Nest Distribution of <i> Bombus </i> spp. Across Different Habitat Types

Abstract

Despite bumble bees’ critical importance as pollinators throughout the montane regions of Colorado, little research has been done on their nesting habits. In order to conserve the populations of Bombus spp. in the West, better knowledge of their nest density and nesting habitats is needed. I hypothesized that (1) a nest searching technique would be successful, (2) Bombus spp. nests would be identified in three distinct habitats, and (3) there would be a difference in nest densities across habitats depending on the bumble bee species. The habitats that I searched were classified as wet meadow, dry meadow, and aspen forest. Across three separate sites, each habitat had a total of 9 plots. Each of these plots was 150 square meters. I spent 30 minutes at each site once a week searching for nests and Bombus activity. Results of this study showed success of the nest searching technique and identification of Bombus nests in all three habitat types, but there was insufficient data to form a conclusion regarding the nesting habitat preferences of different species. The conclusion of this study is that dry meadow has the highest nesting density and should be preserved. Because this habitat also functions as foraging habitat for Bombus species, the conservation of this land is beneficial for the whole life cycle of the pollinators

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