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EFFECTS OF INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES ON NATIVE BEE COMMUNITIES IN THE SOUTHERN GREAT PLAINS.
Author
OBrien, Kaitlin M.
Baum, Kristen A.
Folts-Zettner, Tomyeanne
Bennetts, Robert
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2017
Body

The worldwide decline of native insect pollinators is of growing concern, as well as the decrease in populations of many flowering forbs. In the southern Great Plains region of the United States, grasslands are one of the most important habitats for providing resources to pollinators. Non-native and invasive plant species can alter grassland plant communities, although it is not clear how invasive plants affect native bee populations and communities. We evaluated native and invasive floral resource availability and the composition of the native bee community across a gradient of invasion levels for three common invasive plants in the southern Great Plains, including�Kochia scoparia,�Salsola�spp., and�Convolvulus arvensis. Study sites were located within four National Parks, with approximately 10 plots representing the gradient of invasion levels sampled at each park, for a total of 40 plots. Pan traps were used to assess the native bee community and both native and non-native plant species and cover classes were recorded for each plot. Regression models were used to evaluate how the bee community (richness and abundance) responds to invasive plant species cover, with a separate analysis performed for each invasive species, as well as a combination of�Kochia scoparia�and�Salsola�spp., which commonly occur together. Preliminary results suggest grasslands with no or low levels of invasive species support higher bee species abundance and richness. Plots with a higher density of�Kochia scoparia�showed reduced native bee abundance and richness. Responses to plots containing significant densities of�Salsola�spp., or�Convolvulus arvensis�are less clear. Possible factors contributing to the observed patterns could be the lack of floral resources from invasive plants (e.g.,�Kochia scoparia), which do not require insect pollination, and reduced abundance and diversity of native forbs. This study suggests that invasive plant species control is important for improving grassland habitat for wildlife, specifically native bees.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Conference Name
SRM St. George, UT
Collection
SRM Annual Meeting Abstracts