Department or Program

Environmental Studies

Abstract

Pollinators are ecologically and economically important. Recently, there has been increasing awareness of declines in insect pollinator populations and concern over the implications of a loss in pollination services. Accordingly, pollinator conservation strategies, which are focused mainly on establishing areas of beneficial habitat, have grown in popularity. Sowing mixes of seeds of pollinator-friendly plants is a widespread approach for achieving this aim. These mixes are based on lists of plants that are purported to be attractive to pollinators; however, these lists rarely provide references to their sources of information and where the evidence of attractiveness is originating from. This thesis aims to address that knowledge gap, with a regional focus on New England. I determine the most commonly used plants in pollinator seed mixes for New England and assess the attractiveness of these plants based on empirical floral attraction studies conducted in the region. I evaluate how well these mixes are suited towards supporting the pollinators that have experienced the greatest declines and are most threatened in New England. Synthesizing across these findings, I offer recommendations for how pollinator conservation initiatives in the area should proceed in the future.

Level of Access

Restricted: Campus/Bates Community Only Access

First Advisor

Carla Essenberg

Date of Graduation

5-2022

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Number of Pages

62

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