Abstract
Bees play an essential role in plant pollination and their decline is a threat to crop yields and biodiversity sustainability. The causes of their decline have not yet been fully identified, despite the numerous studies that have been carried out, especially on Apis mellifera. This meta-analysis was conducted to identify gaps in the current research and new potential directions for research. The aim of this analysis of 293 international scientific papers was to achieve an inventory of the studied populations, the stressors and the methods used to study their impact on Apis mellifera. It also aimed to investigate the stressors with the greatest impact on bees and explore whether the evidence for an impact varies according to the type of study or the scale of study. According to this analysis, it is important to identify the populations and the critical developmental stages most at risk, and to determine the differences in stress sensibility between subspecies. This meta-analysis also showed that studies on climate change or habitat fragmentation were lacking. Moreover, it highlighted that technical difficulties in the field and the buffer effect of the colony represent methodological and biological barriers that are still difficult to overcome. Mathematical modeling or radio frequency identification (RFID) chips represent promising ways to overcome current methodological difficulties.
Highlights
Honey bees are important pollinators of most wild plants [1] and agricultural crops [2]
Bees are chronically exposed to pesticide cocktails, and to many parasitic and infectious agents (PIAs), some of which are still emerging as they are disseminated by humans and international transport [9]
Keywords were listed for each key concept after reading a subset of scientific papers related to the impact of stressors on Apis mellifera
Summary
Honey bees are important pollinators of most wild plants [1] and agricultural crops [2]. They are the most economically important group of pollinators worldwide [3] and are crucial for maintaining biodiversity [4]. The economic contribution of the honey bee Apis mellifera to agriculture is estimated at USD 20 billion in the US and more than USD 200 billion worldwide [5]. Significant losses of wild and domestic bees have been reported in many parts of the world [6], threatening the ecosystem services they provide. Other stressors such as habitat loss, beekeeping practices, climate change or decreased abundance and diversity of floral resources are likely to contribute to the Diversity 2020, 12, 7; doi:10.3390/d12010007 www.mdpi.com/journal/diversity
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
