About This Project

25% of peatlands, which are essential to global hydrology and carbon storage, are degraded. Bees, our foremost pollinators, are also declining. Though peatlands host many threatened invertebrates, and wetlands are among the most important habitats for specialist bees, there remains a lack of knowledge on peatlands bees. We will investigate the relationship between peatlands and bees to create management recommendations for their conservation.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

Peatlands are important due to their role in global climate systems and as habitat for rare species. They are particularly vulnerable to the projected changes in temperature and nitrogen cycling associated with climate change, disturbance, and habitat fragmentation, necessitating continued study of these fragile ecosystems. Though peatlands host many threatened invertebrates, the last known study of peatland bees was conducted in Canada in 1994. Recent bee studies have also revealed that many vulnerable pollen specialist ("nongeneralist") bees specialize on wetland plants. Thus, an understanding of the bees and plants present in unique peatland habitats is essential to inform the conservation of both bees and peatlands.

What is the significance of this project?

Plant-pollinator relationships are some of the most ecologically and economically important interactions on Earth. Bees are not only the most effective pollinators and keystone species in most environments in North America, but they also act as valuable indicators of ecosystem health. One of the only known peatland invertebrate studies to focus on bees was conducted almost 30 years ago, but they were unable to achieve species-level identification. Additionally, most studies conducted on northeastern bees have been in habitat types other than wetlands and peatlands with the few exceptions to this rule focusing on cranberry bogs. Fundamental knowledge of peatland bee assemblages is essential to inform effective conservation practices.

What are the goals of the project?

The objectives of this study are to establish baselines of bee population diversity and abundance in New Hampshire peatlands and to explore the floral community characteristics associated with bee diversity and abundance in different peatlands. We will also investigate the potential influence of peatland distance to forest edge on bee community composition and then generate recommendations for wild bee conservation and habitat management in peatland ecosystems.