Popular species of perennial flowering plants vary widely in their attractiveness to pollinators, but homeowners and landscape managers who select certain perennial cultivars can support a diverse community of pollinators in their own backyards, according to a new study from a team of Penn State researchers.
IMAGE: Penn State
One focus of her research group is evaluating how nutritional deficiencies contribute to declines in pollinator populations and developing strategies to design floral planting schemes to improve pollinator nutrition in diverse landscapes. She also has developed accessible, nationwide, web-based tools to support evaluation and management of habitat for pollinators for both agriculture and conservation. I am so honored to be selected for this award and to have the importance of pollinators to our food and natural ecosystems recognized, Grozinger said. “Tackling pollinator declines requires an approach that crosses academic disciplines and engages stakeholders in a shared discovery process. The dynamic, creative and collaborative environment at Penn State really has made this work possible, and I am so excited to see where we will take this research in the future.
Bumble bees found in low-quality landscapes with a relative lack of spring flowers and quality nesting habitat had higher levels of disease pathogens, according to new research.
The researchers also found the same was the case for bumble bees in areas with higher numbers of managed honey bee hives.
The results of the study, which examined how a variety of environmental and landscape characteristics influence infectious disease prevalence and bee health, can be used to inform management practices to support the conservation of bee species that provide essential pollination services in natural and agricultural ecosystems, the researchers say.
“Recent worldwide declines in wild and managed bee populations have been attributed to several factors,” says lead author, DJ McNeil, postdoctoral fellow in the Insect Biodiversity Center in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. “For example, extensive habitat loss and degradation has led to a lack of flowers and nest sites, wh
Findings could inform management practices aimed at conserving wild bee populations
Researchers found that bumble bees in landscapes that lacked quality nesting sites and spring flowers for forage had higher levels of pathogens. Their results can inform management practices to support the conservation of bee species that provide essential pollination services, they said.
Image: David Cappaert, Bugwood.org
Study: Bumble bees lacking high-quality habitat have higher pathogen loads
Chuck Gill
December 21, 2020
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. Bumble bees found in low-quality landscapes characterized by a relative lack of spring flowers and quality nesting habitat had higher levels of disease pathogens, as did bumble bees in areas with higher numbers of managed honey bee hives, according to research led by Penn State scientists.