Molly Jacobson, a recent graduate of UNH’s undergraduate wildlife and conservation biology program, was one of four researchers who studied the status of the state’s bumble bee population. Credit: Jeremy Gasowski/UNH

 

DURHAM, N.H. – In the first long-term study of New Hampshire’s bumble bee population, researchers with the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of New Hampshire have found three of the state’s most important bumble bee species have experienced drastic declines and range constriction over the last 150 years, with a fourth bee also in significant decline.

 

The research was conducted by Sandra Rehan, assistant professor of biological sciences at the University of New Hampshire; Erika Tucker, USDA research fellow and a postdoctoral researcher with the experiment station; Minna Mathiasson, a graduate student in biology; and Molly Jacobson, a recent graduate of UNH’s undergraduate wildlife and conservation biology program. The research results are part of the experiment station-funded project Sustainable Solutions to Problems Affecting Bee Health and are presented in Decline of bumble bees in northeastern North America, with special focus on Bombus terricola in the journal Biological Conservation.

 

“Wild bees, particularly bumble bees, are highly important pollinators for both agriculture and unmanaged ecosystems. They have experienced alarming declines in recent decades, and in order to effectively work towards their protection, information about their life histories, ecological roles, and distributional changes on a more local scale is needed,” according to Rehan and her colleagues.

 

The value of pollination to agriculture is estimated at more than $200 billion a year worldwide. The abundance of and diversity of pollinators are declining in many agricultural landscapes across the United States. Given this importance, widespread declines in pollinator diversity have led to concern about a global pollinator crisis. The National Research Council has called for regional, national, and international monitoring programs to allow tracking the status and trends of pollinators.

 

To conduct their research, scientists analyzed 3,333 bumble bee specimens comprising 16 Bombus species dating to 1867. Bombus specimens for this study were made available from the UNH Insect Collection, as well as from field collections performed by the Rehan lab during summers of 2014–2016. This allowed researchers to track over time changes in abundance and distribution, with focus on species designated of greatest conservation need by N.H. Department of Fish and Game. Floral records also provided insight into the diet breadth of these species, which may affect their vulnerability.

 

Scientists found drastic decline in Rusty patch bumble bees (Bombus affinis),golden northern bumble bees (Bombus fervidus), and yellow banded bumble bees (Bombus terricola), as well as significant decline in half-black bumblebees (Bombus vagans), with data suggesting it has been ecologically replaced by Bombus impatiens over time. The rusty patch bumble bee, Bombus affinis, was the first bee listed as an endangered species in the continental United States earlier this year. This species is thought to be locally extinct in New Hampshire as was last collected in 1993. Among other species of greatest conservation need, Bombus fervidus has declined by 96 percent over the past 150 years, and Bombus terricola has declined by 71 percent. Bombus vagans has also experienced a significant decline of 42 percent in New Hampshire. The researchers suggest Bombus vagans receive future conservation consideration.

 

Their analyses also found a severe constriction of the geographic range of Bombus terricola to high elevation regions in the latter half of the 20th century, and its role as pollinator of several alpine plants necessitates immediate conservation action.

 

The study adds critical floral associations and demographic data for New England bumble bees and those undergoing national decline, to better inform management decisions and conservation efforts going into the future.

 

“Climate and land use change may be playing significant roles in the losses of northeastern

bumble bees, with many effects still unknown with continued alterations to precipitation patterns, temperature, phenology and availability of native flora. Studies on bumble bee declines are time-sensitive and crucial to understanding how wild bees are being affected by anthropogenic changes to the planet. These data are needed so that we may prevent vulnerable pollinators from going extinct with far-reaching ramifications within ecosystems,” the researchers said.

 

More information on the native bees of New Hampshire can be found on the bee lab’s educational website. This material is based upon work supported by the NH Agricultural Experiment Station, through joint funding of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 1004515, and the state of New Hampshire. The research also is supported by the UNH Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research.

 

Founded in 1887, the NH Agricultural Experiment Station at the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture is UNH’s original research center and an elemental component of New Hampshire’s land-grant university heritage and mission. We steward federal and state funding, including support from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, to provide unbiased and objective research concerning diverse aspects of sustainable agriculture and foods, aquaculture, forest management, and related wildlife, natural resources and rural community topics. We maintain the Woodman and Kingman agronomy and horticultural research farms, the Macfarlane Research Greenhouses, the Fairchild Dairy Teaching and Research Center, and the Organic Dairy Research Farm. Additional properties also provide forage, forests and woodlands in direct support to research, teaching, and outreach.

 

The University of New Hampshire is a flagship research university that inspires innovation and transforms lives in our state, nation and world. More than 16,000 students from all 50 states and 71 countries engage with an award-winning faculty in top ranked programs in business, engineering, law, liberal arts and the sciences across more than 200 programs of study. UNH’s research portfolio includes partnerships with NASA, NOAA, NSF and NIH, receiving more than $100 million in competitive external funding every year to further explore and define the frontiers of land, sea and space.

 

 

Story submitted by UNH Media Relations

 

Madison, NH – A water leak at Madison Elementary School lead to the discovery of mold in multiple areas of the school. According to SAU 13 Superintendent Louis Goscinski a sink leak in one of the classroom closest resulted in water damage, which lead to mold in the area. The area has since been cleaned and tested clean.

Goscinski said that as a precaution they had the whole school tested, which lead to the discovery that other locations had sustained water damage leading to more mold. School officials said they have isolated and managed the contaminated areas according to the recommendations of Air quality management service Inc. with the assistance of Service Master Cleaners.

Goscinski said the Town Health inspector, Code Enforcement officer, as well as the State Officials were contacted when they discovered the problem.  According to Goscinski the Health Inspector said that there is no need to close the school, however the contaminated areas did need to be isolated. ” We have had the air tested. We’ve had experts come in and make recommendations. And we’re following those recommendations, were taking those seriously. we’ll get information out to parents as needed.”

Letters about the problem have been sent out to parents and information was included in the school newsletter. Goscinski added that a letter is going to be sent out today (Wednesday) as well.

Goscinski said that he did not have a clear estimate of when the work would be finished but he speculated it would go into the Christmas break.

32-year-old Scott Sanborn of Wolfeboro was arrested after leading Police on a chase Monday ~ Photo Courtesy of Wolfeboro Police

Wolfeboro, NH – Wolfeboro Police were lead on an early morning chase Monday morning. According to Police an officer was attempting to stop a vehicle that was allegedly speeding near Morrissey’s Front Porch at around 4:30 am. The driver, later identified as 32-year-old Scott Sanborn of Wolfeboro, failed to stop and made an abrupt left turn down Cove’s End Road where he then quickly stopped the vehicle on the lawn of a private residence after running out of roadway. Sanborn then fled from the vehicle, which had two other occupants still inside.

The vehicle the suspect allegedly fled in an attempt to evade Wolfeboro Police before later being arrested ~ Photo Courtesy of Wolfeboro Police

Back up from Wolfeboro and Alton Police responded, including the Wolfeboro’s K9, Riggs and his handler Senior Patrolman Mike Strauch. After approximately ninety-minutes Police tracked down Sanborn to the Lake Motel, where he had allegedly broken into a room.

Sanborn was arrested and taken to Huggins Hospital for evaluation and treatment for cold weather exposure that he received while trying to evade authorities. Police said that “Mr. Sanborn jumped into several bodies of water to avoid detection by the PD’s K-9-it did not work”

Police said that Sanborn was under suspension at the time of the stop for a previous infraction. Investigators said they observed at least one hypodermic needle, believed to contain methadone, inside Sanborn’s car. The vehicle has been impounded by the Wolfeboro Police and is being held pending the application of a Search Warrant.

Sanborn was charged with Driving While Intoxicated (Second Offense), Speed, Possession of Drugs, Transportation of Drugs in a Motor Vehicle, Driving After Suspension, Disobeying a Police Officer, Criminal Trespass, Criminal Mischief, Negligent Driving. and Obstructing Governmental Operations. He was later bailed from Huggins Hospital with a Court Date of 20 December 2017 in the Third Circuit Court in Ossipee, NH.

Wolfeboro Police Chief Dean Rondeau said “This was really good team work and show cases just how well our Police and Central Dispatch work together in a high stress situation. Wolfeboro Central Dispatch was able to follow the Officers circumstances and get the appropriate resources to the right location in a timely fashion to make this arrest happen.”