Urban bee 'surprise' … ?

[itma]

A patch of lavender in a city centre sees more bumblebees than a patch in the country, according to preliminary results from a citizen science project.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29122851

Now, I personally don't find that at all surprising.
Bees, both bumbles and honeybees seem to do rather well in towns.


However, it seems to be the "surprise" indicated in the title.

It seems to have surprised the researchers and not been what they were expecting, and consequently they have come up with a (to me astonishingly un-necessary) hypothesis to explain the finding.

Rather than generally higher bee numbers in cities, the results probably reflect a higher concentration of urban bees on more limited flowers.

"Within cities, there are fewer floral resources," said Dr Michael Pocock from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, who led the analysis of the data with colleague Dr Helen Roy.

"Fewer floral resources" is not what I see in town, but it sure is what I see in the countryside.
I am surprised that Dr Pocock doesn't see the results as being yet more confirmation that pollinating insects are struggling to survive in today's countryside.

But I fear that in classic "bad science" style, this 'ecology' project was dreamed up to support the contention that towns are short of flowers, and heigh-ho, this contrary result has been pretzel interpreted to support the original hypothesis rather than being accepted at face value - which indicates that the problem lies elsewhere.

 

[Hivemaker.]

"Fewer floral resources" is not what I see in town, but it sure is what I see in the countryside.

Not the case in the countryside around here.

 

[itma]

Sadly, Exmoor isn't really typical of the modern British countryside!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It seems to have surprised the researchers and not been what they were expecting, and consequently they have come up with a (to me astonishingly un-necessary) hypothesis to explain the finding. "Fewer floral resources" is not what I see in town, but it sure is what I see in the countryside.
.

Maybe because that is what they were asked to find with the big wodge of research money they were given

I am surprised that Dr Pocock doesn't see the results as being yet more confirmation that pollinating insects are struggling to survive in today's countryside.

Tell him that there is a big wodge of money to research that kind of thing and he'll amend his findings to suit

 

[Dishmop]

Maybe because that is what they were asked to find with the big wodge of research money they were given

Shame on you...

 

[madasafish]

Lots of flowers here: both urban and rural.

No tilling of the soil within a 5 miles radius and lots of woods, streams and uncultivated rough ground...


But in spring, far more flowers in gardens until willow blooms.

 

[thorn]

Was that "Pocock" or "Poppycock"? My urban bees have a lot of very varied forage throughout the season. The chemical prairie that our countryside has become in so many areas has little for them save when the dominant crop is in flower.

 

[Swarm]

Not the case in the countryside around here.

The Thistles alone on the common above Bedlinog probably provide more forage than all the flowers in the surrounding urban settings.

 

[Dishmop]

100 metres from my hives at home is an area of embankment that the council only cut once a year. I keep meaning to go and look to see if the bees take any interest..

 

[farbee]

Maybe because that is what they were asked to find with the big wodge of research money they were given





Tell him that there is a big wodge of money to research that kind of thing and he'll amend his findings to suit

or don't bother with research so people can simple believe what they want.