In March, the great awakening of spring began: we enjoy feelings of happiness due to warmer temperatures, long walks in the sun, morning coffee on the city balcony, or first dinners on the terrace. But what is a wonderful start to spring for us means something completely different for our biodiversity.
March 2022 one of the driest Marches of the century so far
After a rainy February, it is not the spring-like temperatures that worry experts. Much greater concern is caused by the unusually long dry spell with no precipitation. If this continues until the end of the month, "it could be the driest March since weather records began (1881)" and "certainly one of the driest Marches of the century so far," emphasizes meteorologist Jürgen Schmidt from Wetterkontor in an interview with RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland. Even if, according to the meteorologist, a drought cannot yet be spoken of, the dryness affects our soils and vegetation.
Climate change (leads to drought) and negatively impacts biodiversity
Extreme weather events such as drought, heat, drought, or storms have become increasingly frequent in recent decades. Wild bee expert Yannick Schauwecker attributes this, among other things, to climate change and weakening jet streams (strong winds). Weakening jet streams threaten more heat waves, floods, and cold snaps in the future. This is because jet streams no longer move as usual but remain in one place for weeks. Thus, a few warm, sunny days can turn into a heat wave or a drought, and a few rainy days can become floods because air currents are no longer carried away.
As early as mid-March, Schauwecker recognized: "By the end of the month, things look very bad for nature." Heat days in the growing season will increase in the future. With the heat, dryness will also increase. Long dry periods with simultaneously high temperatures lead to the soil drying out severely. Consequently, plants no longer have enough water available, and thus, food for wild bees is also lacking.
Provide your wild bees with “watered filling stations”
Not all plants are equally affected by drought, so it is advisable to plant drought-resistant plants and water them regularly. Tom Strobl, co-founder of Wildbiene+Partner, recalls a past dry spell in Switzerland. There were problems with fruit pollination because the bees did not have enough water or moist soil available for nest building. They literally abandoned the field. The biologist warns: "The situation is definitely worsening!" He recommends: "The more watered filling stations available, the better!"
Therefore, it is up to us to make a contribution: Some suitable plants, through which your bees find particularly valuable food, can be found here. Water all plants in your garden or on your balcony regularly and thus support the vegetation and bees in your area!
Sources
- Expert interview with Tom Strobl & Yannick Schauwecker
- RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (Meteorologist: "Could be the driest March since weather records began")
- Südkurier (In March, hardly a drop of rain fell on Lake Constance)
- Bundesinformationszentrum Landwirtschaft (How drought harms agriculture)