Welcome to the Hung pollinator lab at the University of Oklahoma! We seek to understand the impacts of environmental change on plant-pollinator mutualisms and to quantify the consequences of such impacts on biodiversity conservation and ecosystem function. To that end, we apply techniques from various disciplines of biology to our studies in both natural and human-modified ecosystems. Currently, research topics at the forefront of the lab include impacts of climate change and invasive species on pollinator and plant ecology and evolution, pollinator conservation in the Great Plains, and refining techniques for effective monitoring of pollinator populations.
As a member of the Oklahoma Biological Survey and the Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory, we are also working to construct an inventory and distribution map of pollinator taxa within the state of Oklahoma, starting with native bees.
Lab News
12/2022
Israel Lugo was awarded a research fellowship by the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity to conduct his ENST research project! Congratulations Israel!
11/2022
Welcome to the lab, Israel Lugo! Israel's Environmental Studies Independent Research project will follow up on Tori's work on blooming resources available to pollinators in the early spring, with a special focus on butterfly and moths.
Also, our opinion piece on why YOU should contribute to iNaturalist as an identifier is published in PLOS Biology!
10/2022
Brooke Haden was awarded an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program research grant by the Honors College to conduct her honors thesis research! Congratulations Brooke!
09/2022
Mary collected the rare and elusive Cemolobus ipomoeae longhorn bee at one of our study sites--a new state record and one of the westernmost sightings of this species, and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation wrote a press piece about this great discovery! Congratulations Mary!
08/2022
Welcome to the lab, Sam O'Dell! Sam's PhD research will investigate plant-pollinator interactions in various ecosystems in Oklahoma.
Also welcome again to Brooke Haden! Brooke has been volunteering at the lab and has returned to us to pursue a senior honors thesis! Brooke will investigate how mowing of Symphyotrichum asters in urban lawns influences the timing and quantity of flower production for late-fall pollinators.
07/2022
Our study investigating the attractiveness of a set of common landscaping plants to pollinators in Southern California is published in Environmental Entomology!
04/2022
Welcome to the lab, Mary Powley! As a field and laboratory technician, Mary will traverse the state surveying bees and other pollinators, liaison with habitat managers, and oversee processing and curation of specimens and data in the lab.
03/2022
Tori Wierzchowski was awarded an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program research grant by the Honors College to conduct her honors thesis research! Congratulations Tori!
01/2022
Welcome to the lab, Lauren Casillas-Rosenfelt! Lauren's Master's research will investigate the ecosystem multifunctionality of two "human-made" habitats found in urban landscapes--Bermuda grass lawns and pollinator gardens.
10/2021
Welcome to the lab, Tori Wierzchowski! Tori's senior honors thesis research will investigate how early-spring pollinators use ornamental and native blooms in urban landscapes.
Also, our study investigating how communities of seeded "pollinator-friendly" plants shifted with time in restored grasslands is published in Ecological Applications!
09/2021
Our study investigating heterospecific pollen transport between an island-endemic buckwheat and the non-native fennel is published in Biological Invasions!
As a member of the Oklahoma Biological Survey and the Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory, we are also working to construct an inventory and distribution map of pollinator taxa within the state of Oklahoma, starting with native bees.
Lab News
12/2022
Israel Lugo was awarded a research fellowship by the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity to conduct his ENST research project! Congratulations Israel!
11/2022
Welcome to the lab, Israel Lugo! Israel's Environmental Studies Independent Research project will follow up on Tori's work on blooming resources available to pollinators in the early spring, with a special focus on butterfly and moths.
Also, our opinion piece on why YOU should contribute to iNaturalist as an identifier is published in PLOS Biology!
10/2022
Brooke Haden was awarded an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program research grant by the Honors College to conduct her honors thesis research! Congratulations Brooke!
09/2022
Mary collected the rare and elusive Cemolobus ipomoeae longhorn bee at one of our study sites--a new state record and one of the westernmost sightings of this species, and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation wrote a press piece about this great discovery! Congratulations Mary!
08/2022
Welcome to the lab, Sam O'Dell! Sam's PhD research will investigate plant-pollinator interactions in various ecosystems in Oklahoma.
Also welcome again to Brooke Haden! Brooke has been volunteering at the lab and has returned to us to pursue a senior honors thesis! Brooke will investigate how mowing of Symphyotrichum asters in urban lawns influences the timing and quantity of flower production for late-fall pollinators.
07/2022
Our study investigating the attractiveness of a set of common landscaping plants to pollinators in Southern California is published in Environmental Entomology!
04/2022
Welcome to the lab, Mary Powley! As a field and laboratory technician, Mary will traverse the state surveying bees and other pollinators, liaison with habitat managers, and oversee processing and curation of specimens and data in the lab.
03/2022
Tori Wierzchowski was awarded an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program research grant by the Honors College to conduct her honors thesis research! Congratulations Tori!
01/2022
Welcome to the lab, Lauren Casillas-Rosenfelt! Lauren's Master's research will investigate the ecosystem multifunctionality of two "human-made" habitats found in urban landscapes--Bermuda grass lawns and pollinator gardens.
10/2021
Welcome to the lab, Tori Wierzchowski! Tori's senior honors thesis research will investigate how early-spring pollinators use ornamental and native blooms in urban landscapes.
Also, our study investigating how communities of seeded "pollinator-friendly" plants shifted with time in restored grasslands is published in Ecological Applications!
09/2021
Our study investigating heterospecific pollen transport between an island-endemic buckwheat and the non-native fennel is published in Biological Invasions!
