Project description
Predicting bee vulnerability and persistence in a changing world
Bees worldwide are facing a crisis. A mix of global warming, disappearing habitats and dwindling resources is threatening the collapse of these vital pollinators. Without bees, human health and natural habitats are greatly at risk. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the BeeReal project will study the bumblebee Bombus terrestris in the United Kingdom. Through detailed experiments, it will assess the combined and cumulative effects of multiple stressors on colony persistence, and use the findings to develop vulnerability heat maps identifying areas where bees are most at risk currently and in the future. The project also aims to improve predictive models of bee vulnerability and provide conservationists and policymakers with better tools to support pollinator protection and biodiversity conservation.
Objective
Bees are important pollinators, safeguarding human health and protecting biodiversity. However, they are increasingly under threat by stressors caused by climate change and agricultural practices. It is thus timely and important to understand and predict how stressors, such as warm temperatures and poor nutrition, will impact bee persistence in an increasingly warm and degraded world. Unfortunately, data of bee responses to stressors is largely lacking and tend to be oversimplified, hindering the predictive power of current models in accurately assessing their vulnerability. Using Bombus terrestris and the UK as a model, my project aims to improve the accuracy of bee vulnerability predictions using both a biologically-informed and biologically-realistic approach. I will determine the cumulative impact of thermal and nutritional stress on colony persistence by conducting detailed experiments, and use these findings to create a vulnerability heat map of the UK to highlight conservation-priority areas. These maps and approach will enable conservationists and policy-makers to make impactful and sustainable decisions to curtail bee loss. This project will also further the advancement of and guide future research on other economically-important bees by conducting a comprehensive overview of published literature that will identify general patterns in multistressor impacts across species and uncover research gaps.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
CB2 1TN CAMBRIDGE
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.