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A FOUR YEAR STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF WILDFLOWER HABITAT ENRICHMENTS ON BOOSTING THE WILD BEE ABUNDANCE AND BEE DIVERSITY IN AGRICULTURAL AREAS OF COASTAL GEORGIA

Abstract

Native bees are a source of sustainable pollination. The honeybee, the main insect pollinator in commercial agriculture, has been in decline for more than 20 years. Thus, it is prudent to investigate alternatives to the honeybee to safeguard the human food supply. In the following study over a four-year period, wildflower enrichment strips were used to transform a large hayfield from a pollinator poor habitat with a few sweat bee species into a pollinator rich environment with abundant and diverse native bees. The purpose was to evaluate the use of wildflowers to boost wild bee abundance and diverse on the unused edges of commercial agricultural fields. It is hypothesized that experimental plots with wildflower strips and 30 blueberry bushes would have greater native bee abundances compared to control plots with 30 blueberry bushes and no wildflower strips. Experimental and control plots were separated by a forest. Experimental plots had wildflower enrichment strips on the edges of the plots. Over 20 species of wildflowers (e.g. Monarda punctata, Gaillardia aristata, Coreopsis lanceolata) were used and investigated for their potential to recruit wild bees. Plots were sampled 10-12 times a year using passive traps (pan trap, vane traps, and malaise traps) and active sampling (e.g. sweep netting). A significant shift in the wild bee abundance and diversity was observed. Sweat Bees (Genus Lasioglossum) declined from 89.5% in year 1 to 50.4% in year 3. While mining bees increased from 2.4% to 18.8% and blueberry bees increased from 1.7 % to 17.8% in year 3. Large-size and medium-size bees increased in both abundance and diversity during the study. Wildflower habitat enrichments were successful in transforming the pollinator community. The wildflowers were effective as they increased the number of native bees in the agricultural area. The diversity of wildflowers also brought in diverse bee species.

Acknowledgements

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) grants # OS22 -150 and OS 24 -172.

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