Source: MORNING AG CLIPS, 1/21/19

Apple orchards surrounded by agricultural lands are visited by a less diverse collection of bee species than orchards surrounded by natural habitats, according to a new Cornell University-led study, published in the journal Science. In turn, apple production suffers when fewer, more closely-related species of bees pollinate an orchard. Production improves in orchards surrounded by natural habitats, which then draw a broader selection of species to apple blossoms. The researchers examined 10 years of data from 27 New York state apple orchards. The study accounted for the types of landscapes that surround these orchards, measured apple production and surveyed the species of bees that visited each orchard.

For more of this story, click here.