THE FOOD PRODUCTION NEEDS OF A GROWING POPULATION AND CHANGING NATURAL LANDSCAPE REQUIRES SUSTAINABLE LAND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES THAT INCLUDE POLLINATOR CONSERVATION. AS ~30% OF CROPS RELY ON INSECT POLLINATION, IT IS VITAL TO UNDERSTAND HOW CHANGING LANDSCAPES STRESS POLLINATORS. NUMEROUS HUMAN-GENERATED STRESSORS AFFECT BEE POLLINATORS, INCLUDING CHANGES IN LOCAL TEMPERATURES, DISEASES, NUTRITION, AND CHEMICAL CHALLENGES, BUT INTEGRATIVE TOOLS TO DIAGNOSE BEE HEALTH ARE LACKING. THIS PROJECT WILL IDENTIFY BIOCHEMICAL AND GENETIC MARKERS OF STRESS IN NATIVE BUMBLE BEES ACROSS URBAN-AGRICULTURAL-NATURAL GRADIENTS. I WILL COLLECT BOMBUS IMPATIENS IN SPRING AND SUMMER FROM URBAN, URBAN GARDEN, AGRICULTURAL, AND NATURAL SITES IN TWO GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS. SAMPLES WILL BE ANALYZED FOR AN ARRAY OF MORPHOLOGICAL, BIOCHEMICAL/METABOLIC, AND TRANSCRIPTOMIC STRESS MARKERS. RESULTS WILL BE ANALYZED IN THE CONTEXT OF LAND USE AND CLIMATE AT MULTIPLE SPATIAL SCALES TO UNDERSTAND HOW LANDSCAPE VARIABLES RELATE TO STRESS PHYSIOLOGY IN NATIVE POLLINATORS. DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF THIS PROJECT BY A POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER WILL ADDRESS BENCHMARKS FOR DEVELOPING SKILLS REQUIRED OF AN INDEPENDENT TENURE-TRACK RESEARCHER. COLLABORATION WITH K-12 STUDENTS THROUGH DEVELOPMENT OF AN EDUCATION MODULE WILL STRENGTHEN OUTREACH CAPABILITIES AND ENCOURAGE CAREERS IN STEM, COOPERATION WITH GROWERS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS WILL PROVIDE EXPERIENCE IN COMMUNICATING RESEARCH TO STAKEHOLDERS, AND COLLABORATION WITH UNDERGRADUATE ASSISTANTS WILL FOSTER EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AT MULTIPLE LEVELS. THIS POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH PROJECT ADDRESSES THE "PLANT HEALTH AND PRODUCTION AND PLANT PRODUCTS" PRIORITY AREA, SPECIFICALLY THE "POLLINATOR HEALTH: RESEARCH AND APPLICATION" PRIORITY FOR BASIC RESEARCH TO PROMOTE HEALTHY POPULATIONS OF ANIMAL POLLINATORS.