Climate Smart Pollinator Habitat
Pollinators are essential for ecosystem health and agricultural productivity, this has led to the increasing popularity of pollinator habitat plantings. The focus of this study is to examine the efficacy of different seed bed preparation methods (mowing only vs solarization vs herbicidal treatment) and different plant species genotypes (local vs climate adapted) at controlling the spread of invasive plant species and supporting pollinators under current and future climatic conditions. The research includes the establishment of pollinator habitat at five different field locations managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service as well as UMass as well as monitoring the diversity and abundance of pollinators at these sites. This semester we are building large wooden warming chambers that raise the ambient air temperature around 2 degrees Celsius to simulate future climatic conditions. We need a student to help in the construction of these warming chambers as well as help with planting experimental plants later on in the semester. There is potential for extension for a Paid summer technician position.
Students would gain hands-on experience with research, learning about pollinator ecology, developing woodworking skills, and contributing to a project that has direct applications to pollinator conservation.