THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO IDENTIFY LEGUME SPECIES WHICH CAN ENHANCE POLLINATOR POPULATIONS WHILE CONTRIBUTING ADDITIONAL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES SUCH AS BIOLOGICAL NITROGEN FIXATION, FORAGE FOR LIVESTOCK, COVER CROP FUNCTIONS, AND WILDLIFE HABITAT. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES ARE (1) TO ASSESS THE DIVERSITY AND ABUNDANCE OF POLLINATORS WITHIN HABITATS PROVIDED BY DIFFERENT PRODUCTION ENVIRONMENTS SUPPLEMENTED WITH PLANTINGS OF COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE LEGUMES; (2) TO EVALUATE HEALTH OF LOCAL POLLINATORS IN RELATION TO ENVIRONMENT AND SUPPLEMENTAL LEGUME FLORAL RESOURCES; (3) TO EVALUATE EFFECTS OF MANAGEMENT FOR POLLINATOR HABITAT ON ASPECTS OF CROP PRODUCTION OF SELECTED LEGUME SPECIES; AND (4) TO ASSESS POLLINATOR VALUE OF SELECTED NATIVE LEGUME SPECIES. SEQUENCES OF FLOWERING OF SELECTED COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE LEGUMES WILL BE ASSESSED FOR HABITAT CONTINUITY, POLLINATOR DIVERSITY WILL BE DETERMINED, AND SPECIFIC POLLEN USE WILL BE IDENTIFIED BY METABARCODE PROCEDURES. BIOMARKERS WILL BE ASSESSED AS INDICATORS OF POLLINATOR POPULATION HEALTH, AND THESE BIOINDICATORS WILL BE ASSESSED FOR CORRELATIONS WITH FLORAL TRAITS OF THE LEGUMES. POTENTIAL FOR LESS-FREQUENT HARVEST OF ALFALFA TO PROVIDE ENHANCED FLORAL RESOURCES FOR POLLINATORS AND IMPROVED STAND PERSISTENCE IN MARGINAL ENVIRONMENTS WITHOUT EXCESSIVE LOSS OF FORAGE NUTRITIVE VALUE WILL BE ASSESSED. USE OF SELECTED NATIVE LEGUME FLOWERS BY LOCAL POLLINATORS WILL BE ASSESSED USING THE METABARCODE PROCEDURES. THIS PROPOSAL ADDRESSES THE POLLINATOR HEALTH PROGRAM AREA PRIORITY OF PROMOTING HEALTHY POPULATIONS OF ANIMAL POLLINATORS SPECIFICALLY ASSESSING FACTORS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTING HEALTH OF POLLINATOR POPULATIONS INVOLVING NUTRITIONAL DEFICITS, AGRICULTURAL INTENSIFICATION, HABITAT LOSS, AND CROP MANAGEMENT PRACTICES.