Pollinator Research

They may have even played a major role in the development of agriculture, perhaps without early farmers fully understanding their immense benefit in pollination and food production. As humans have colonized the globe, so too have honey bees, being transported from location to location. In fact, honey bees did not exist in North or South America prior to European colonization, at which time these insects were referred to as "the white-man's fly" by Native Americans. Considering such a long standing relationship, it is not surprising that the recent declines in domestic feral and managed honey bee populations have raised concerns.

Insect pollinators greatly impact the economy and human food supply and affect global processes necessary to human survival. Honey bees represent only one of a complex suite of insects that take advantage of nectar and pollen produced by plants and provide necessary pollination services. However, the decline in colonies reported in recent decades highlighted the need for broad scale, intensive pollinator research. We are now grimly aware that the losses in insect pollinators represents a global threat. In agriculture, these animals were valued globally at 166.5 B USD in 2005 (Gallai 2009, Potts et al. 2010a). They contribute 15-30% of the American diet and are essential to global food production and sustainability (McGregor 1976). In fact, 70% of plants that are used directly for human consumption are dependent on the pollination services provided almost entirely by insects (Klein et al. 2007). If this were not enough, the detriment to agriculture constitutes only one issue that results from the loss of insect pollinator populations. These animals are the most prominent constituents in facilitating plant reproduction. Plants not only define ecosystems, they contribute to the generation of breathable oxygen and consumption of carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas associated with climate change. The demise of insect pollinators could result in massive losses to the human food supply and hasten the change in climate. The loss of pollination services provided by insects could result in the collapse of human civilization as we know it or even lead to the extinction of the human race.

Declines in abundance and diversity of insect pollinator populations have been reported for all major pollinator groups (Potts et al. 2010a). The United States has suffered a 59% loss of managed honey bee colonies between 1947 and 2005 (Natural Resource Council 2006, Potts et al. 2010a) and has seen consistent losses of approximately 30% of colonies since 2007 (vanEnglsdorp 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012). Likewise, central Europe reports colony losses reaching 25% between 1985 and 2005 (Potts et al. 2010a, Potts et al. 2010b). A decline in abundance has also been identified in multiple bumblebee (Bombus spp.) (Grixti et al. 2009, Cameron et al. 2011; Koh 2016) and other bee species (e.g. Andrena, Coelioxys, Lasioglossum, Megachile, etc.) (Bartomeus et al. 2013, Koh et al. 2016). Furthermore, several European countries have reported declines in macro-moth populations (Fox 2013). In Britain alone, two-thirds of macro-moth species have experienced population reductions (Fox 2013, MacGregor et al. 2015). These trends in declines in combination with the importance of insect pollinators exemplify and perpetuate the need for broad scale pollinator research.

The Dowling Lab is increasingly invested in pursuing pollinator research with emphases in ecology and conservation. Although Dr. Ashley Dowling is well known for his work as a mite systematist, he, like so many scientists, has far reaching interests in biological studies. This combined with his understanding of ecological systems and desire to foster his student's personal interests has allowed him to accept graduate students conducting wide-ranging research in insect pollination systems. As students, we are lucky to have the opportunity to follow our own ambitions, and through Dr. Dowling's hands-off mentorship, we have found ourselves involved in and developing some outstanding and unique studies that have the potential to alter the way we understand and research insect pollinators.

Wetland Pollinators — Phillip Stephenson

Pollinators have been poorly documented in many areas of their estimated range. Bees in particular have been overlooked in much of Arkansas and specifically in rural areas outside of colleges and universities. My project aimed to tackle one of the most devoid areas of knowledge in Arkansas: the emergent wetlands in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. I wanted to determine the bee communities that used emergent wetlands on federal, state, and private lands throughout this unique region that has been greatly altered for agricultural use. This project also documented bee use and flight distance into adjacent soybean fields. This project found 84 bee species that were collected in emergent wetlands and created one of the first benchmark datasets for bee communities in emergent wetlands in North America. Outside states and land managers, including a wetland manager in Canada, have contacted me regarding the final verdict of my research performed on public lands that the state of Arkansas manages.

The state of Arkansas has great potential to collect management shaping data as the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission aims to enhance habitat for quail. These conversions can be studied with a multi-tier approach by studying the before and after effect of these land conversions/management applications on small mammal, bird, and pollinator communities. The data produced from those studies could provide land managers throughout the southeast with valuable knowledge of potential desired conditions met through specific management practices.

Nocturnal Moth Pollinators — Stephen M. Robertson

Nocturnal moth pollinators have been ignored in agricultural fruit production research. Their role in pollination has been well described in only a few specific, non-agricultural plants, such as the yucca plant, common milkweed, and white champion, in which they represent the most important sources for plant reproduction (Riley 1892, Bertin and Willson 1980, Young 2002). There is increasing evidence suggesting moths play a major role in economically important fruit crops (Luo et al. 2011, Cutler et al. 2012). To compound the need for research, moths have experienced significant population declines in several European countries over the last 40 years (Fox 2013, MacGregor et al. 2015). This alarming trend is likely similar in North America due to similarities in land management. Unfortunately, historical information and records concerning moths is lacking and forbids examinations into population level changes in North America. Considering this information, it is surprising that studies examining moth contributions to, community compositions within, and population dynamics in agricultural fruit systems are virtually non-existent. It is critically important that we explore these systems given the current global threat to pollinators. Continued neglect of nocturnal moth pollinators will undoubtedly have a negative outcome for both this important pollinator complex and for fruit production.

The overall goal of my research is to shine light on the importance of nocturnal moth pollinators in agriculture, such that conservation considerations and actions can be implemented to promote populations of this group of pollinators. As reports of pollinator declines continue to accrue, it is increasingly important that we make haste to establish quality research that describes the roles of all pollinator groups in agriculture. Because nocturnal moth pollinators are so poorly studied, I hope to initiate research that explores their contributions to sustainable food production, their population structures and dynamics, and the factors that influence their presence or absence during critical times in food production. A major aspect to my work is based in extension, providing direct access to new research to those individuals who can most affect the populations of these important insects. As information becomes available, I will make a concerted effort to reach out to local growers, empowering them to make critical management decisions based on my research. I believe my work will prove exceedingly valuable in the generation of a profitable venture toward an affordable and sustainable production of food.

There are several current research projects being developd to reach my overall goal. To determine the contributions nocturnal pollinators provide to fruit production, I have designed exclusion experiments (similar to that of Cutler et al. 2012) for apples, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, peaches, and strawberries. These experiments will isolate the effect of nocturnal pollination on the production of these valuable fruit crops. I have also designed an intensive, time-sensitive survey to determine which and when moths are present during the bloom periods of these crops. I will correlate variations in moth pollinator abundance and diversity to weather data and land management regimens to predict floral visitation patterns and rates. I will organize field days (or coordinate with pre-existing field days) in order to provide growers with the information I discover, allowing them to make knowledgeable decisions concerning land-management. These are only the first of many project ideas designed to fully understand this complex of pollinators, but they represent the scaffolding on which future research will rely.