Important invertebrate pollinator species, like the honeybee and butterfly, are under a threat of extinction due to a number of environmental pressures, many of them man-made, a new study found.
The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services released a detailed assessment regarding pollinators Friday during its fourth plenary in Malaysia. Results come from a two-year, United Nations-sponsored study conducted by the panel.
The threat against such animals also threatens the health of the world's agricultural food supply, which includes fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts and oils. A slowdown in production of these important nutrition sources may have detrimental effects on the population, including increased malnutrition and the loss of up to $577 billion globally, the IPBES warned.
"Pollinators are important contributors to world food production and nutritional security," the assessment's co-chair, Vera Lucia Imperatriz-Fonseca, said in a statement. "Their health is directly linked to our own well-being."
Millions of people in the central US could see powerful storms on Monday including long-track tornadoes,...
A slew of hulking storms unleashed severe weather conditions across the Southeast on Thursday after deadly...
High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that resulted in crews rescuing...
