Wild bees and butterflies: great biodiversity in vineyards

Status: 11/02/2022 4:09 p.m

Vineyards are true hotspots of biodiversity – this is shown by a long-term study. More than 170 wild bee species and dozens of butterflies live there, many of which are threatened with extinction.

When it comes to winegrowing, many people probably think primarily of huge areas on which only grapes are grown. But these areas also offer a home to numerous insects. The Senckenberg German Entomological Institute (SDEI) and the Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) have this found in long-term observation. Researchers observed the number of insects for eleven years – and came to astonishing results.

Dozens of wild bee species, many of them endangered

They found more than 170 species of wild bees during surveys in steep vineyards on the Moselle. “It has been shown that a surprisingly large variety of wild bees can be found in the vineyards. This is less due to the vines themselves than to the small-scale structures and the vegetation between the vines, which is attractive to bees,” says Dr. André Krahner from the JKI.

Not only the variety is enormous. The researchers were also able to determine that a good 30 percent of the wild bee species are considered endangered according to Germany’s Red List (including the early warning list). “Steep-slope viticulture, especially when it is laid out in transverse terraces with embankments full of flowers, is a refuge for endangered insect species,” explains Thomas Schmitt from the Senckenberg Institute.

Grapes for red wine production hang on a vine in Radebeul, Saxony.

Image: dpa

Many endangered butterfly species

And not only bees benefit from the situation in the vineyard. In the Klotten-Treiser-Moselle valley alone, the researchers were able to identify 58 species of butterflies. More than half of them were on the Red List of Endangered Species.

The variety of plant species is also greater than many would think. Because Riesling is not just Riesling, as the experts explain. In the more than 1,600 old vines examined (planted between 1880 and 1944), there were major differences in properties such as must weight, acidity and grape structure. “This genetic diversity is an important source for the adaptation of these classic grape varieties to changing growing conditions – for example to adapt to climate change,” says Dr. Matthias Porten from the Service Center for Rural Areas (DLR) Moselle.

Protection from pests

However, the results can also benefit winegrowers, for example when it comes to protecting the vines from blackwood disease. They should help to promote insect diversity, select the right planting material for the respective vineyard and prevent the spread of pests and vine diseases.

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