CHARACTERIZING BEE POLLINATION NETWORKS IN DIVERSIFIED AGRICULTURAL SETTINGS USING EDNA AND METAGENETICS

The primary goals of this project are to develop planting strategies for growers to enhance muskmelon pollination based on pollination network data and to develop my professional and scientific skills. I selected muskmelon as a focal crop for this project, as it is entirely dependent on insect pollination for fruit production and it is an economically important crop for diversified specialty growers. The goals of this project aim to aid growers by providing sustainable recommendations to protect against yield losses from insufficient pollination, a growing concern for producers as pollinator declines continue. I will achieve these goals using three objectives: Objective 1) Identify bee communities associated with muskmelon in farms along a gradient of crop diversity; Objective 2) Identify additional flowering crops as well as non-crop flowering plants associated with bee pollinators of muskmelon; and Objective 3) Develop planting recommendations to support muskmelon pollination.In Objective 1, I will collect bee specimens and eDNA samples to identify the bee pollinators associated with muskmelon during muskmelon bloom. The use of multiple collection methods, as well as the addition of eDNA samples, will ensure that species that often evade capture using only one method are properly represented. I will identify these specimens using both morphological and molecular techniques. In Objective 2, I will sample bees and eDNA from other nearby crops and non-production flowering plants to identify what plants are being visited by the muskmelon pollinators identified in Objective 1 . I will sample bees directly from flowers to record visitation data, as well as collecting pollen for identification from bee specimens collected using passive trapping methods (pan traps). Sampling will occur before, during, and after muskmelon bloom, so that I can identify plants that will support pollinators throughout their active season. The combination of these methods will allow us to gather data on flowering plants visited for both pollen and nectar for the creation of a robust plant-pollinator network. In Objective 3, I will synthesize the data collected in the first two objectives to identify the bee pollinators of muskmelon, and the other plants they interact with within the landscape. I will identify flowering crops other than muskmelon that are visited for pollen and nectar that can be planted alongside muskmelon for mutual pollination benefit. I will also identify the non-production plants that share bee visitors with muskmelon to recommend for planting in non-cropped areas such as field margins and hedgerows. The use of both molecular and non-molecular techniques in the first two objectives will guarantee that plant-bee network is able to be constructed and Objective 3 can be completed, even if higher-risk molecular methods do not produce satisfactory data. However, success in molecular methods would provide a framework for less destructive sampling methodologies for future researchers. These objectives will achieve the second goal of professional development by providing an experimental and mentoring framework to develop necessary skills. The objectives listed above will utilize a combination of methods, including cutting-edge molecular techniques, that will allow me to gain vital experience in molecular data generation and analysis. One of these methods, eDNA, has only begun to be explored in pollinator research and this project would allow for its field utility to be tested. These methods will also include further development of my existing skills in field data collection, experimental design, and morphological specimen identification. In addition to these research skills, I will have the opportunity to develop teaching, outreach, and extension skills by leading workshops for other researchers, educating the public by partnering with local organizations, and presenting my research to local grower organizations.