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ViewAttendees 17

P-IE

Student Competition 10-Minute Paper

Undergrad 10-min: P-IE, Pollinators

Quantifying nectar rewards in tallgrass prairie seed mixes

On-Demand
Student Competition On-Demand
Implementing prairie restorations with diverse forb species is an important facet of conserving pollinators.The seed mixes used in these restorations vary in the number of plant species and the amount of grasses used, but few studies have examined the difference in floral rewards among mixes. In particular, measuring the nectar present in stands of varying plant diversities offers important knowledge about the resources available to pollinators. Accounting for plant interactions within plots- including adverse effects from competition or the compounding, prolific complementarity effects- can indicate which combination of species contribute most to total nectar rewards. In this study, our objective was to quantify the nectar rewards available for pollinators in plots planted with seed mixes of varying plant richness and forb-to-grass ratios by measuring (1) the volume of nectar and (2) the sugar concentration of the nectar produced by a random sample of two native, commonly seeded, and pollinator attractive prairie forbs (Penstemon digitalis and Dalea villosa). We compare nectar volumes and sugar concentrations between low, medium, and high forb-to-grass ratios and between plots seeded with 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 species. Through this analysis, we look for evidence of complementarity among the forb species and competition between forbs and grasses to determine the effect of species composition nectar availability. With the increased focus on restoring landscapes for native bees and other pollinators, quantifying these resources can aid land managers in selecting a seed mix based on the specific goals and budget of the restoration.