SD31: Importance of above- and below-ground habitat features for ground-nesting bees

Habitat needs of solitary, ground-nesting bees remain poorly understood. This hinders predicting how anthropogenic change and land management alter bee populations and communities. We investigated impacts of above- and below-ground habitat features on ground-nesting bees in the southern Great Plains (north Texas). Working on active cattle ranches across a gradient of grazing management techniques, we measured both vegetation characteristics commonly used by bee researchers (e.g., bare ground cover) and soil properties. Our results suggest that these vegetation characteristics are not the best indicators of ground-nesting bee habitat. Understanding drivers of solitary, ground-nesting bee community changes is critical for conserving pollinators through sustainable land management.