Bumble Bee Abundance and Diversity Increase with Intensity of Tallgrass Prairie Restoration Intervention

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2026-03-26

Abstract Introduction Human land-use intensification and the resulting habitat loss are primary drivers of insect pollinator declines. Habitat restoration offers a promising approach to counteract these declines, yet landscape-level evaluations of bee responses to restoration and management remain limited. We conducted a two-year, landscape-scale study in Wisconsin, USA, to assess how different intensities of tallgrass prairie restoration and management affect bumble bees ( Bombus spp.). Objectives This study aimed to determine whether (1) bumble bee abundance and diversity increase with assisted restoration, and (2) outcomes differ between low-(seeded only) and moderate-intensity (seeded and managed with prescribed fire) interventions. Methods Using catch-and-release surveys, we measured bumble bee abundance and diversity at 32 sites representing a gradient in restoration intervention: no intervention (unassisted recovery), low intervention, and moderate intervention. Results Bumble bee abundance and diversity were higher at assisted restoration sites (low and moderate intervention) than at unassisted sites. Although both tended to be greater at moderate than low intervention intensities, these differences were not statistically significant. Bumble bee community composition also differed across intervention intensity, driven by shifts in dominant species (e.g., B. impatiens and B. griseocollis ). Rarer taxa, including endangered and vulnerable species, occurred only at assisted restoration sites, with the largest populations at moderate intervention sites. Across all sites, bumble bee responses were strongly and positively associated with floral abundance, but not with semi-natural habitat in the surrounding landscape. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that assisted grassland restoration can effectively increase bumble bee abundance and diversity, supporting its value as a conservation practice for pollinators. Implications for Practice: (1) Grassland restorations targeting plant communities can successfully support nontarget pollinators across a range of management intensities and landscape contexts. Adding seeds of pollinator-preferred plants could improve restorations with low floral abundance and diversity. (2) Management of existing restorations is important to maintain abundant floral resources and diverse pollinator communities. Because sites varied widely in prescribed fire use, our findings likely represent a conservative estimate of its benefits, and higher intervention intensity (e.g., repeated seeding, regular fire, mechanical or chemical shrub and invasive plants control) may further enhance outcomes for bumble bees.

Habitat fragmentation alters post‐dispersal more than pre‐dispersal seed predation through edge effects

Ecosphere · 2026-05-01

Abstract In addition to causing loss of biodiversity, habitat fragmentation can alter species interactions. Relative to well‐studied effects of fragmentation on mutualistic interactions like pollination, effects on antagonistic interactions remain poorly understood. One such interaction, seed predation, may be particularly important because it can alter plant demographics and trigger cascading changes to both plant and seed predator communities. Previous studies have failed to find consistent effects of fragmentation on seed predation, possibly because seed predation occurs at two distinct stages relative to seed dispersal (pre‐ and post‐dispersal). Working within a large‐scale fragmentation experiment, we tested effects of three consequences of fragmentation—edge‐to‐area ratio, distance to edge, and connectivity (via habitat corridors)—for pre‐dispersal seed predation and post‐dispersal seed removal of eight plant species of conservation interest. We found that fragmentation effects, especially distance to edge, were more likely significant for post‐dispersal seed removal (assumed to positively correlate with seed predation) than for pre‐dispersal seed predation, although the significant patterns differed across species. Post‐dispersal seed predation declined sharply with seed mass, and this decline was greater at the patch edge. This led to larger seeded species having less predation nearest to the edge compared to patch interiors. This experiment highlights how fragmentation can alter seed predation by generating edge effects and how species traits can predict consequences across a community.

Data for "Litter depth mediates the effect of extreme precipitation on emergence timing of understory plants"

Environmental Data Initiative · 2026-01-01

This data package contains data for the Bautista & Damschen paper in Ecosphere with the title "Litter depth mediates the effect of extreme precipitation on emergence timing of understory plants." Seeds of seven different plant species were planted in 90 trays, with 20 seeds of each species in each tray (N=12,600 seeds total). Each tray had a fungicide treatment, a precipitation treatment, and a litter depth treatment. Seeds germinated and emerged and were tracked from the date of emergence until the date of death (or the end of the experiment, whichever was earlier). These data were used to calculate seedling lifespan, the days to emergence, and whether the seedling died during the course of the experiment. These data were used to examine the effects of precipitation, microsite availability, and soil fungi on (1) seedling emergence and (2) the timing of seedling emergence and survival.

Habitat fragmentation alters post-dispersal more than pre-dispersal seed predation through edge effects

DRYAD · 2026-02-26

In addition to causing loss of biodiversity, habitat fragmentation can alter species interactions. Relative to well-studied effects of fragmentation on mutualistic interactions like pollination, effects on antagonistic interactions remain poorly understood. One such interaction, seed predation, may be particularly important because it can alter plant demographics and trigger cascading changes to both plant and seed predator communities. Previous studies have failed to find consistent effects of fragmentation on seed predation, possibly because seed predation occurs at two distinct stages relative to seed dispersal (pre- and post-dispersal). Working within a large-scale fragmentation experiment, we tested effects of three consequences of fragmentation – edge-to-area ratio, distance to edge, and connectivity (via habitat corridors) - for pre-dispersal seed predation and post-dispersal seed removal of eight plant species of conservation interest. We found that fragmentation effects, especially distance to edge, were more likely significant for post-dispersal seed removal (assumed to positively correlate with seed predation) than for pre-dispersal seed predation, although the significant patterns differed across species. Post-dispersal seed predation declined sharply with seed mass and this decline was greater at the patch edge. This led to larger seeded species having less predation nearest to the edge compared to patch interiors. This experiment highlights how fragmentation can alter seed predation by generating edge effects and how species traits can predict consequences across a community.

Data from "Grassland woody plant management rapidly changes woody vegetation persistence and abiotic habitat conditions but not herbaceous community composition"

Environmental Data Initiative · 2026-01-01

These files contain microhabitat, soil, vegetation structure, and woody plant species data used in the paper "Grassland woody plant management rapidly changes woody vegetation persistence and abiotic habitat conditions but not herbaceous community composition". The project was conducted at seven publicly accessible remnant (i.e., unplowed or old-growth) tallgrass prairie within 100 miles of Madison, Wisconsin, United States starting in the 2020 growing season and commencing following the 2022 growing season. The goal was to assess the initial effects of different management interventions on woody vegetation persistence, abiotic habitat conditions, and herbaceous community composition, including physical and chemical management interventions and their combination. For more information please see the associated journal article: Charton, K. T., & Damschen, E. I. (2024). Grassland woody plant management rapidly changes woody vegetation persistence and abiotic habitat conditions but not herbaceous community composition. Journal of Applied Ecology, 61(9), 2020–2032. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14716

Effects of fire timing and snow cover on tallgrass prairie plant re‐emergence phenology, growth rate, and flowering

Ecological Applications · 2026-04-01

In a time of unprecedented global change, understanding plant community responses to contemporary disturbance regimes is necessary to improve the predictability of restoration outcomes. Although fires in tallgrass prairies historically occurred throughout the growing season, contemporary prescribed fires are often conducted during the dormant season, in either spring or fall. Dormant-season burns remove vegetation and litter at different times of year, which has subsequent effects on microclimate dynamics. These dynamics may compound with projected changes in winter climate, including decreased snow cover and more variable soil temperatures. Short-term responses to microclimate conditions are most detectable early in the growing season, yet plant community metrics are often measured broadly at one or a few points during the peak growing season. Understanding how disturbance timing and a changing climate influence plant community responses through and beyond these early stages of growth is an imperative step toward improving the ability to predict long-term plant community responses during restoration. To evaluate responses to disturbance and winter climate, we manipulated fire application, fire timing, and snow depth in a tallgrass prairie restoration from 2016 to 2023, then evaluated re-emergence timing in spring and subsequent effects on relative growth rate and flowering effort throughout the 2023 growing season. Plants re-emerged earlier and grew more slowly in fall burn treatments than in spring burn and unburned treatments. Within their respective disturbance treatments, plants that re-emerged faster tended to grow faster, and relative growth rate was positively correlated with the probability of flowering. Winter snow cover was not correlated with re-emergence or growth rate, but snow removal tended to decrease the probability of flowering. Our results suggest resilience to winter climate change in the short term and demonstrate cascading effects of fire application and timing on tallgrass prairie plant phenology and fitness responses.

A functional trait perspective on restored temperate grassland responses to changing winter insulation and managed disturbance by fire

American Journal of Botany · 2025-10-01 · 3 citations

PREMISE: Understanding how disturbance regimes influence temperate grasslands is crucial for adapting management strategies to climate change, particularly in response to the loss of winters. The interaction between disturbance and climate can alter winter soil insulation and potentially the plant community. Examining the role of functional traits in determining community outcomes can help inform whether grasslands will remain resilient to climate change or whether management will need to be adapted proactively. METHODS: We analyzed 7 years of data from a restored temperate grassland experiment to assess how the interaction between management type and timing (i.e., unmanaged control, spring burn, fall burn, and fall mow) and winter snow manipulations (i.e., snow reduction, snow control, and snow addition) affects plant community composition and whether functional traits are related to community turnover. RESULTS: Changes in the plant community were driven mainly by management type and timing, with minimal influence from winter snow manipulations. While greater stress tolerance was associated with colonization when winter soil insulation was low, overall functional traits had a relatively minor relationship with community turnover. CONCLUSIONS: The minimal effects of winter snow manipulations, combined with the community's shift toward stress-tolerant strategies when winter soil insulation was low, suggest that grasslands may be resilient to winter snow loss in the short term. However, limited colonization by species that are not stress tolerant could drive local extinctions over time. Management strategies that support colonization and retain soil insulation, such as spring burns that maintain disturbance while preserving insulating litter, may help prevent longer-term impacts.

Grassland woody plant management rapidly changes woody vegetation persistence and abiotic habitat conditions but not herbaceous community composition

Journal of Applied Ecology · 2024-07-10 · 6 citations

Abstract Grasslands are among the most imperilled ecosystems worldwide, and many have experienced degradation due to the loss of historical disturbance regimes and subsequent woody encroachment. Management practitioners often use physical and chemical management interventions in combination with fire to counter encroachment, altering aboveground structure and belowground function, respectively. This may disrupt the feedbacks that perpetuate encroachment and restore the herbaceous community. We use a large‐scale field experiment to assess the initial effects of different management interventions on woody vegetation persistence, abiotic habitat conditions, and herbaceous community composition. We evaluate these effects across seven sites spanning a natural soil moisture gradient to capture one aspect of environmental heterogeneity with which managers regularly contend. We found that chemical intervention, both with and without the addition of physical intervention, was most effective at reducing woody plant cover and abundance, and a second application reduced woody plant abundance by more than one application alone. We also found that any management intervention increased light availability and air temperature and decreased soil moisture, with the combination of physical and chemical interventions having the greatest effects. Finally, none of the management interventions affected herbaceous richness and functional group cover within the study period, indicating delayed or nonexistent effects on herbaceous community composition. Synthesis and application . Our findings suggest that management should focus on chemical intervention for the greatest effects on woody plant persistence and abiotic habitat conditions. Changes to herbaceous community composition may occur in the long term and seem likely since short‐term effects of management were successful in altering processes related to encroachment feedbacks.

Author response for "Habitat edges decrease plant reproductive output in fragmented landscapes"

2024-06-10

Rethinking the undergraduate textbook as a tool to build a diverse community of ecologists

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment · 2024-11-19 · 1 citations

Recruitment and retention of a diverse scientific workforce depends on a more inclusive culture of science. Textbooks introduce prospective scientists to their chosen field and convey its cultural norms. We use ecology textbook data spanning two decades and document little change in representation of scientists during that time. Despite decades of multifaceted efforts to increase diversity in ecology, 91% of founders/innovators and 76% of working scientists introduced in textbooks were white men, poorly matching the demographics of scientists currently publishing in ecology. Textbook images depicted white men working as scientists, while women and people of color were frequently shown as nonscientists. Moreover, textbooks lack discussion of how science and society shape each other. Pathways to increase retention and sense of belonging for individuals from historically excluded groups include updating textbooks to accurately represent the scientists active in the field, contextualizing historical constraints on participation, and revealing how culture shapes scientific investigations.