Floral nutritional value and plant-pollinator interactions in northeastern United States urban areas

Presenting Author(s)

Gracey M. Sorensen

Student
Providence College
Madison, Connecticut

Co-Author(s)

RB

Rachael E. Bonoan

Assistant Professor
Providence College
Greenville, Rhode Island

Bees obtain nutrients from flowers. Pollen provides proteins and fats; nectar provides carbohydrates and some amino acids. With recent decline in pollinator populations, conservationists are interested in providing nutritious plants for pollinators. Counterintuitively, urban areas have the green space for pollinator friendly plantings. On Providence College’s urban campus, I examined how floral abundance and pollinator interactions correlate to the nutritional value of plant species. Quadrat surveys were performed within 53 quadrats through the Spring, Summer, and Fall for plant-pollinator interactions. Pollen was collected from all flowering species and analyzed for nitrogen and carbon content using an elemental analyzer. Nectar samples were collected and analyzed for sugar and amino acid concentration using a washing technique and colorimetric assay. I predict that flowers higher in nutritional content will positively correlate with more visits by insect pollinators. The data collected will display which plants are of best nutritional quality and allow for floral management recommendations to benefit the pollinator populations in Northeastern (USA) urban areas through the season.