** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE TAMAULIPAN THORNSCRUB FOREST IS A UNIQUE PLANT ASSOCIATION IN THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY OF TEXAS THAT IS CONSIDERED A BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOT. ONLY 5% OF THE ORIGINAL COVER REMAINS, MAKING PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION A CONSERVATION PRIORITY. RESTORATION EFFORTS BY THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE BY REPLANTING SELECTED THORNSCRUB SPECIES HAVE BEEN ONGOING FOR 40 YEARS. HOWEVER, A LACK OF INFORMATION REGARDING FLORAL RESOURCES USED BY POLLINATORS HAS PREVENTED SUPPORT FOR THE POLLINATOR COMMUNITY IN REFORESTATION EFFORTS. WE WILL USE SURVEYS TO DETERMINE FLOWER PHENOLOGY AND OBSERVATIONS OF INSECT POLLINATORS TO PROVIDE AN INITIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF INSECT POLLINATORS AND THEIR USE OF FLOWERING PLANTS IN PRESERVED AND RESTORED PATCHES OF THORNSCRUB. ADDITIONALLY, A BARCODING LIBRARY OF FLOWERING PLANTS IN THORNSCRUB FORESTS WILL BE CONSTRUCTED. BARCODES ARE SHORT DNA SEQUENCES THAT ALLOW IDENTIFICATION OF PLANTS FROM POLLEN OR OTHER PLANT TISSUES. THE BARCODES CAN THEN BE USED TO DETERMINE WHAT SPECIES OF PLANTS ARE BEING UTILIZED BY DIFFERENT POLLINATORS BASED ON COLLECTED POLLEN, A POWERFUL TOOL FOR ANALYSIS OF PLANT CHOICE BY BOTH HONEY BEES AND NATIVE POLLINATORS. THE CURRENT WORK WILL PROVIDE IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON PLANT CHOICE BY DIFFERENT FUNCTIONAL GROUPS OF INSECT POLLINATORS, AS WELL AS BLOOMING PERIODS AND AVAILABILITY OF FLORAL RESOURCES. THESE DATA CAN THEN BE USED TO INFORM THE CHOICE OF SPECIES FOR REFORESTATION IMPROVING BOTH THE HEALTH AND DIVERSITY OF POLLINATORS AND RESTORATION OUTCOMES BY INCREASING POLLINATOR SERVICES TO BOTH THE THORNSCRUB PLANT COMMUNITY AND AGRICULTURAL FIELDS.