Bee diversity and pollination services in dynamic heterogeneous landscapes

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Understanding key drivers that alter or enhance biodiversity and ecosystem functions have profound impacts on how we manage cities for conservation, food security, and human health and well-being. Cities are unique: they are heterogeneous patchworks of landscape and infrastructure that change over time, at different spatial scales and intensities (termed dynamic' heterogeneity). Unfortunately, our knowledge of how to manage biodiversity and ecosystem functions in cities is predominantly based on studies in agricultural and natural areas. As urbanization alters the global environment, finding links between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning is critical if we are to ensure the long-term sustainability of cities for people and wildlife.The primary objective of my research program is to develop predictive tools for interpreting impacts of urbanization and heterogeneity on biodiversity and ecosystem functions, by linking patterns in wild bee diversity, bee-flower-microbe interactions, pollination services, and food production in cities. Bees are essential pollinators in almost all terrestrial environments, and pollination is a critical ecosystem function that sustains flowering plants, including many edible crops. We will determine: i) which bee species are present and where, across seasons and years, in Canada's largest city, ii) which bees are most effective at pollinating target urban food crops and native plants, iii) how bee communities assemble (including any underlying functional or phylogenetic patterns) across a city, and, iv) develop predictive in-city distribution models for target wild bee species, communities, and pollination services in an era of rapid urbanization and climate change.Since biodiversity generally declines with urbanization, but increases with dynamic heterogeneity, we are interested in teasing apart these effects on patterns in wild bee diversity and pollination services using a suite of experiments and surveying at 80 permanent green spaces across the city that encompass a range of environmental conditions. We hypothesize that bee diversity will i) decrease with urbanization, but ii) increase with dynamic heterogeneity, which will result in greater iii) connectance in bee-flower-microbe networks, iv) pollination service delivery, and v) crop yield.The program will kick-off what will amount to a 30+ year research plan that will make clear, verifiable connections between bee diversity, pollination, and urban agriculture. The program will provide opportunities for practitioners in cities in Canada and around the world to restore, enhance and sustain wild bee populations and pollination services. More broadly, the program will be a catalyst in demonstrating the critical role of ecologists and ecological knowledge in solving the problems that cities face today and tomorrow.