Demographic responses of wild bees to the Anthropocene: a global comparative genomic approach

Understanding how populations have responded demographically to anthropogenic pressures is a central challenge in conservation biology, as such responses determine both current vulnerability and future persistence. Over the last two centuries, industrialization, land-use change, agricultural intensification, and climate change have reshaped natural environments worldwide, yet broad comparative assessments of their demographic consequences across species and regions remain scarce. Population genomics now provides the resolution needed to reconstruct recent demographic histories and to place contemporary biodiversity patterns within a historical framework. Here, we present a large-scale comparative study aimed at quantifying recent demographic trajectories of wild bee populations at a global scale. We compile population genomic datasets from more than 20 bee species representing multiple families and continents, and use demographic inference to estimate temporal changes in effective population size and patterns of genetic diversity across regions. The primary aim of this study is to identify shared and divergent demographic responses across countries and species and to assess the influence of Anthropocene environmental change on population trajectories. This study goes beyond single-species or local case studies by adopting a comparative, cross-taxonomic framework to evaluate how demographic responses to recent global change vary. By synthesizing population genomic studies from wild bees worldwide, this study outlines a scalable approach for integrating population genomics into conservation- relevant assessments of population history. Such an approach is essential for interpreting present-day genetic variation, informing biodiversity monitoring, and supporting long-term conservation planning under ongoing environmental change.