Effects of Grassland Restoration on Native Bee and Spider Communities in a Pacific Northwestern Agroecosystem

View the project final report

• 2016 annual report

Commodities

Practices

We evaluated eastern Oregon native bee and spider communities in native, degraded, and restored grasslands, some of which were recovering from a 2015 wildfire.  In addition, we collected native bees and spiders along transects from crop fields to field margins and into adjacent grasslands to determine which invertebrate species are present and able to provide beneficial ecosystem services to the surrounding agroecosystem.

1. Determine how grassland restoration affects native bee and spider communities in eastern Oregon by comparing native bee and spider diversity and abundance in restored, native and degraded grasslands.

2. Investigate the role of restoration project age on native bee and spider responses by comparing native bee and spider communities across sites that were restored at different times.

3. Assess which factors are most strongly associated with native bee and spider diversity and abundance by evaluating what floral resources and vegetative structure are available at each site.

4. Determine if native bees and spiders can enhance pollination and pest control for growers by measuring how far and which species can travel from restored grasslands to neighboring farms.

5. Produce a low maintenance protocol that can be used to restore field margins to previous grasslands, decrease field erosion, control crop weeds, and increase invertebrate-mediated ecosystem services.

6. Educate the surrounding community and fellow researchers on important ecosystem services invertebrates provide and actions that can be taken to improve invertebrate diversity in field margins and native grasslands.