There is a general consensus that climate change in the southwestern United States will result in the region becoming warmer and drier throughout the 21st century (Darmenova, 2013).
Studies suggest more aggressive thinning treatments may increase fire resistance and provide greater resilience to future climate-related stress (Kerhoulas, 2013).
For this study, we focused on a warm, dry mixed conifer forest stand in southwestern Colorado.
Forest restoration treatments may be beneficial for pollinator-plant relationships by altering understory vegetation and habitat (Nyoka, 2010).
Pollinators of most forest systems are dominated by a mixture of bee species (order Hymenoptera). Flies (order Diptera) are the second largest pollinating group (Larson, 2001).
Overstory thinning and prescribed burning have the potential to substantially increase habitat suitability for pollinating insect taxa in ponderosa pine forests of the American Southwest (Nyoka, 2010).
Hypotheses:
Pollinator richness/abundance will be significantly higher in the thin/burn treatment areas with higher richness in bees.
Control and burn only treatments will have relatively similar pollinator richness/abundance with higher numbers of pollinator generalists (order Diptera).
