Wild bee survey reveals diversity in Austrian Nature Park
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Researchers in the Kaunergrat Nature Park, Austria, began surveying wild bee populations in March and have so far identified 50 different species.
Emilie Matthes, the project leader, explained that the team visited the area every two weeks to capture bees with nets for identification. They discovered several rare species including the red snail bee, the black mortar bee, and the red hemp-five-finger bee living in the dry, sunny slopes of Fließ.
The Fließ slopes provide ideal habitat for these bees because of their warm, dry climate and existing protection as grazing land with limited livestock. The project aims to raise public awareness about the ecological role of bees and the need to protect them, as knowing which species are present allows for more targeted conservation efforts.
Researchers are currently contributing to a “Red List of Wild Bees” for Austria, which will document the country’s roughly 700 wild bee species, around 400 of which live in the Tyrol region. The Kaunergrat project receives funding from the IUCN’s “Youth Action on Pollinators” program and from the Tyrol regional government for research within the nature park.
