Undergraduate Thesis Or Project

 

Influence of flower native status, color, and morphology on visiting preferences of bees in riparian areas of eastern Oregon Public Deposited

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https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/undergraduate_thesis_or_projects/qv33rz26w

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  • Effectively restoring or conserving bee habitat requires a better understanding of the complex relationship between bees and flowering plants, but information about bee preferences is currently lacking. The purpose of this study was to examine bee-plant associations in a riparian area of Starkey Experimental Forest and Range (Starkey) in eastern Oregon. Our objectives were to determine which blooming plants were most attractive to bees, and examine whether the species composition of bee visitors differed depending on a plant’s flower color, morphology, or status as native or non-native. This research was part of a larger, multidisciplinary project evaluating the effectiveness of riparian restoration within Starkey. We found that different plant species were associated with different communities of bee visitors, but neither native status nor flower color significantly affected visiting bee species composition. The average number of bees visiting native and introduced plant species also did not differ significantly. However, flower morphology did influence the types of bees visiting each plant species. Bilaterally symmetrical flowers, with nectar and pollen typically more difficult to reach, tended to be associated with larger bees with longer tongues. In contrast, small, easily accessible flowers in the Asteraceae family attracted smaller bees with shorter tongues. Our results suggest that certain plants will be particularly useful for supporting an abundant and diverse bee community and that providing diversity in the morphology of blooming plants is a key factor to consider when restoring riparian areas for bee pollinators.
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