Evaluating How Wetland Presence And
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EVALUATING HOW WETLAND PRESENCE AND RESTORATION EFFECTS LANDSCAPE AND RESOURCE USE OF POLLINATOR COMMUNITIES IN AN AGRICULTURAL MATRIX By CYNTHIA N. PARK Bachelor of Science in Natural Resource Ecology and Management Oklahoma State University Stillwater, Oklahoma 2013 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE July, 2017 EVALUATING HOW WETLAND PRESENCE AND RESTORATION EFFECTS LANDSCAPE AND RESOURCE USE OF POLLINATOR COMMUNITIES IN AN AGRICULTURAL MATRIX Thesis Approved: Dr. Loren Smith Thesis Adviser Dr. Scott McMurry Dr. Kristopher Giles ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I have a great deal of appreciation for those who have made this project possible. Thank you to my advisor, Dr. Loren Smith, for the guidance, support, and understanding provided to me over the years. I would also like to thank my committee members, Scott McMurry and Kris Giles for their feedback and input on my research. Further, my fellow Smith/McMurry lab members, Dale Daniel and Jonathan Harris, have been invaluable in helping me navigate graduate school. Lisa Overall was critical in identifying tens of thousands of insects, and I could not have done this without her help. Additionally, the statistical help from Justin Dee cannot be understated. He has spent countless hours helping me understand everything from data management to statistical programing. I would like to make a very special thank you to Angie Begosh. Without her constant reassurance, mentorship, and steady supply of craft beer I do not know how I would have accomplished what I have. There are countless individuals from Nebraska Game and Parks Commission who have helped me during my field work in Nebraska. Ted LaGrange and Randy Stutehit, were my go-to guys in Nebraska for answering any and all questions (even help on how to get a truck unstuck) with nothing but help and a friendly word. Gerry Steinhauer was invaluable in helping me identify unknown plants from questionable plant presses. He was also kind enough to join me in the field and share his seemingly endless supply of garden vegetables. A big thank you to Bob Meduna and Theron Martin at the Sacramento-Wilcox Wildlife Management Area. They put up with me for 14 months, checked on us during storms, provided everything we could possibly need, and tilled a garden for me in the front yard. Bob and Theron were both incredibly gracious, and I can’t thank them enough for everything you did those two years. This project could not have been possible without the wonderful technicians that were with me on this journey. We were fueled on sunscreen, ice cream, and NPR. Thank you, Lydia Horne, for sharing your books and eating more zucchini than I know you wanted. Dylan Cleary, thank you for being an incredible friend, my technician when I needed you, and an endless amount of joy. Sam Stroebel and Tenzing, for being great roommates and always keeping a positive attitude. Thank you to Nebraska Game and Parks Commission for the field trucks and housing provided. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Funk, NE, thank you for housing, support, and site access. And finally, this research could not have been possible without the funding provided by the Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7, Lenexa, KS. We are very grateful. iii Acknowledgements reflect the views of the author and are not endorsed by committee members or Oklahoma State University. Name: CYNTHIA PARK Date of Degree: JULY, 2017 Title of Study: EVALUATING HOW WETLAND PRESENCE AND RESTORATION EFFECTS LANDSCAPE AND RESOURCE USE OF POLLINATOR COMMUNITIES IN AN AGRICULTURAL MATRIX Major Field: ZOOLOGY Abstract: Pollination is critical for ensuring biodiversity and human food supplies. However, wild pollinator populations are declining due to fragmentation and loss of habitat. These concerns are apparent in the Rainwater Basin of Nebraska, where more than 90% of the region has been cultivated. The small number of playa wetlands and their adjacent uplands present in this region are the only natural habitat available for pollinators. My objective was to document wild pollinating insects in south-central Nebraska and observe how they utilize the landscape for habitat and food resources. I used blue vane traps to passively collect insects and insect nets to obtain actual habitat and foraging information from April through October in 2014 and 2015. I compared pollinator abundance, richness, and diversity by insect order in wetlands and uplands within three land uses: cropland, reference condition, and restored sites implemented through the Wetlands Reserve Program. Net data for dominant pollinating families were analyzed using a Principle Response Curve to observe the effects of land use, watershed position, and dominant food plant on foraging habits. Additionally, vegetation data were collected using the step-point intercept method to determine differences in plant community among land uses. Dominant plant species were analyzed using a Partial Canonical Correspondence Analysis. Numerous insect orders were collected, but bees were dominant. Trap data showed bees used restored and reference uplands over wetlands and croplands, most likely due to nesting resources only being available in watershed grasslands. Net collections showed bees foraged more in wetlands than uplands, especially in wetlands that have undergone restoration. However, in September, bees foraged in uplands and crop wetlands more than restored or reference wetlands in order to feed on late season forbs. Apidae exhibited strong associations with smartweeds and goldenrods in late summer, neither of which were associated with restored sites. To ensure viable pollinator communities throughout the growing season, restoration practices should provide more diverse wetland flora and additional late season upland forbs than is being currently provided. Additional pollinating orders discussed include Diptera, Coleoptera, and Lepidoptera. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................ iii LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................... vii LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER I: Introduction .............................................................................................. 1 CHAPTER II: Melittofauna and other potential pollinators in wetlands and uplands in south central Nebraska .............................................................................................. 11 Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... 11 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 12 Materials and methods ............................................................................................................... 14 Results ....................................................................................................................................... 17 Discussion .................................................................................................................................. 21 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 26 Tables and figures ...................................................................................................................... 34 CHAPTER III: Effects of wetland presence and upland land use on wild pollinator communities in south central Nebraska ........................................................................ 54 Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... 54 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 56 Materials and methods ............................................................................................................... 61 Results ....................................................................................................................................... 65 Discussion .................................................................................................................................. 79 Conclusion and recommendations ............................................................................................. 90 Literature cited ........................................................................................................................... 93 Tables and figures ...................................................................................................................... 97 CHAPTER IV: Influence of restoration and wetland presence on pollinator communities and their use of vegetation in an agricultural matrix ......................... 129 Abstract .................................................................................................................................... 129 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 130 Materials and methods ............................................................................................................