The Revery Alone Won't Do: Fire, Grazing, and Other Drivers of Bee Communities in Remnant Tallgrass Prairie

Abstract

The bee community in Minnesota’s tallgrass prairie is doubly threatened. The conversion of prairie to agriculture and development has fragmented the landscape nearly beyond recognition. Over vast swathes of the state, single species exist in monocultures where once highly diverse grasslands grew. On top of this, bees across the continent face pressures from parasites, pathogens, and pesticides. The pockets of remnant prairie that persist are dependent on human-mediated disturbance. Grazing and burning, which can be seen as analogues to historic disturbance patterns, are effective and important tools in maintaining prairie health. Through this thesis, I seek to parse out the differing impacts of these two management techniques on bee communities and to explore how environmental characteristics impact the suite of traits bees display in remnant prairies.