Acknowledgments: Project Train and University of Montana for supporting this project. We thank you P

1
Pollinators Foraging through Infested Noxious
Weeds and Natural Ecosystem
Felix Nez,
Environmental Studies, University of Montana,
Missoula, MT Dr Penny Kukuk, Research Professor,
Division of Biological Sciences. University of
Montana, Missoula, MT
Abstract In this research, we identified bee pol
linators foraging through three sites in Western
Montana. Two of the sites are infested by noxious
weeds and one site a natural ecosystem. The
numbers of families of bees collected at these
sites was greatest in the least weed infested
location.
Introduction In recent years numbers of bee polli
nators has declined due to human disturbance of
natural ecosystems. The diversity of bees has
also changed due to disturbance such as urban
development, disturbance due to agriculture, use
of pesticides and introduction of alien species
such as honeybees (Kearns Inouye, 1997). This
research was to see if noxious weed infestation
reduces the number or diversity of bee
pollinators. Restoration management needs to know
more about pollinators of native plants in order
to restore an ecosystem. We tested the
hypothesis that areas with high weed levels would
have fewer bees and fewer families and genera of
bees.
Discussion and Conclusions In weed infested areas
the number of pollinating bee families and
genera is reduced compared to a natural
ecosystem. Many introduced honey bees were foragi
ng in two of the sites (Bandy Ranch and Water
Works Hill). The competition of pollinators
between native and introduced bee needs to be
investigate more in Western Montana. In 2003
Montana had 145 colonies of bees and produced
9,570,000 pounds of honey (the 6th largest honey
producer in the United States, www.nass.usda.gov/m
t/) which might explain the high foraging numbers
of honey bees, but this would need further
research. There is a lack of information about th
e diversity and presence of bee species in the
state as a whole and Western Montana in
particular.

• Results
• Waterworks Hill had infestation of Sulfur
  cinquefoil, some Dalmation Toadflax and some
  Knapweeds. Most of the common visitors were
  Apidae, Apis Halictidae, Lasioglossum
  Halictidae, Halictus. The most common flower
  visited was the Sulfur Cinquefoil, some Toadflax,
  some Knapweed.
• Mt Sentinel had some Sulfur Cinquefoil,
  Dalmation Toadflax, Leafy Spruge, Knapweed, St.
  Johnswort, Oxeye Daisy, Yarrow, Lupine, Arrow
  Leaved Balsamroot. The common visitors were
  Halictidae, Lasioglossum Halictidae, Halictus
  and Apidae, Apis. The common flower visited was
  Sulfur Cinquefoil, Lupine, some Toadflax, and
  some Leafy Spruge.
• Brandy Ranch had little Sulfur Cinquefoil, no
  Toadflax, no Leafy Spruge, no Knapweed. There
  were more flowering species and some of the
  species I collected were Clarkia Pulchella,
  Alpine Arnica, Northern Alpine Aster, Purple
  Penstemon, Blanket Flower, Lance Leaved
  Stonecrop. The common visitors Apiade, Apis
  Halictidae, Lasioglossum Halictidae, Halictus
  Megachilidae, Megachile. The pollinators visited
  most of the flowers that were purple, blue,
  violet, and red colors.
• Based on the estimates of weed infestation from
  Foote (2001, Figure 2) The numbers of families
  from each site differed (Figure 1). The number
  of genera collected at each site also decreased
  with increased presence of weeds Table 1).

Figure 1
References Charles D. Michener, Ronald J. McGin
ley, and Bryan N. Danforth. 1994. The Bee Genera
of North and Central America. Washington and
London. Smithsonian Institution Press.
Christopher OToole Anthony Raw.1991. Bees of
The World. New York, Oxford. Blandford
Publishing. Kearns, Carol Ann, Inouye, David Will
iam. 1997. Pollinators, flowering plants, and
conservation biology. BioScience v.47 p. 297-307
Charles D. Michener. 2000. The Bees of the World.
Baltimore and London. The Johns Hopkins
University Press. Ronald J. Taylor. 1992. Sageb
rush Country. Mountain Press, Missoula.
Linda Kershaw, Andy MacKinnon and Jim Pojar 1998.
Plants of the Rocky Mountains. Lone Pine
Publishing, Edmonton Canada.

• Materials and Methods
• I collected bees from Waterworks Hill, Mt
  Sentinel and Bandy Ranch. I marked out two acre
  plots from all three sites and collected all
  species within the marked area. I used an insect
  net to collect all bees that were actively
  pollinating flowers. I collected for six hours
  from 9am -3pm and recorded when the pollinator
  was collected (time and date)and species of
  flower it pollinated. I also collected plant
  samples.
• Took all my collected samples back to the lab
  where I identified all pollinators and flowers. I
  used Michener et. al. (1994) and Michener
  (2000). To identify the flowers I used Taylor
  (1992) and Kenshaw et al. (1998).
• Bees were pinned, labeled and stored black
  boxes. Flowers were also label and placed into a
  plant compressor.

Acknowledgments Project Train and University of
Montana for supporting this project. We thank you
Penny Kukuk, Patricia Hurley, Candace Tucker,
Samantha Grant
Figure 2
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