CAREER: Colonization, dispersal, and foraging ecology of native bees in human-altered landscapes

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Given widespread declines in managed and native pollinators and increasing global reliance on pollinator-dependent crops, there is an acute need to develop a mechanistic understanding of pollinator population dynamics. The proposed research utilizes population genetics, foraging ecology, and geospatial tools to develop the first spatially and temporally explicit population model for native pollinators. This is the type of fundamental research that will increase our understanding of ecosystem services provided by pollinators. Specifically, the research objectives of this project are: 1) measurement of land-use impacts on the nesting dynamics and effective population sizes of four critical pollinator species, 2) calculation of exact dispersal distances made by reproductive pollinators and resulting gene flow, 3) computation of maximum and average foraging range of pollinator species across time periods and resource distributions, and 4) creation of a spatially and temporally explicit pollinator population model. A diverse suite of tools will be utilized in the proposed research, including genetic-based and pollen-based foraging reconstruction, yielding one of the first methodologically comparative estimates of resource use and movement dynamics for pollinators.The proposed research provides a unique opportunity to build a highly relevant public outreach and education program in the heart of a rapidly urbanizing and agriculturally-dependent region in central Texas. The program will be carried out through a synergistic integration of research and teaching activities, including enhanced undergraduate involvement in the lab and field, collaboration with K-12 teachers, and development of a graduate-level course in landscape genetics. The proposed outreach efforts are oriented towards developing long-term connections between the university and community members, and include a Pollinator Biology public seminar series and a Citizen Science Pollinator Monitoring Workshop. The Principal Investigator of this award has experience in Citizen Science and will use the Monitoring Workshop as an opportunity to build science literacy within local urban and agricultural communities that are typically underrepresented in the STEM fields. The broader restoration-orientation application of this research is the development of mechanistically-informed land management strategies for improved conservation of pollinators and their critical role as ecosystem service providers.