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VOL. 11, ISSUE 1 (2026)
Multifactorial drivers and synergistic mechanisms underlying global bee decline: Ecological, agricultural, and human health consequences
Authors
Dr. Saurav Shome
Abstract
Animal pollination is a foundational ecosystem service that sustains
global biodiversity, agricultural productivity, and human nutrition, with bees
representing the most ecologically and economically significant pollinator
group. Mounting evidence over the past three decades documents widespread and
accelerating declines in both wild and managed bee populations across multiple
continents. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the ecological roles
of bees, global and regional patterns of decline, species-specific
vulnerabilities, and the interacting drivers underlying the pollinator crisis.
The global bee decline cannot be attributed to a single stressor but instead
arises from synergistic interactions among pesticides, habitat loss and
fragmentation, climate change, pathogens, and emerging mechanisms such as gut
microbiome disruption. Evidence indicates that these stressors often operate
multiplicatively rather than additively, amplifying physiological impairment,
reducing reproductive success, and destabilizing populations at landscape
scales. Although managed honey bee colony numbers appear stable in some
regions, this stability masks substantial losses in wild bees and feral honey
bee populations, which provide irreplaceable ecological functions and
functional diversity. The review further highlights geographic inequities in
data availability and conservation capacity, with biodiversity-rich tropical
regions facing the most significant knowledge gaps. The consequences of
pollinator decline extend beyond crop yields to ecosystem stability, food
security, nutritional health, and economic resilience, particularly in
low-income nations that are disproportionately dependent on pollinator-mediated
agriculture. While limited examples of evolutionary and behavioral
adaptation—such as Varroa-resistant honey bee populations—offer cautious
optimism, these adaptive responses remain insufficient to counteract
intensifying environmental pressures. Effective mitigation therefore requires
integrated strategies that simultaneously reduce pesticide exposure, restore
and reconnect semi-natural habitats, manage pathogen spillover, and incorporate
climate resilience into conservation planning. Addressing pollinator decline is
not solely a biodiversity imperative but a prerequisite for sustaining
ecosystem function, agricultural systems, and human well-being in a rapidly
changing world.
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Pages:517-535
How to cite this article:
Dr. Saurav Shome "Multifactorial drivers and synergistic mechanisms underlying global bee decline: Ecological, agricultural, and human health consequences". International Journal of Entomology Research, Vol 11, Issue 1, 2026, Pages 517-535
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