xerces society’s pollinator conservation program theme iv/black xerces society's... ·...
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Xerces Society’s Pollinator Conservation Program:Converting Science into Conservation Practice
Scott Black and Mace VaughanThe Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
The Xerces Society
International nonprofit that protects wildlife and its habitat through the conservation of invertebrates.
What is the Xerces Society?What is the Xerces Society?
© Edward Ross
• Why native bees?• Pollinators and
habitat protection• Research needs• Case study from
California• Converting science
into practice
Talk Outline
Where are we going?Where are we going?
© Bruce Newhouae
Amazing pollinator diversity (4,000 spp of bee in the U.S.)
Why native bees: DiversityWhy native bees: Diversity
© Mace Vaughan © Mace Vaughan
© Edward S. Ross © USDA-ARS/Jack Dykinga© Mace Vaughan
© Sarah Greenleaf
When honey bees are in short supply, native bees can act as an insurance policy when their habitat is present.
Native bees pollinated approximately $3 billion of crops in the year 2000.
Why native bees:Why native bees:AgricultureAgriculture
© Mace Vaughan
Fifty-one species of native bees have been observed visiting watermelon, sunflower, or tomato in California.
Over forty-five species of bees have been recorded pollinating berry crops in Maine and Massachusetts.
Sixty-seven species of native bees visit blueberries in Nova Scotia.
Why native bees:Why native bees:AgricultureAgriculture
USDA-ARS/Jack Dykinga
Native pollinators have been shown to nearly triple the production of cherry tomatoes in California.
Wild native bees improve the pollination efficiency of honey bees in hybrid sunflower seed crops by causing them to move between male and female rows more often.
Why native bees:Why native bees:AgricultureAgriculture
© Sarah Greenleaf
Using native pollinators to pollinate crops and protect habitat
Conservation focused on pollinators is a way to conduct cooperative habitat protection and restoration in working lands.
A win-win for all.
Value of pollinator conservation for Value of pollinator conservation for habitat protectionhabitat protection
© Karen Ward, NPS
Plants and wildlife
About 70% of the world’s plants require a pollinator
Fruits and seeds are a major part of the diet of about 25% of birds, and many mammals
Pollinators themselves are food for wildlife
© Marie Read
© Edward S. Ross
Value of pollinator conservation for farmland: Value of pollinator conservation for farmland: The wildlife connectionThe wildlife connection
Pollinator needs
Natural Areas with foraging and nesting sites
Restored areas with plant diversity throughout the growing season
Refuge from pesticides
Value of pollinator conservation for Value of pollinator conservation for overall habitat protectionoverall habitat protection
© Bruce Newhouse
Importance of natural areasIf more than 30% of the area within 1.2 km of a field is natural habitat, growers can achieve full pollination of watermelons by native bees in the Central Valley, California
In the absence of honey bees, canola growers make more money on their land if 30% is in natural habitat, rather than planting it all
Value of pollinator conservation for farmland: Value of pollinator conservation for farmland: Watermelon in CaliforniaWatermelon in California
Other benefits of habitat
• Reduced erosion• Reduced drift of
pesticides • Other beneficial
insects• Clean and cooler
water
© NRCS Lynn Betts
Value of pollinator conservation for farmland: Value of pollinator conservation for farmland: Other conservation benefitsOther conservation benefits
Research needed by conservationistsResearch needed by conservationistsworking in agricultural landscapesworking in agricultural landscapes
• Role of wild bees in crop pollination• Habitat features bees require in different landscapes • Amount of habitat needed to provide a specific amount of
pollination service• Effectiveness of restoring habitat for native bees
© Andrew Holder, Xercs Society
• >50 species visit crops in Yolo County, CA
• Native bees alone provided significant pollination for watermelon farms close to natural habitat
• Native bees shown to increase production of sunflowers and tomatoes
Pollinator Conservation Research:Pollinator Conservation Research:Case Study from CaliforniaCase Study from California
Native bees and the non-crop flowers they use
Salix sp.*Arctostaphylos manzanita*Cercis occidentalis*
Rosa californica*Baccharis salicifoliaPhacelia imbricataLupinus sp.*Eriodictyon californicum
Escholtzia californica*Tritelaia laxa
Cornus sericea*Eriogonum fasciculatumLotus scopariusHeteromeles arbutifolia*Adenostoma fasciculatumRhamnus californica*
Cephalanthus occidentalis*Calycadenia paucifloraHelianthus annuus*Mentzelia laevicaulisGrindelia camporumTrichostema lanceolatumw
Eremocarpus setigerusw
Baccharis pilularis*Epilobium canumHemizonia congestaStephanomeria virgata
And chl
And cer
Diabit
Mel spp
Ant urb Dia sppBom cal Hal spp Bom vos
SummerSpring Fall
Pollinator Conservation Research:Pollinator Conservation Research:Case Study from CaliforniaCase Study from California
• Collaboration with UC Berkeley, Audubon California and the Center for Land-Based Learning
• Implementing restoration and monitoring
• impact on native bee community and
• impact on pollination function
Pollinator Conservation Research:Pollinator Conservation Research:Case Study from CaliforniaCase Study from California
Site restoration
• Using specially chosen plants in planting mix
• Including nest blocks• Ground nesting and bumble
bees supported by areas of stable ground and grassed buffers
© Mace Vaughan
Nest block photo
Pollinator Conservation Research:Pollinator Conservation Research:Case Study from CaliforniaCase Study from California
©
Butler site December 2006
Pollinator Conservation Research:Pollinator Conservation Research:Site restorationSite restoration
©
Butler site March 2007
Pollinator Conservation Research:Pollinator Conservation Research:Site restorationSite restoration
© Katharina Ullmann
Farm on Putah Creek (CLBL)
Pollinator Conservation Research:Pollinator Conservation Research:Site restorationSite restoration
Monitoring Bee Community
• Netting at flowers• Pan trapping • Vegetation
surveys to assess amount of forage available
Pollinator Conservation Research:Pollinator Conservation Research:MonitoringMonitoring
Monitoring Pollination Function
Phytometers: using plants of economic importance to monitor increase in pollination from local bee community
© Dr. James Altland , OSU
© USDA ARS
Pollinator Conservation Research:Pollinator Conservation Research:MonitoringMonitoring
Strategies for using scientific information
• Workshops• Media• Educational
publications• Technical advice• Collaborations• Policy
Where do we go from here?Where do we go from here?
Natural Resource Conservation Service
An organization ready to put pollinator conservation research to work
Where do we go from here?Where do we go from here?Collaboration with partnersCollaboration with partners
© Robert Parks
Fully integrating native pollinators into Farm Bill programs can have a wide impact.
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) allocated over $1 billion in financial and technical assistance to farmers in 2006.
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) retired over 36 million acres of farmland, 4.5 million specifically for wildlife.
Where do we go from here?Where do we go from here?Collaboration with partnersCollaboration with partners
• Demonstration sites at Plant Material Centers and farms
• Workshops for landowners• Technical assistance to
growers interested in pollinator conservation
Collaboration with NRCSCollaboration with NRCS
Engaging with the NRCS—local level
Engaging with the NRCS—state level
• Help develop regional pollinator technology notes (focus on plant information)
• Training their conservationists
• Engaging in state tech advisory committees to help pollinators stay on the radar
• Help develop pollinator restoration projects
Collaboration with NRCSCollaboration with NRCS
• Working to include pollinators as a priority in NRCS conservation programs
• Current legislation (e.g. Pollinator Habitat Protection Act)
Collaboration with NRCSCollaboration with NRCS
Engaging with the NRCS—national level
Federal Legislation and 2007 Farm BillSenate Bill 1496: Pollinator Habitat Protection Act
Senator Boxer’s Pollinator Protection (Research) ActHouse Resolution 1709: Pollinator Protection Act (CCD)
Where do we go from here?Where do we go from here?Federal legislationFederal legislation
• Xerces Society publications
• www.xerces.org
• 503-232 6639
More Information on Native Bee More Information on Native Bee ConservationConservation
Thanks and questions
Thanks to our collaborators and funders:
• NRCS
• CS Fund
• Gaia Foundation
• Goldman Fund
• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
• Xerces Society members