Coopertative Ecoystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes Northern Forest CESU
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC) is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research to support refinement of techniques for monitoring honey bee health and productivity in commercial orchards of the Upper Midwest. Extensive monitoring of honey bees is conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Such monitoring facilitates management of USDA conservation programs in the Northern Great Plains, an area of critical importance for pollinators and commercial beekeepers. Researchers collect detail bee colony health and productivity data and relate those data to surrounding landscape features. Researchers also collect data on forb utilization by honey bees and other pollinators residing on USDA conservation lands. These data are used to inform seed mixes for USDA conservation programs throughout the Northern Great Plains and Upper Midwest. Currently USGS lack the information needed to more effectively monitor bee colonies in Michigan orchards. Monitoring bee colonies in orchards presents a unique set of challenges because these bees are moved by beekeepers throughout the summer for orchard crop pollination services.
Office: Geological Survey
fgraves@usgs.gov
