Opportunities and challenges in Asian bee research and conservation

The challenges of bee research in Asia are unique and severe, and strategies andframeworks developed in North America or Europe may not prove applicable. Virtuallynone of these species have been assessed by the IUCN and there is a paucity ofpublic data on even the basics of bee distribution. If we do not know the speciespresent, their distribution and threats, we cannot protect them, but our knowledge baseis vanishing small in Asia compared to the rest of the world. To better understand andmeet these challenges, this Perspective conveys the ideas accumulated over hundredsof years of study in Asia, including academic, governmental, and other researchersfrom 13 Asian countries. We begin by outlining the special circumstances of Asian beeresearch and the current state of affairs, then highlighting the important of highly socialspecies as flagships for the lesser-known solitary bees, and then target areas in needof further study. From there, we outline a framework via which we will catalyze futureresearch in the region, especially via governmental and other partnerships necessaryto effectively conserve species.

Fil: Warrit, Natapot. Chulalongkorn University. Faculty of Science. Center of Excellence in Entomology and Department of Biology; Tailandia

Fil: Ascher, John. National University of Singapore. Department of Biological Science; Singapur

Fil: Basu, Parthiba. University of Calcutta. Department of Zoology. Centre for Pollination Studies; India

Fil: Belavadi, Vasuki. University of Agricultural Sciences. Agricultural Entomology; India

Fil: Brockmann, Axel. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. National Centre for Biological Sciences; India

Fil: Buchori, Damayanti. Bogor Agricultural University. Center for Transdisciplinary and Sustainability Sciences ; Indonesia

Fil: Dorey, James B.. Flinders University. College Of Science And Engineering.; Australia

Fil: Hughes, Alice C.. University Of Hong Kong; Hong Kong

Fil: Krishnan, Smitha. Biodiversity International; India

Fil: Ngo, Hien T.. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; Italia

Fil: Garibaldi, Lucas Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones En Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural. - Universidad Nacional de Rio Negro. Instituto de Investigaciones En Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural; Argentina

Fil: Huang, Dunyuan. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; China

Fil: Ge, Jin. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de China

Fil: Ghosh, Dibyajyoti. Zoological Survey of India; India

Fil: Jung, Chuleui. Andong National University; Corea del Sur

Fil: Klein, Alexandra Maria. Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg; Alemania

Fil: Berenguer Uhuad Koch, Jonathan. United States Department of Agriculture; Estados Unidos

Fil: Krichilsky, Erin. Columbia University; Estados Unidos. American Museum of Natural History; Estados Unidos

Fil: Kunte, Krushnamegh. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research; India

Fil: Ling, Tial C.. Chiang Mai University; China

Fil: Vereecken, Nicolas J.. Universite Libre de Bruxelles. Universiteit Antwerpen; Bélgica

Fil: Wang, Su. Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences; China

Fil: Wayo, Kanuengnit. King Mongkut’s University of Technology; Tailandia

Fil: Wongsiri, Siriwat. Maejo University; Tailandia

Fil: Zhou, Xin. China Agricultural University; China

Fil: Xie, Zhenghua. Chinese Academy of Forestry; China

Fil: Zhang, Dan. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de China

Fil: Zou, Yi. Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University; China

Fil: Zu, Pengjuan. Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule zurich (eth Zurich);

Fil: Orr, Michael. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de China