don't need a lot of space to make a difference. Even a couple of potted native plants on a balcony can help support pollinators and birds if you choose high value species.
If you don't have any at all space to plant, you might consider joining a community garden that encourages native planting, or getting involved in habitat restoration projects in local parks and wildlife preserves.
posted by BlueJae at 8:13 AM on December 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
You don't need a lot of space to make a difference. Even a couple of potted native plants on a balcony can help support pollinators and birds if you choose high value species.
If you don't have any at all space to plant, you might consider joining a community garden that encourages native planting, or getting involved in habitat restoration projects in local parks and wildlife preserves.
posted by BlueJae at 8:13 AM on December 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
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posted by Artful Codger at 1:23 PM on December 10, 2022