1st Place: Evaluating bee communities along an urban gradient in squash production

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 populations. Although many crops used in urban agriculture are pollinator-dependent, little is known about urban pollinators, specifically bees. With global pollinator populations declining, it is crucial to explore how habitat loss as a result of urbanization is influencing these pollinators. While green spaces are essential for pollinator 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 bees. In this study, we surveyed bee communities on 22 farms along an urban gradient. To assess the effect of urbanization on wild bees, we measured the impervious surface surrounding each squash farm using land cover data at various spatial scales. Our preliminary results have suggested that wild bee communities have a positive relationship with urbanization. Further results of this study will help us understand the impact of urbanization on wild bees and their pollination services. Our findings will help inform how pollinator management strategies should be adapted to better serve urban environments.