Response of Wild Pollinator Assemblages to Management of Restored Wetlands in Central New York, USA
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SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Digital Commons @ ESF Dissertations and Theses Spring 4-28-2021 Response of Wild Pollinator Assemblages to Management of Restored Wetlands in Central New York, USA Molly Jacobson SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.esf.edu/etds Part of the Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons Recommended Citation Jacobson, Molly, "Response of Wild Pollinator Assemblages to Management of Restored Wetlands in Central New York, USA" (2021). Dissertations and Theses. 224. https://digitalcommons.esf.edu/etds/224 This Open Access Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ ESF. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ ESF. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. RESPONSE OF WILD POLLINATOR ASSEMBLAGES TO MANAGEMENT OF RESTORED WETLANDS IN CENTRAL NEW YORK, USA by Molly M. Jacobson A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Science Degree State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse, New York April 2021 Department of Environmental Biology Approved by: Melissa K. Fierke, co-Major Professor, Department Chair Michael L. Schummer, co-Major Professor Margaret Bryant, Chair, Examining Committee S. Scott Shannon, Dean, The Graduate School © 2021 Copyright M.M. Jacobson All rights reserved ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to give special thanks to my colleagues and acquaintances who made this research possible. Firstly, to Dr. Melissa Fierke for providing entomological expertise and the lab space and equipment to process and identify my thousands of specimens, and to Dr. Michael Schummer for his guidance on developing the methodology of the project, the revision process, and acquainting me with the ecology of the MWC. Thank you to Dr. Donald Leopold for imparting some of his vast botanical wisdom, and to Dr. Hyatt Green for his exceptional support and guidance in the statistical analysis process. Thank you to Frank Morlock, Linda Ziemba, Mark Benjamin, and Kristen Moore for their partnership in coordinating and informing sampling and outreach efforts. A huge thanks to my field techs – Scott Kostka, Nate Carlton, Dylan Mahalko, Jake Chronister, Gianna Losquadro, Brittnie Fleming, and Shianne Lindsay, without whom data collection would not have been possible. In addition, I would like to thank the NY Department of Environmental Conservation, Friends of Montezuma, Seneca Meadows Inc., Edna Bailey Sussman Foundation, Maurice M. & Annette B. Alexander Wetland Research Award, Leroy C. Stegeman Award in Invertebrate Ecology, Ducks Unlimited, Cargill Inc., Birds Canada, Eaton Birding Society, and Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society for their support and funding of this research. Thank you to the Danforth Lab at Cornell University for their assistance in validating identifications, and to Sam Droege for his guidance and insights as a master of melittofauna. Thank you to Norma Jean Young, who graciously tolerated me pinning bees on her kitchen table, Anna Brunner for building the study site map, and to Alexander Siddig for his generous moral support. Lastly, but most of all, thank you to my loving parents for being with me every step of the way. Your lifelong encouragement is what got me this far, and I could never repay that kindness enough. You are all the bees’ knees. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................... vii LIST OF APPENDICES .............................................................................................................. viii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER 1: Literature Review and Project Summary................................................................. 1 Importance and Ecology of Pollinating Insects........................................................................... 2 Drivers of Pollinator Declines ..................................................................................................... 4 Habitat Conservation for Pollinators ........................................................................................... 8 Wetland Restoration and Management ..................................................................................... 10 Potential Importance of Wetlands for Pollinators ..................................................................... 13 Project Summary and Objectives .............................................................................................. 14 CHAPTER 2: Response of Wild Bee Assemblages to Management of Restored Wetlands in Central New York, USA ............................................................................................................... 15 ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................. 16 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 17 METHODS................................................................................................................................ 20 Study Area.............................................................................................................................. 20 Vegetation Sampling .............................................................................................................. 22 Pollinator Sampling ............................................................................................................... 23 Specimen Preparation ........................................................................................................... 25 Statistical Analysis ................................................................................................................. 26 RESULTS.................................................................................................................................. 30 Wild Bee Assemblages ........................................................................................................... 30 Plant-pollinator Interactions ................................................................................................. 31 Vegetative & Environmental Characteristics of Drawdowns ............................................... 33 Response of Wild Bees and Floral Resources to Wetland Management ............................... 34 DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................................... 36 Wild Bee Diversity & Ecology at Restored Wetlands............................................................ 36 Species & Patterns of Note ................................................................................................ 37 Floral Resources................................................................................................................. 41 Influence of Management on Wild Bees and Floral Resources ............................................. 45 iv Efficacy of Drawdown Treatments .................................................................................... 45 Response of Plant and Bee Assemblages to Treatments and the Wetland Environment .. 47 FIGURES AND TABLES ........................................................................................................ 52 CHAPTER 3: Diversity and Plant-Pollinator Interactions of Flower Flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) in Restored Wetlands in Central New York, USA ....................................................................... 87 ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................. 88 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 89 METHODS................................................................................................................................ 91 RESULTS & DISCUSSION ..................................................................................................... 93 TABLES AND FIGURES ........................................................................................................ 98 CHAPTER 4: Evaluation of Research Objectives and Broad Implications ............................... 104 Evaluation of Research Objectives ......................................................................................... 105 Broad Implications .................................................................................................................. 109 Recommendations for Future Study ........................................................................................ 111 LITERATURE CITED ............................................................................................................... 114 APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................ 132 CURRICULUM VITA ..............................................................................................................