Enhancing pollination services on urban farms through research and outreach

Urban agriculture has been vital to increasing food security by giving access to fresh unprocessed food in underserved communities. While urban agriculture has many benefits, concerns have arisen of its impact on ecosystem functioning and pollinator biodiversity. Although many crops used in urban agriculture are pollinator-dependent, little is known about urban pollinator communities. With global pollinator populations declining, it is crucial to explore how habitat loss as a result of urbanization are influencing these pollinator communities. Enhancing pollinator biodiversity through local and landscape practices in agroecosystems is vital for ecosystem functioning. While green spaces are essential for pollinator community health, they are less abundant in urban areas. This reduction in vegetation typically results in lower floral abundance and richness which are essential resources for wild pollinators. In this study, we surveyed squash pollinator communities on 25 farms along an urban gradient. To assess the effect of local floral resource variation on bees, we measured flower abundance and diversity, and bloom density. We also measured landscape characteristics to determine the effects of the surrounding habitat on bee communities. We hypothesize that both local and landscape factors will influence the composition of bee functional traits (e.g., diet breadth, exotic status) along an urban gradient. Results of this study will help us understand the impact of urbanization on bee communities in squash production. Our findings will help inform whether pollinator management strategies should be adapted to better serve urban environments.