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ARS Home » Northeast Area » University Park, Pennsylvania » Pasture Systems & Watershed Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #392421
Research Project: Sustainable Intensification of Crop and Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems at Multiple Scales

Location: Pasture Systems & Watershed Management Research

Title: Bees like trees: past and future trends in forest composition and implications for pollinators

Author
item KAMMERER, MELANIE - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)
item IVERSON, AARON - Lawrence University
item LI, KEVIN - University Of Michigan
item Goslee, Sarah

Submitted to: Ecological Society of America Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/3/2022
Publication Date: 8/15/2022
Citation: Kammerer, M., Iverson, A.L., Li, K., Goslee, S.C. 2022. Bees like trees: past and future trends in forest composition and implications for pollinators [abstract]. Ecological Society of America Proceedings. p. 1.

Interpretive Summary: No Interpretive Summary is required for this Abstract Only. JLB.

Technical Abstract: Background/Methods/Question: Wild bee communities provide pollination for crops and non-agricultural plants and require adequate nutrition for reproduction, learning, and memory. Forests, specifically forest trees, have only recently been recognized as an important source of early-season pollen and nectar. To our knowledge, there are no studies quantifying trends in forest flowering in the Northeast USA, especially at landscape and regional scales. To quantify spatio-temporal patterns in forest flowers, we coupled empirical estimates of bloom density and flower size with forest composition data from the United States Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (USFS FIA) program. Results/Conclusions: We documented spatial variation in abundance of flowers and diversity of flowering trees in forests (2005-2019) and found relatively little change in the total area of flowers from forest trees in the Northeast. Based on USFS projections of future suitable habitat for forest trees, we estimated forest flowers circa 2100 and identified tree species that are likely winners and losers of future climate conditions. We highlight implications of climate change for forest tree-pollinator interactions and showcase the utility of the extensive FIA monitoring program to map forest flowers for bees and inform decisions about conservation, restoration, and management.