Insect populations are declining worldwide at a rate of almost 1% per year. This decline is alarming. Insects play a crucial role in pollinating crops, controlling crop pests and maintaining soil…Read More >
pollinators
The effects of air pollution on pollinators
Declines in pollinator abundance and diversity over the last century are currently considered to have been the result of a range of interacting stressors, such as agricultural intensification and climate…Read More >
Five ways to protect and restore biodiversity in the UK
To mark International Day for Biodiversity, we can acknowledge both the rich biodiversity of the United Kingdom and also the challenges it faces. In the UK, we are lucky to…Read More >
Making informed decisions in the midst of the climate crisis
As the second of four all-staff talks we held in the run-up to the COP26 Summit in November 2021, this blog includes a presentation by Professor Amanda Callaghan (Evolutionary Biology…Read More >
Boosting bee diversity can help stabilise crop production
There are over 20,000 bee species and together they help pollinate more than 75% of the world’s leading food crops. Honeybees tend to hog the limelight, but few realise how…Read More >
Our most popular papers of 2019
Which Reading research publications got the most attention across the globe in 2019? We’ve scoured Altmetric data to bring you the top ten most talked about Reading-authored papers of the…Read More >
The Bees’ Needs: saving Britain’s pollinators
It’s Bees’ Needs week and once again London’s Carnaby Street has had a makeover to become ‘Carnabee Street’ until 15 July. Professor Simon Potts and the Reading Bee Team are…Read More >
Sharing the benefits of healthy hay (Sainfoin)
Sainfoin is a plant that’s been grown by farmers for centuries to feed livestock, but its use has declined in recent decades. Research led by Professor Irene Mueller-Harvey and others has investigated…Read More >
Bees, climate and food: the Reading research listed among world’s elite
Ecology, climate and food science have helped to put the University of Reading in a group of the world’s elite research institutions in a new analysis of the most cited…Read More >