Apr 22, 2015 04:37 PM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

The decline in bee populations in Britain could be the result of a changing landscape, according to a recent study.

Researchers at Lancaster University found that honeybees living near areas of extensive farmland were surviving on a lower protein diet than those in hives near natural grasslands and woodlands.

For bees, consuming less protein early in life makes them vulnerable to other factors such as pesticides, disease or harsh winters. Poorer quality diets could, in part, explain why honeybee populations are in decline. According to researchers, bees depend on pollen and nectar for their food which they acquire from a range of flower species. Whilst nectar is converted to honey in the hive, pollen is converted to "beebread," which is consumed by the growing young brood.

For the study, researchers analyzed the composition of beebread in 35 hives -- testing its nutritional value throughout the summers of 2012-13. Researchers combined these data with extensive land-use data generated by Countryside Survey 2007 and found that beebread protein content was lower in areas where arable and horticultural farmland surrounded the hives, but beebread found in hives near natural grasslands and broadleaf woodlands had higher protein levels.

The finding that beebread protein content is correlated with land use suggests that landscape composition may impact on the well-being of bees.

"Honeybees have different nutritional requirements at different stages of their lives, with larvae primarily requiring protein. We already know from previous studies that larvae with lower dietary protein intake may not live as long and may have reduced immune function. This study shows a clear link between landscape and the nutritional ecology of insects," Philip Donkersley, who led the research at Lancaster University's Environment Centre, said in a statement.

The findings are detailed in the journal Ecology and Evolution. 

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