Flora and fauna of Teide endangered by bees.

The Teide National Park in Tenerife has the highest number of beehives per square kilometer in the world, a record that could cause an ecological situation of no return.

A new study warns that the introduction of the Apis mellifera bee is altering the park's ecosystem, to the point of affecting native pollinators and the reproduction of some endemic plants of this island ecosystem..

Since the 16th century, The traditional agricultural exploitation of honey bees has expanded throughout the Spanish territory. In the Teide National Park it reaches the highest density of hives per square kilometer in the world.

But far from being a source of pride for the island, honey bees are greatly altering the natural system of the area.

a study, published in the journal Ecosystems and which includes the conclusions of work carried out during the last 15 years, demonstrates that the presence of Apis mellifera is causing a decrease in the species richness of native pollinators, which entails direct and immediate negative effects on the reproduction of some plants exclusive to the island., like red tajinaste (Echium of wild value) and the broom of Teide (Spartocytisus supranubius).

The results suggest that this agricultural activity produces strong competition for natural resources. (pollen and nectar) between the bee and native pollinators, many of them endemic, and unique in this ecosystem.

“Native pollinators are displaced from the network of beneficial plant-pollinator interactions by the domestic bee.”, “which consumes a large part of the available nectar and does not allow them to take advantage of the flowers”, says Alfredo Valido, main author of the study and researcher at the Doñana Biological Station (CSIC).

For this reason, Scientists recommend the removal of beehives inside the park as an immediate conservation measure, before reaching a situation of no return: “The ban would not have a significant economic impact on the population”, secure.

The effect of the most cosmopolitan bee is doubly negative: decreases the diversity of native pollinators and, when replacing them, carries out poorer quality pollination, which promotes self-fertilization (They visit many flowers within each individual plant).

This translates into a drop in productivity, i.e., Fewer seeds per fruit.

In addition, quality is also lost in your genes, which could cause a genetic deviation known as “inbreeding depression (loss of genetic diversity in offspring).

“Measure these alterations and know how they are combined with the effect that climate change is producing in the Teide National Park, where an increase in average annual temperatures of 0.14ºC per decade has been recorded since 1944, It's the next step.", declare Valid.

The response of native plants to these climate changes will depend on adequately preserving their genetic diversity and the vigor of their populations..

For scientists, Banning this activity in the park would be the “most immediate and logical recommendation from an ecological point of view.”, warns.
The simple action of not allowing beekeepers (more than 135 in 2012) The use of this protected public natural space “would be the most effective conservation measure, quick, and without any economic cost to neutralize in a 100% the impact that the domestic bee is generating in the park”, ensures valid.