Our research focuses broadly on plant-pollinator interactions in a changing world, with a particular focus on native bees.
Impacts of climate change on plant-pollinator mutualisms
Climate change is one of the leading drivers of biodiversity loss worldwide, and we know from a number of studies that climate warming has caused mismatches between the activity timeframes of plants and their pollinators. But how do other aspects of climate change--i.e., increased climate instability and increased frequency of extreme climate events (such as drought)--impact pollinator populations and the pollination services they render? We will address these questions using field and laboratory experiments and long-term monitoring of natural pollinator populations.
Impacts of non-native species on plant-pollinator mutualisms
Non-native species are present in almost all ecosystems bordering human activities, and exert various negative and positive impacts on the native biota. We are particularly interested in the impact of the western honey bee (Apis mellifera), a globally important introduced pollinator, on the ecology and evolution of native plants and pollinators. We will elucidate the local determinants and consequences of feral and managed honey bee abundance by surveying the diverse ecoregions of Oklahoma. We are also interested in how non-native plant species are being integrated into plant-pollinator interaction networks in different ecological settings. What are the circumstances in which they need to be most aggressively controlled, and are there instances in which they should be tolerated as function-contributing members of "novel ecosystems"?
Non-native species are present in almost all ecosystems bordering human activities, and exert various negative and positive impacts on the native biota. We are particularly interested in the impact of the western honey bee (Apis mellifera), a globally important introduced pollinator, on the ecology and evolution of native plants and pollinators. We will elucidate the local determinants and consequences of feral and managed honey bee abundance by surveying the diverse ecoregions of Oklahoma. We are also interested in how non-native plant species are being integrated into plant-pollinator interaction networks in different ecological settings. What are the circumstances in which they need to be most aggressively controlled, and are there instances in which they should be tolerated as function-contributing members of "novel ecosystems"?
Managing native pollinators for agricultural pollination
Crop fields and orchards often support diverse pollinator communities either directly through the crop, or through the landscape context associated with the crops. In turn, these pollinator communities have been shown to provide a substantial amount of pollination services for the crops in question. What more can we be doing to promote and stabilize populations of these crop-associated pollinators to enhance crop pollination? And how can we design agroecosystems to fulfill the dual role of supplying food for humans and providing habitat for pollinators? We will address these questions using various crop systems in Oklahoma and the surrounding states.
Managing native pollinators for agricultural pollination
Crop fields and orchards often support diverse pollinator communities either directly through the crop, or through the landscape context associated with the crops. In turn, these pollinator communities have been shown to provide a substantial amount of pollination services for the crops in question. What more can we be doing to promote and stabilize populations of these crop-associated pollinators to enhance crop pollination? And how can we design agroecosystems to fulfill the dual role of supplying food for humans and providing habitat for pollinators? We will address these questions using various crop systems in Oklahoma and the surrounding states.
Surveying and monitoring native pollinators in Oklahoma
As a member of the Oklahoma Biological Survey and the Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory, we are working to construct an inventory and distribution map of pollinator taxa within the state of Oklahoma, starting with native bees. To do so, we will combine standardized field surveys with community science partnerships to cover every county of Oklahoma. These baseline data, combined with subsequent monitoring, can then be used to address questions in each of the research topics above, as well as provide data on the species and habitats that are most in need of conservation intervention.
