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Thesis
Measuring the Diversity of Bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Anthophila) in the Unique Habitats of John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, Philadelphia
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
Jun 2024
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00010464
Abstract
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge (JHNWR) is an urban wetland in southeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that stretches over 1,000 acres. Its unique habitats are home to a large diversity of flora and fauna, including bees. Not much is known about the true diversity of the bee populations that inhabit JHNWR, but given the global decreases in insect population and the ecological importance of this wildlife refuge surrounded by urbanization, it is important to establish a baseline of what bee species occur there. In collaboration with the Pennsylvania Bee Monitoring Program, a survey was conducted at various locations across the Refuge from April to September, 2022, to document the diversity of bees present. In addition to compiling a species list for JHNWR, this survey was also used to explore three hypotheses: 1) The different microhabitats will have different bee populations, 2) Species will be found that have not previously been recorded to occur at JHNWR or in Philadelphia, and 3) A combination of Blue Vane Traps, Bee Bowls, and Aerial Netting is best to document bee diversity. Using these three collection methods, 2,977 bee specimens were caught and identified to 97 species, 39 of which are new Philadelphia County records. Through statistical analyses in R, it was concluded that the different microhabitats in the Refuge only had slightly similar bee populations, as well as that each of the three collection methods yielded unique bee populations. This shows that to effectively begin to measure the diversity of bee populations in a specific location, a variety of collection methods are needed across several different sites to capture the diversity of unique bee populations so we can monitor and work to conserve them amidst widespread pollinator declines.
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Details
- Title
- Measuring the Diversity of Bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Anthophila) in the Unique Habitats of John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, Philadelphia
- Creators
- Elizabeth Otruba
- Contributors
- Jon K. Gelhaus (Advisor)Sean O'Donnell (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- vii, 59 pages
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science (BEES); College of Arts and Sciences; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991021890209604721