A first-of-its-kind, comprehensive report released Wednesday from researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder determined that Colorado’s native pollinating insects are in peril as a result of human activities.

The report summarized research on native pollinators — like high country bumble bees in Colorado — and found that in the last 35 years, populations of some pollinator species in the state have dropped by more than half.

This fact is leading scientists and environmentalists to petition for about 20% of Colorado’s 24 native bumblebee species to receive federal protection under the Endangered Species Act due to a significant decline in their populations.

Entomologist Adrian Carper of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at CU Boulder and the CU Museum of Natural History, is one of the authors.

“That’s a huge alarm call, and that’s only for species we have good data for,” Carper said in a news release, adding “it is likely an underestimate of the danger Colorado’s native pollinating insects are facing.”

Native pollinators are critical to Colorado’s ecosystem, agriculture and tourism industry as well.

According to the report, several threats to native pollinators’ survival, including habitat loss, pesticides, climate change and non-native species like honeybees exist.

The report said any pollinators might not tolerate higher temperatures, and extreme weather events like droughts and floods, could wipe out insect habitats. The report also said climate change affects when and how many plants are flowering, influencing the availability of nectar and pollen.

The western honeybee is a non-native species to Colorado, despite being an important agricultural pollinator.

However, as the report noted, with a growing interest in beekeeping, Colorado has seen a rise in the numbers of urban honeybee hives in recent years.

Research shows these honeybees could compete with native bees for food, and potentially spread diseases and parasites.

For individuals, there is also room for action, Carper said.

“Planting with native plants in our own backyards can certainly support our native pollinators. We need to better educate beekeepers on subjects like disease management and swarm control to mitigate honeybees’ impacts on native pollinators,” Carper said.

Read the full report from CU Boulder here.