Bumblebees benefit from faba bean cultivation
Thursday, September 10, 2020 - 14:00
in Mathematics & Economics
About one third of payments received by farmers are linked to 'greening measures' to promote biodiversity. These have been criticized because the benefits for biodiversity are unclear. Researchers investigated whether the cultivation of faba beans (Vicia faba - broad bean or fava bean) can support wild bees. They found that bumblebees benefit from cultivating faba beans, while other wild bees depend on semi-natural habitats.