Energy & Science

Bee Extinction Worries Grow as Species Numbers Drop

The number of reported bee species has dropped 25% from the 1990s

Bees are essential pollinators that ensure the reproduction of thousands of wild plant species.

Photographer: Lokman Ilhan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
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Fewer bee species have been recorded since the 1990s, raising concerns that rare species might be extinct.

About 25% fewer species were found between 2006 and 2015, compared to records prior to the 1990s, according to a study published on Friday in the One Earth Journal. The authors are researchers at Argentina’s Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET).