Rescuing the Alive from Peril: A Call to Action
Reimagining Our Path: Nature's Guardians Among Us
Facing escalating climate change and dwindling biodiversity, we might just find our greatest allies in the creatures we've driven away. To combat ecological crises, not only is understanding and safeguarding life and ecosystems crucial, but they also present key solutions.
The intriguing podcast "Chaleur humaine" brings together six eminent researchers to unearth the secrets of life, revealing how species interact to create life-sustaining ecosystems. These six scientists will enlighten us about their findings during the Transitional Cities Biennale at the Palais des sports in Grenoble (May 15th). Learn more here.
You can also subscribe for free to the "Chaleur humaine" newsletter and follow the podcast on Instagram.
Let's delve into the stories of two such researchers striving to protect and rejuvenate Nature's guardians.
The Fight to Save the Andrena fulva Bees and Charming Blackcurrants
Why bring back the Andrena fulva, a somewhat overlooked fuzzy, fiery red-haired bee? Ecologist Marie-Charlotte Anstett, a CNRS researcher at the University of Burgundy-Franche-Comté, grapples with this question. This bee is one of the pollinators of the traditional Burgundy blackcurrant, a prized variety in Dijon's region. Worry over yield decline has led blackcurrant producers to seek her help. In comparing data with surveys from the 1980s, Marie-Charlotte discovers that 99% of blackcurrant pollinators have vanished, mainly due to pesticide use.
Learn more | Article for subscribers Why the collapse of biodiversity lowers agricultural yields
An experimental device utilizing artificial bumblebees allows her to demonstrate what yields would be if these pollinators hadn't disappeared. We've tripled the yield of blackcurrants through reliable pollination, she shares. These results astound farmers, and a dozen have agreed to work with her to reintroduce wild bees – osmies – and modify farming practices. After an initial success with 80 species of wild bees returning to the blackcurrant fields, the Andrena fulva remains elusive. Commencing a second phase of the project, Marie-Charlotte intends to reintroduce the tawny-andre, hoping to witness its return.
The Sentinels of Our Waterways: River Mussels
Researcher Vincent Prieur, a mollusk specialist and Spygen laboratory director, confesses that river mussels, though unassuming at first glance, have a tremendous, long-ignored role in ecosystems. Once abundant and living for up to 280 years, their populations plummeted in the 1970s due to pollution, dams, and research on rivers. These mollusks aren't edible — "It's not very good," admits Vincent Prieur — yet they perform vital functions, filtering water and hosting a myriad of invertebrates.
Learn more | Article for subscribers Three rare and threatened mussel species discovered in Paris
Cleaner water benefits light penetration, favoring algae and invertebrates that promote fish population growth. Despite their sensitivity to pollution, river mussels serve as valuable indicators of water quality, as their resurgence heralds cleaner rivers. In France, the downward trend seems to have leveled, as mussels have returned to rivers, such as those of Paris.
Stay tuned for more insights from the champions championing Nature's guardians, demonstrating that our most humble allies can help save our world. Together, we can create a sustainable future where life thrives.
- The podcast "Chaleur humaine" features six scientists who hypothesize the secrets of life and biodiversity, revealing how species interact to create life-sustaining ecosystems.
- Marie-Charlotte Anstett, an ecologist and CNRS researcher, hopes to reintroduce the Andrena fulva bee, one of the pollinators of the traditional Burgundy blackcurrant, as a means to boost yields impacted by biodiversity loss.
- Despite being unassuming and inedible, river mussels play a crucial role in ecosystems by filtering water and promoting fish population growth, serving as valuable indicators of water quality.
- Biodiversity loss has led to a decline in agricultural yields, necessitating understanding and safeguarding life and ecosystems to combat ecological crises and find key solutions.
- The Transitional Cities Biennale, where six researchers will enlighten us about their findings, aims to combat ecological crises and protect life and ecosystems to create a sustainable future where health-and-wellness and a healthy environment coexist amid climate-change.
