Pollination Preferences of <i> Geranium richardsonii </i> Between Bee and Fly Species at High and Low Elevations
Abstract
Geranium richardsonii was studied at three different elevations to determine if there was a change in the type of pollinator species that visited it. The purpose of this experiment was to test the hypothesis that flies are more abundant at higher elevations and replace bee species found at lower observation sites. Transects at Virginia Basin (3,438m), Avery Picnic (2,969m), and Ohio Pass (2,790m) used for a pollination network study from 2016 to 2021 were divided into one by two meter segments and were monitored for floral visitors. Visitors being determined as insects that visited Geranium richardsonii were collected and later identified as bees, flies and other insects. Although flower abundance of Geranium richardsonii varied between sites, there was no significant difference in the number of bee or fly visits to flowers. The results of this study show that bee and fly abundance at the elevations tested is comparable despite a difference in site flower abundance. To further this experiment in the future a wider elevational gradient could be tested using a more direct sampling method. Sites at higher and lower elevations than the ones studied would create a better selection of sample sites, while focusing on Geranium richardsonii and not a plant network would aid data collection.
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