Browsing by Subject "Bees"
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Item Episode 9 Pollinators and IPM Part 1: Elaine Evans, Native Bee Expert: What's Killing My Kale?(2018-08-10) Klodd, Annie; Hoidal, Natalie; Evans, ElaineIn our August episode on pollinator and beneficial insect conservation as part of IPM, we talk with Extension educator and native bee expert Elaine Evans, and Xerces society conservation planner Karin Jokela. We'll discuss some background on how pollinators and beneficial insects are faring in our current agricultural systems, how farmers can implement beneficial habitat, and some tips for managing pests without harming beneficial insects.Item Land uses that support wild bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) communities within an agricultural matrix(2016-12) Evans, ElaineMy main aim in this thesis was to explore if there are habitat elements within the agricultural matrix that support bee diversity and abundance. I examined the influence of land-use on bee diversity in a predominantly agricultural landscape at sites varying in habitat thought to be bee-friendly, such as semi-natural lands, grasslands, and crops providing bee forage. I sought to determine whether and to what extent these potentially bee-friendly land uses support diverse bee communities. Bees found near crops not providing forage, including corn, soybean, and wheat, had less functional diversity. Bees found near semi-natural lands that contained flowers providing bee forage had increased functional diversity. Wooded areas were associated with increased bee species richness and bee abundance, and wetlands were associated with greater bee abundance. Crops providing bee forage were associated with increased bee species richness and diversity. Altering land management practices to promote retention and enhancement of these land uses will help support diverse wild bee communities within agricultural matrices. I also compared responses of wild bees and commercially managed honey bee colonies to bee-friendly land uses. Both honey bees and wild bees responded positively to semi-natural lands and crops providing bee forage. Examination of past and present bee and floral visitation records revealed a 16 to 30% loss of species richness. The bee genera Lasioglossum, Mellisodes, Halictus, and Ceratina increased in relative abundance more than 50%, while the genera Bombus, Megachile, and Colletes, decreased in relative abundance more than 65% and the genus Andrena decreased in relative abundance by 47%. The plant genera that received the most bee visits from 2010 to 2012 were Melilotus, Sonchus, and Cirsium, while the plants with the highest number of bee species visitors were Solidago, Cirsium, and Sonchus. The plant genera Zizia, Hydrophyllum, and Dalea all received more visitation in the past. This survey of flower visitors revealed a community in need of conservation with a remaining species pool to enable recovery given improvements in available habitat.Item Source, Fall-Winter 2014(University of Minnesota Extension, 2014) University of Minnesota ExtensionItem Source, Spring 2014(University of Minnesota Extension, 2014) University of Minnesota ExtensionItem A survey and historical comparison of the Megachilidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) of Itasca State Park, Minnesota(2013-09) Gardner, Joel DavidThe University of Minnesota Insect Collection holds a rich collection of bees from Itasca State Park, Minnesota, in 1937 and 1938. This collection formed the historical baseline data for comparison with a new survey conducted from 2011-2013. Bees were collected with timed net surveys and trap nests at eight different sites within the park. Megachilidae were the focal family for the current study, due to their importance as commercial pollinators and their unique nesting habits. Species richness and diversity of Megachilidae in the new survey were both significantly lower than that of the historical collection, and remained lower (but not significantly) when species accumulation curves were extrapolated to estimate the true species richness. Eleven species in the historical collection were not rediscovered, while three species not previously collected in Itasca State Park were found in 2011-13. Some possible explanations for this apparent decline are discussed.