Lecture 13

Question 1

How many species of different bee types?

Answer 1

Honeybee: 1 species
Bumble bee: 25 species
Solitary bee: 270 species

Question 2

Study on value of honeybees

Answer 2

Garibaldi et al. 2013
41 crops in 600 fields worldwide
Wild insects pollinated crops more effectively than honeybees
Pollination by managed honey bees supplements, rather than substitutes pollination by wild insects
Need to conserve, restore and manage wild pollinators

Question 3

Example of using flower strips for pollinators

Answer 3

Blueberries in Michigan
Blueberries only flower for a few weeks
Bees live longer than this so need a diverse diet too
Flower strips good for farmers and pollinators
Pay for themselves after 3-4 years
Long-term, sustainable pollination

Question 4

Coastal flood protection - ecosystem service

Answer 4

Salt marsh provides an ecosystem service of flood protection
Without a salt marsh, a sea wall costs £5 million per km
Creating a salt marsh is 10% of this cost
However many salt marshes have been drained for agriculture and housing

Question 5

When was mainline rail hit by severe weather, and what were the costs?

Answer 5

Main rail line hit in 2014
Severe weather predicted to be experienced once every 4 years rather than once every 25 by 2070 due to climate change
£1.2 billion lost due to main transport route to west being cut
£35 million to repair

Question 6

How much saltmarsh lost in Essex when seawalls were built?

Answer 6

40,000 ha to 2,500 ha

Question 7

Steart marshes

Answer 7

£20 million project
Created 250 hectares of salt marsh in 2014
Designed to protect local communities from flooding
Creates new valuable habitat for birdlife
Climate change mitigation

Question 8

What animal that has had recent rewilding projects in the UK helps with flood defence?

Answer 8

Beavers