Constructing plant-pollinator networks in northwest Arkansas

Terrestrial biodiversity and crop production are dependent on the mutualistic network created by plant-pollinator interactions. Loss of habitat, pollinator population decline, and foreign biotic invasions have negatively impacted the stability of networks resulting in less biodiversity and lower crop yield. Now more than ever it is important to understand the complex mechanisms guiding plant-pollinator interactions in order to reestablish lost networks. In this study, native bee biodiversity in Arkansas was established by identifying specimens housed in the University of Arkansas’s Insect Museum as well as more recent field collections. The specimens account for over a century’s worth of data (1900-2022). Pollen samples have been collected from the specimens housed in the Insect Museum and are currently being processed for species identification using molecular techniques. Observational data and plant specimens were also collected during field collections in order to determine what plants current native bees are visiting. Results will be discussed during the presentation.