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KMCMAHONTHESIS_2022_V4.pdf (799.73 KB)

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Bees By The Interstate: The effectiveness of interchange greenspace restoration for bee conservation

McMahon, Kiersten
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1669629453054242

Abstract Details

, Master of Science, University of Akron, Biology.
Roadside interchange greenspaces are a target of habitat restoration efforts pollinators in the face of recent pollinator declines. Because plants often rely on pollinators for reproduction, establishing habitats that can foster healthy pollinator population is of great value. I investigated plant and pollinator communities in restored and traditionally managed interchanges to determine 1.) if restored sites supported increased bee and floral abundance and species richness, 2.) if bee and floral communities differed between site types and 3.) whether floral and nesting resources contributed to increased bee diversity. Bee communities were sampled using a combination of aerial netting and bowl traps within restored and traditional interchanges. Restored roadsides supported greater bee and floral abundance and species richness, with restored sites having roughly double the number of bees and more than ten times the number of floral units than traditional sites. Despite these differences, neither floral nor bee community composition were significantly different between site types. Neither bare ground nor woody nesting material differed between interchange types, suggesting that floral diversity has a stronger influence on bee diversity than nesting resource availability. My findings contribute to mounting evidence of the viability of roadsides as healthy habitats for pollinators. Though roads pose challenges to many taxa, interchanges should definitely be considered for the conservation of bees and other pollinators.
Dr. Randall Mitchell (Advisor)
Dr. Jessie Novotny (Committee Member)
Dr. Steve Weeks (Committee Member)
43 p.
Biology; Ecology; Entomology
bee conservation; roadside restoration; pollination ecology

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • McMahon, K. (2022). Bees By The Interstate: The effectiveness of interchange greenspace restoration for bee conservation [Master's thesis, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1669629453054242

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • McMahon, Kiersten. Bees By The Interstate: The effectiveness of interchange greenspace restoration for bee conservation. 2022. University of Akron, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1669629453054242.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • McMahon, Kiersten. "Bees By The Interstate: The effectiveness of interchange greenspace restoration for bee conservation." Master's thesis, University of Akron, 2022. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1669629453054242

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

akron1669629453054242
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This open access ETD is published by University of Akron and OhioLINK.