Abstract (300 words maximum)
Historically the fire-dependent and biodiverse longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystem was the dominant ecosystem of the Southeastern US. This ecosystem’s range was massively reduced due to land conversion and fire exclusion, causing the decline of many native species. Efforts to restore and protect longleaf pine stands are now ongoing with the goal of expanding habitat and refuge for threatened species. Differences in restoration practices and prior land use may influence the extent to which restored habitat patches can support pollinators and their plants. This study compared pollinator plant biodiversity between restored neighboring montane longleaf pine stands that differed in prior composition and current management practices. Flowering stem surveys were conducted monthly from February to November of 2024. Pollinator plant richness, abundance, and Shannon diversity were greater in prior timber plantation sites than in prior mesophied forest sites. Prior plantation sites contained 27 species that were missing from prior forest sites, but the community composition did not differ significantly between site histories unless seasonal differences were ignored. Seasonality was a stronger influence on community composition than site history. Soil samples from prior plantation sites were lower in LBC, Mn, P, Zn, and had a higher pH. The only soil measurements that correlated with changes in community composition were LBC and P. The results of this study can inform future restoration management efforts by identifying conditions that best assist longleaf pine understory community recovery, increase local pollinator biodiversity, and provide refuge for endangered species suffering from habitat loss.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CSM - Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Matthew Weand
Pollinator and Pollinator Plant Communities within restored Montane Longleaf Pine Ecosystems
Historically the fire-dependent and biodiverse longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystem was the dominant ecosystem of the Southeastern US. This ecosystem’s range was massively reduced due to land conversion and fire exclusion, causing the decline of many native species. Efforts to restore and protect longleaf pine stands are now ongoing with the goal of expanding habitat and refuge for threatened species. Differences in restoration practices and prior land use may influence the extent to which restored habitat patches can support pollinators and their plants. This study compared pollinator plant biodiversity between restored neighboring montane longleaf pine stands that differed in prior composition and current management practices. Flowering stem surveys were conducted monthly from February to November of 2024. Pollinator plant richness, abundance, and Shannon diversity were greater in prior timber plantation sites than in prior mesophied forest sites. Prior plantation sites contained 27 species that were missing from prior forest sites, but the community composition did not differ significantly between site histories unless seasonal differences were ignored. Seasonality was a stronger influence on community composition than site history. Soil samples from prior plantation sites were lower in LBC, Mn, P, Zn, and had a higher pH. The only soil measurements that correlated with changes in community composition were LBC and P. The results of this study can inform future restoration management efforts by identifying conditions that best assist longleaf pine understory community recovery, increase local pollinator biodiversity, and provide refuge for endangered species suffering from habitat loss.