Green areas: save havens or peril for pollinators?

Bumblebee flower visits in differently managed habitats

Abstract

The disappearance of pollinating insects has increased people’s interest in protecting them. Ideas of green economy have informed images of optimal habitats for plant-pollinator interactions. In Finland, long-term scientific habitat researches of pollinating insects have only produced little information for the pollinator discussion. This long-term, multi-method research observes the interaction of bumblebees with various man-made environments and their plants. The article reports the results of field studies conducted in 2019 and 2020 and also raises ethical issues concerning the methods of insect research from the perspective of strong sustainability thinking.