Bee Monitoring on Target Plants in Urban California and Urban Costa Rica

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Bee Monitoring on Target Plants in Urban
California and Urban Costa Rica

• Gordon Frankie1
• Robbin Thorp1
• S.B. Vinson2
• Terry Griswold3

1 University of California, CA 2 Texas A M
University, TX 3 USDA-ARS Bee Biol./Systematics,
Utah State Univ., Logan UT
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Concept

• Many plant spp. known to attract predictable
  groups of bee spp.
• If diverse plant spp. and their diverse bee spp.
  are monitored at specific sites, info on bee
  diversity and abundance trends can be generated
  through time
• Urban areas focus where target plants can be
  easily monitored. Plant predictability/stability
  important

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Goals

• Develop simple monitoring methods for tracking
  diversity and population trends of bees through
  time
• Explore outreach avenues for putting urban bee
  info into practical use

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Study Sites

• CA seven cities

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Study Sites

• Costa Rica Two cities in northwest

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Methods

• Select Target Plant Species. Each has
  predictable groups of bee spp. visitors.
• Baseline information important

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Monitor Target Plant Species thru Time

• Conduct bee frequency counts (visitation) on
  Target Plants during optimal climatic and plant
  conditions
• a. warm temps.
• b. little or no wind
• c. high air pressure
• d. vigorous flowering
• e. peak periods of pollen/nectar flow

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Frequency Counts

• 1.5m x 1.5m flower patches observed for 3 min.
  to record bee visits
• Follow counts with bee collections. ID later.
• Methods provides diversity and abundance info

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Methods cont.

• Method designed to be simple for professionals,
  univ. students, and trained citizen scientists
  and teachers
• Diverse urban gardens work best

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Ukiah, California
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Sacramento, California
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Some Uses

• California 31 target ornamental plant spp.
  mostly non-natives monitored reduce to 17-18
  species in future
• Bee spp. diversity high in most cities

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Agapostemon texanus
Melissodes sp.
Hylaeus sp.
Megachile perihirta
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Bee Species from 7 Surveyed Cities

• Location Families Genera Species
• Ukiah 5 24 67
• Berkeley 5 25 82
• Santa Barbara 5 19 60
• La Canada 5 28 73

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Effects of Local Climate Change

• Drought CA into second year of dryness
• 2006 Rainfall normal Bee diver./abund. high
• 2007 Drought begins first signs of bee decline
• 2008 Drought continues bee decline obvious

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Some Results Cont.

• Costa Rica
• High of ornamental plants are native to CR.
  Allows for comparative studies of urban vs.
  adjacent wildlands
• 22 Target plant species reduce to 12-13 in
  future

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Currently 2003-2008

• Many native urban plants have same or similar bee
  diversity and abundance as conspecifics in wild
  areas
• A few have more a few less

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Other Uses, Implications

• Outreach value Interest high among variety of
  urban audiences
• Master Gardeners
• Arboreta and botanic gardens
• Native plant groups
• Garden clubs
• Plant nurseries
• Schools, teachers, kids (K-7th grade)
• Website info

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Scientific Inquiry

• Recognizing urban areas as habitats for
  pollinators
• Urban areas as genetic reserves for pollinators,
  esp. bees
• Jennifer Owen (1991) The Ecology of a Garden
  the first 15 years Cambridge