Agricultural landscapes cover a large proportion of Estonia’s land area, and their good ecological condition is important both for maintaining biodiversity and for ensuring ecosystem services. Wild bees are among the most important pollinators, yet we still know surprisingly little about their diversity and abundance across different habitats. The project investigates which landscape elements, such as field and roadside margins, ditches, tree-lines, mid-field islets and field boundaries, support wild bee species in intensively used agricultural landscapes. The results will help provide a comprehensive overview of wild bee species in Estonian agricultural landscapes and offer science-based recommendations for landscape design and the enhancement of conservation measures.
Project participants: Virve Sõber, Epp Valdaru, Tsipe Aavik, Sigrid Ots
Funding: Keskkonnainvesteeringute Keskus
Project volume: 165 260 euros
Duration: 01.01.2026–31.12.2027
Tsipe Aavik / tsipe.aavik@ut.ee / +372 516 1187
