Thursday, August 9, 2007 - 3:20 PM

COS 120-6: Life on the edge: Response of native bees to insect pest management programs

Julianna Tuell and Rufus Isaacs. Michigan State University

Insect communities endemic to agricultural landscapes are subjected to regular disturbances associated with crop production. Growers face the challenge of producing a product free of pest damage, while doing as little harm as possible to beneficial insects such as pollinators. Unlike managed honeybees, native bees are integrated into the agricultural landscape, nesting and foraging in and around fields. Thus insecticide use aimed at pests could be a major limiting factor in bee abundance and diversity. However, few studies have explored the extent to which insect pest management programs are related to patterns of bee abundance and diversity. Here we report on a three year study across the highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) production region of Michigan that was conducted to monitor and identify the endemic bee communities associated with this agroecosystem. Bee abundance and diversity were analyzed in relation to growers’ use of  insecticides. Our results suggest that certain taxonomic groups of bees may be more sensitive than others to the overall toxicity of insect pest management programs, and that typical insect management programs suppress native bee communities. Knowledge of which bees are likely to be more or less sensitive to pest management practices has implications for conservation of native bees associated with crop pollination.

See more of COS 120 - Agricultural ecology II: Agricultural systems as habitat, diversity
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See more of The ESA/SER Joint Meeting (August 5 -- August 10, 2007)