University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Dissertations and Student Research in Entomology Entomology, Department of 8-2019 Promoting Bee Communities Through Habitat Enhancements On Public And Private Lands In Nebraska Kayla A. Mollet University of Nebraska-Lincoln Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/entomologydiss Part of the Entomology Commons Mollet, Kayla A., "Promoting Bee Communities Through Habitat Enhancements On Public And Private Lands In Nebraska" (2019). Dissertations and Student Research in Entomology. 59. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/entomologydiss/59 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Entomology, Department of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Student Research in Entomology by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. PROMOTING BEE COMMUNITIES THROUGH HABITAT ENHANCEMENTS ON PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LANDS IN NEBRASKA by Kayla A. Mollet A THESIS Presented to the FaCulty of The Graduate College at the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Master of SCience Major: Entomology Under the Supervision of Judy Wu-Smart Lincoln, Nebraska August 2019 PROMOTING BEE COMMUNITIES THROUGH HABITAT ENHANCEMENTS ON PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LANDS IN NEBRASKA Kayla A. Mollet, M.A. University of Nebraska, 2019 Advisor: Judy Wu-Smart Wild and managed bees are the most effeCtive pollinators, aCCounting for about 80% of the pollination of flowering plants and 75% of fruits, nuts, and vegetables in the United States (USDA, 2019; USFWS, 2019). An estimated 4,000 speCies of bees reside in North AmeriCa, the majority of whiCh are wild and unmanaged. Wild bee communities are critiCal for maintaining healthy eCosystems, as they sustain native flora that provides soil stability and habitat for other wildlife. In a changing landsCape, floral enhancements on privately and publiCly-owned lands may have great impaCt for improving habitat for pollinators aCross the United States. Planting diverse flowering vegetation on otherwise low-yielding farmland provides refuge for wildlife and can help conneCt fragmented habitats when combined with other conservation efforts. Further, planting pollinator- friendly native wildflowers on roadsides provides nutrient-riCh forage and nesting resources for bees and is aesthetiCally pleasing to humans. This thesis focuses on the impaCt of habitat enhancements on private agriCultural margins and publiC roadsides on wild bee Communities by reviewing the current literature on bee deCline and pollinator habitats (chapter 1), examining the effeCt of establishing Conservation habitats in private pivot-irrigated crop fields (chapter 2) and publiC roadsides (chapter 3), and synthesizing best management reCommendations and current available conservation programs for land owners and managers (chapter 4). In chapter 2, pivot Corners planted to habitat (HC) had signifiCantly higher bee abundance compared to all non-Corner locations as well as signifiCantly higher bee riChness compared to all non-Corner location in mid & late seasons. In chapter 3, conventional roadside seeding methods had lower abundance and riChness for forbs & bees Compared to wildflower only treatments. Roughly 50% of seeded forbs established during the first two years. Bee riChness on the roadside plots was highest in the late season, while forb abundance and riChness were highest in the mid- season. This research demonstrates that planting high diversity vegetation on underutilized and low-yielding farmland and roadsides can have positive impaCts on wild bee pollinator communities and further provides reCommendations on how to better manage these lands to promote and sustain wild bee communities. i Acknowledgements The work involved in creating this thesis could not have been done alone. I was fortunate to have amazing support from friends and family and an incredible team at the UNL Entomology Department. First, the entirety of this projeCt and my masters degree would not have been possible without the support, trust, guidance, and mentorship of my advisor, Dr. Judy Wu-Smart. Thank you, Dr. Wu-Smart, for your continued confidence, your positive outlook, and the endless knowledge of bees and sCientifiC guidance you shared with me during my program. I also want to give a speCial thanks to Dr. Julie Peterson for her mentorship and for bringing me to Nebraska and into a deeper study of entomology by way of hiring me as research teChnologist for her AgroeCosystems Entomology Lab in North Platte, Nebraska. I am ever grateful for the Continued support, mentorship, friendship and sCientifiC knowledge that Dr. Peterson imparted on me while working together in North Platte and as a valued committee member and PI of my chapter 2 study during my graduate program. I also thank my graduate committee member and co-PI for my chapter 2 study, Dr. Walter SChaCht, for his trust, guidance, endless botaniC and eCologiCal knowledge. Thank you, Dr. SChaCht, for letting me enter into your lab and learn about the eCology of the prairie from you and your amazing team. I am grateful to have worked with Jonathan Soper and Heidi Hillhouse, who were both integral in this projeCt. I also want to thank Tilly Duong for helping me with my vegetation surveys and data entry. A very speCial thank you goes to the funders and landowners that made these projeCts possible. Thank you to Mark Spurgin for his willingness to allow our team to research on his land and for his patience with and interest in the projeCt. Thank you to the Phesants Forever staff in North Platte that willingly helped make this projeCt possible. Thank you to Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) for funding the roadside pollinator habitat projeCt desCribed in Chapter 3. I want to thank Megan Carter, who all those years ago, enabled my first glimpse into the beautiful world of entomology by sharing her deep passion for and knowledge about inseCts. I also thank Elizabeth SChaCht for teaChing me about being a teChniCian for an entomology lab and for her passion for the natural world and her inspired study of inseCts and the land. I want to give a speCial thanks to the plant people who taught me so much about how to appreCiate, identify, and work with plants. To JessiCa Milby for helping me identify plants from my pivot corners study near North Platte, Nebraska. Thank you, JessiCa, for always showing me beautiful plants during our hikes and for your willingness to share you expertise in plant identifiCation with me. To Cheryl Dunn for sharing your immense knowledge of wildland plants with me and so many others on a continual basis and for the unending support you gave me towards the challenging end of my program. I also want to thank you, Cheryl, for willingly helping me with the statistiCal analysis of our roadside vegetation surveys and for your passion for doing things right. To Natalia Bjorklund, my dear friend and labmate, for helping me and our entire Bee Lab identify pollinator plants. Thank you for sharing your expertise in plants and bees and helping me ii understand the importance of studying both! Thank you, Natalia for your friendship and support throughout this program and beyond. I cannot thank the UNL Bee Lab enough for all the support and help provided to me throughout the years of my program. Dustin SCholl and Sheldon and Courtney Brummel, thank you so very much for keeping our lab running and on traCk. Your important work does not go unnotiCed and I have so much respeCt and gratitude for what you do. Thank you to all the undergraduates for all of your continued help, espeCially Whitney, Paula, and Shelby for helping me with my data entry and carrying out bumblebee surveys. Thank you to the graduate students Jennifer AlbreCht and Bridget Gross for your inspiring work as students and for always being willing to help with any projeCt or challenge. Thank you to my labmate, Surabhi Vakil for your immense support and friendship and help with field work and data entry on many ocCasions. Surabhi, I will be forever grateful for your positive outlook and constant willingness to help. To my labmate, Tugce KaraCoban, I Cannot express the gratitude I have for your friendship and support during my program. Tugce, thank you for spending many days colleCting bees with me on my roadside plots and for helping me get through many challenging moments with your incredibly strong mind, and for our enjoyable times traveling together for Conferences. A very speCial thanks goes out to Katie Lamke, a dear friend, roommate, labmate, and wild bee eCology and identifiCation expert! Thank you for always sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm of wild bees and their associated plants with me and our entire lab on so many ocCasions. Thank you for being so incredibly supportive during our program together. Without your help, support, and positive influence, espeCially as we pushed through the last months of our masters programs together, many pieCes of this projeCt and writing simply would not have been possible. I want to thank the Nebraska Department of Transportation staff, espeCially Carol Wienhold for supporting the roadside pollinator projeCt and for her willingness to help make this program go smoothly. Carol, thank you for always providing me with helpful information and for sharing your expertise and for your continued interest in pollinator habitat on Nebraska roadsides. I also want to thank K2 construction employees for planting our roadside plots and being so patient with our research team to get the sites planted correCtly. I want to thank the entire UNL Entomology Department including staff, students, and faCulty. I am espeCially grateful to, Ana Velez, Tom Weissling, Marissa Kemp, Jerri Cunningham, Marilyn Weidner, and Gary Brewer for your integral help and continued support. I also want to say a speCial thanks to Dr.