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Assessing Botanical and Pollinator Communities in ROW Habitats
- 1. Assessing Botanical and Pollinator Communities in ROW Habitats Adam Baker, Davey Institute Scott Eikenbary, Davey Resource Group
- 2. Assessing the effects of IVM on pollinator and botanical communities in ROW habitats Adam M. Baker, PhD Davey Institute Technical Advisor, Pollinator Ecologist Adam.Baker@davey.com Scott Eikenbary Davey Resource Group Project Manager Scott.Eikenbary@davey.com
- 3. Program focus Introduction • Pollinator decline • ROW as habitat • IVM and pollinator habitat • Opportunities Methods • Butterfly counts • Bee counts • Veg counts • Habitat assessment • Pollinator Scorecard
- 4. Program focus Results • Butterfly counts • Bee counts • Veg counts • Pollinator Scorecard Discussion • Lessons learned • Future directions • Emphasis on training Conclusions
- 5. Pollinators are declining around the world!
- 6. Why are pollinators declining? Loss of habitat due to urbanization Climate change Parasites and pathogens Agricultural practices
- 7. Implications of pollinator decline
- 9. Monarch populations have declined over the past 25 years
- 10. Monarchs use special overwintering grounds Revealed to the world in August 1976 issue of National Geographic
- 11. All Hands on Deck! Contributions from all land use sectors are needed to restore enough milkweed
- 12. All hands on deck to plant milkweeds! Farm reserve lands Roadsides Rights-of-way Urban/suburban gardens
- 13. Row as habitat • Creates connectivity • Natural flyways • Migration/Highways • Invasive species • Pesticide exposure • Disease transmission ROWs have great potential for habitat
- 14. Benefits of IVM ● Ensure safety, compliance, and improved reliability ● Compatible plant communities managing vegetation, promoting biodiversity ● Environmental & ecological sustainability and improved habitat quality ● Reduced maintenance costs overtime ● Creating partnerships and positively impacting local communities
- 15. Long lasting management strategies ● Rights-of-ways become assets, not liabilities ● Long term sustainability ● Meet and exceed program objectives ● Collaborate, innovate, with boots on the ground expertise using scientifically accepted techniques ● Results = safety, compliance, desirable vegetation and wildlife
- 16. Adaptive Management ● Not all sites are the same, changes occur over time ● Observe, document, and adjust ● Monitor annually and seasonally ● Design methods to reflect objectives and inform decision making
- 17. ● Voluntary agreement ● Provides assurances that no further conservation measures or restrictions will apply if a species is listed ● Contribute net conservation benefits and address key threats under property owners’ and land managers’ control
- 19. Pollinators as an umbrella species ● Indirectly protect other species of ecological communities ○ Mammals ○ Birds ○ Reptiles ○ Amphibians ○ Arthropods
- 20. Methods: Surveys Pollinator and botanical surveys • Transects 10 x 150’ • Surveyed 3 times per year - spring (24 – June 14) - summer (July 11 – July 31) - late summer (August 24 – September 14) • Track changes in biodiversity over time in relation to IVM practices
- 21. Methods: Butterfly counts *Pollard 1977 Pollard Cube method • Envision cube dimensions • Slowly walk just outside transect (3 min approx.) • Record butterflies as they pass through the cube
- 22. Methods: Bees and other foraging pollinator counts At each of the 3 sampling dates • 7-15 min • Count all bees - Honey bees - Bumble bees - Carpenter bees - other bees • Count all other pollinators interacting with flowers within the transect - beetles - flies - moths - wasps
- 23. Surveys in spring, summer, and late summer ● Number of plants that are currently blooming: herbaceous plants and shrubs, not vines ● Number of species of plants currently blooming ● Total number of plants of all species that are currently blooming Methods: Vegetation survey
- 24. Methods: Habitat composition/Pollinator Scorecard Tier 2 Habitat composition • Visually assess habitat (total 100%) - Trees - Shrubs - Forbs - Grasses - Bare ground - Wetland - Vines Pollinator Scorecard Tier 2 • Milkweed stems • Flower plants • Habitat resources
- 25. Results: Proportions of pollinators observed in ROWs Butterflies • Sulfurs • Skippers • Hairstreaks Bees • Honey bee • Carpenter bee • Bumble bee Other • Flies • Beetles • Moths
- 26. Results: Monarch and milkweeds
- 27. Results: Pollen and nectar resources throughout the season Fig 3: Average flowering plants in bloom for each site by sampling date. Data is represented as mean ± SE.
- 29. Results: Pollinator Scorecard Tier 2
- 30. Discussion A Few Take Home Points…..
- 31. Discussion: Habitat composition/Pollinator Scorecard Tier 2 • Bias towards pollinator habitat • Weighted heavily on milkweed presence • Performing once per year can be misleading • 3 times per year • Revision for 2023!
- 32. Discussion: Future directions • Meeting compliance standards • Increase resolution of data collection - Andrenidae - Colletidae - Halictidae - Megachilidae • Baseline data used to track changes over time • Introductory and advanced trainings for observers
- 33. Emphasis on Training ● On paper, protocols seem easy ● Insect ID ● Botanical ID ● Invasive species ● Develops consistency ● 2 Trainings per year ● Field and lab experience
- 34. Final thoughts ● Unique and valuable opportunities for pollinators and wildlife habitat ● ROW’s are now assets!! ● Safety, compliance, reliability, and environmental stewardship ● Advance business practices, reduced costs ● Sustainable habitat that can act as conservation reservoirs
- 35. Thank you! “When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” - Aldo Leopold Questions?
Editor's Notes
- UVM, incompatible plant species are the pests we’re trying to manage Compatible/desirable vegetation that leads to early successional pollinator habitat that isn’t a threat to interfere with conductors, grass, forbs, shrubs, bio control Flexible and adaptive, not tied to one or two methods Native spp keeping invasives and incompatibles away = healthy ecosystems ROW’s as habitat
- Low risk, high reward - conservation, regulatory requirements, reduced costs
- make adjustments needed Engage stakeholders
- Low risk, high reward - conservation, regulatory requirements Habitat conservation plans costly, disrupt projects Required field monitoring to aid in ivm program improvements
- 3rd party recognition for meaningful wildlife habitat management efforts, continuous improvements Impactful long term commitments - conservation, education
- Increasing habitat/protecting pollinators indirectly protects other species in ecological communities Not just butterflies and bees (beetles, moths, mosquitoes) - some species are not able to rep w/out certain pollinators Pollinators are ultimately responsible for the seeds and fruits of many different types of plants that feed mice, birds, deer, bears Maybe even the bucks
- Rows offer c
- Low risk, high reward - conservation, regulatory requirements, reduced costs