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Student 10-Minute Presentation

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

Student

Student Competition

Grad 10-min Competition: P-IE, Pollinators and Pollination - Honey Bees and Native Pollinators 1

Factors associated with rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) presence in Central Appalachia: A community analysis approach

Monday, November 11, 2024
9:12 AM – 9:24 AM MST
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, 129 A, PCC
Oral Presentation Student Competition
Endangered Rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis, RPBB) populations recently documented in the Central Appalachian Mountains are geographically and genetically disjunct from core populations in the upper Midwest. Conservation and management of these populations depends on understanding which habitats support RPBB. This task is challenging because of the intense survey effort required to obtain sufficient RPBB presence data for analysis. Additionally, in Central Appalachia, most of our presence/absence data is collected along roadsides as the most accessible places to survey. A recent study of RPBB in Central Appalachia reveals positive associations with forest cover, elevation, and west-to-north-west aspects. We expand on these analyses to explore further potential correlates to RPBB presence, specifically the influence of local bumble bee richness. We hypothesize that community composition will vary among sites with and without RPBB, and that sites harboring RPBB have higher species richness of congeners. To facilitate inferences based on sparse RPBB presence data, we use a community framework where presence/absence data of more common species and species’ associations help inform RPBB habitat use. Using data from 75 surveys in 2022, we found 12 Bombus species across 57 sites, with RPBB present at 5.26% of sites. As hypothesized, sites with RPBB present had about 50% higher species richness of other Bombus than those without. We also expect forest management and forest composition to influence RPBB presence and community composition. These insights will help develop conservation management strategies.