Nurturing Biodiversity: Pollinator Pathways, Corridors, Patches, and Stepping Stones in the Sonoran Desert – Part 2

Creating Bee-Friendly Spaces: Pollinator Patches and Stepping Stones in Sonoran Desert Neighborhoods

In Part 1 of this series we looked at how creating corridors, patches and stepping stones can enable pollinators in residential and commercial areas where their habitat has been grossly fragmented.

Habitat loss and fragmentation are the leading cause of reduced biodiversity, and this affects native bees to a larger degree than it does the honeybee.

As the sun beats down on the Sonoran Desert, a bustling community of small bees seeks out sustenance amidst the arid landscape. Their journey is not without its challenges, but with a little help from conscientious residents, we can make a big difference. In this blog post, we’ll explore how pollinator patches and stepping stones play a crucial role in aiding these tiny navigators in their quest for food.

When it comes to bee foraging, two key factors come into play: body size and sociality. Large bees have the advantage of covering greater distances, enabling them to access patches and stepping stones that are further apart. This ability makes them more resilient in the face of habitat fragmentation.

Sociality, or the level of community within a bee species, also influences foraging behavior. Colonies, characterized by their complex communication strategies, can cover larger forage ranges compared to solitary bees. This enhanced communication allows them to efficiently navigate through fragmented habitats, ensuring a steady supply of nectar and pollen.

Imagine a small bee in a residential neighborhood, faced with patches of flowering plants scattered across the area. Without some strategically placed “stepping stones,” this journey can be a daunting task. Stepping stones act as intermediate stops, providing resting places and additional food sources for bees in transit.

For small bees, these stepping stones are a lifeline. They break up the long stretches between patches, offering much-needed respite and sustenance. By creating these intermediary stations, we can significantly enhance the chances of these pollinators successfully navigating our neighborhoods.

Highly social bee species, with their sophisticated communication networks, take resource management to a whole new level. Scouts are dispatched to identify and recruit nest mates to patches and stepping stones rich in high-quality resources. This collective effort ensures that the entire colony thrives.

However, it’s essential to note that large colonies, while efficient, can also locally deplete food sources due to their substantial population. This motivates them to venture further in search of sustenance. This behavior highlights the importance of maintaining a diverse range of flowering plants to support the diverse appetites of these generalist foragers.

By understanding the unique challenges small bees face in our Sonoran Desert neighborhood, we can take steps to make their journey a little easier. Through the creation of pollinator patches and stepping stones, we provide vital support to these essential pollinators. Together, we can transform our residential areas into vibrant, bee-friendly habitats that benefit both nature and our community. Let’s join hands in nurturing these tiny navigators on their quest for food!

In Part 3 of this series we present the interactive game Bee Savvy: Pollinator Pathways

For a visual of foraging ranges for some bee genus (not focused on native Sonoran Desert bees), here is a graph published in the National Library of Medicine. Note that the x-axis is on a log-10 scale, so 0.1 represents about 4100 feet.

Resources

The potential and realized foraging movements of bees are differentially determined by body size and sociality