EAGER: Assessing the effects of matrix quality on species-area relationships for bees in fragmented landscapes

University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign, Urbana IL

Investigators

Abstract

A major cause of species loss is the reduction of large natural habitats into small, isolated pieces. This project brings a new perspective to this problem by suggesting that environmental conditions in between the isolated pieces might change conditions within a piece and influence the rate of species loss. The research focuses on bee pollinators - organisms that provide essential services to human society, are critical to US agriculture, and are important targets for conservation. If conditions between isolated pollinator patches improve pollinator performance within a patch, then conservation of these important organisms may not be as difficult as it seems. The leader of this project is an early-career African American woman who has tremendous promise both as a research and a role model in science. Both the research and its location in the Ozarks will provide many opportunities for undergraduates to initiate independent projects, engaging in each step of the scientific process. Research results will be used to engage middle-school girls through a Girls Explore Biology summer camp that is dedicated to recruiting under-served groups. Last but not least, results will be shared with the Missouri Department of Conservation to advance national bee conservation efforts. Habitat fragmentation is one of the global drivers of species losses; it alters species abundance and diversity by reducing habitat size and connectivity. Changes in species richness with fragment size are expected based on species-area relationships but questions remain about why these relationships are so variable. The habitat surrounding a site (the matrix) can be important in determining fragment species diversity, but little is known about how matrix quality affects diversity. The research will focus on three questions: Does matrix quality affect resource availability and use? Does matrix quality alter pollinator movement between fragments? Does matrix quality affect pollinator species traits within fragments? Preliminary results suggest that both plant and pollinator abundance and diversity are highly dependent on matrix quality in the study area, the Missouri Ozark Glades. To address the research questions, nesting rates for ground-nesting bees and nesting resource availability in the matrix at different distances from a fragment will be estimated. Bees will be marked with oil-based paint and recaptured along transects in the matrix and in the nearest glade fragments. Results will estimate movement of bees under different conditions. Lastly, bee morphological traits will be analyzed to determine which types of bees (based on traits) are more likely to be threatened by low quality matrix. This is important because larger and more mobile bee species may facilitate pollen dispersal, stabilizing plant communities and fragment quality.