Floral competition for pollination services

Project lead: Jennifer Lipka

Mass-flowering crops can provide a bonanza of resources for pollinators. However, after only a few short weeks, the blooming period ends and feast turns to famine unless pollinators find other food sources. The loss of natural and semi-natural habitat around highbush blueberry (Vaccinum spp.) is detrimental for bumble bees (Bombus spp.) and other pollinators that require habitat for nesting and foraging. Indeed, more than 50% of bumble bee species declines are associated with habitat loss and decreasing crop richness. Yet, bumbles bees are essential for the commercial production of optimal yields for many crops, including those that require the vibrating “buzz” pollination done by bumble bees. As such, the goals of preserving habitat to support wild pollinators may align with farmer goals for commercial berry production.

Habitat amendments, including floral strips, seek to provide additional foraging resources for bumble bees that may increase abundance, colony growth, and reproduction of colonies. For perennial blueberry systems, alleyways in-between crop rows are an underutilized space on the farm that cover a large proportion of the landscape, which could be leveraged to provide additional floral resources for pollinators. However, when additional flowers are available alongside crops, will they compete for bee visits and take away pollination services from crops?

The objective of this research is to investigate competition between blueberry blooms and other flowers (weeds or cover crops: e.g. dandelion, buttercup, clover, phacelia, and borage) located in the alleyway, for the pollination services provided by bumble bees.