Buzzing Through Change: Landscape Ecology to Unravel Bumble Bee Dynamics in the Northern Great Plains

Bumble bees are crucial for both ecosystem health and agricultural productivity. These vital pollinators are declining due to complex issues like climate change and agricultural inputs. We utilized landscape genomic techniques to understand the intricate relationships between environmental factors and bumble bee ecology in North Dakota. From 2017-2020, 173 Bombus ternarius and 208 B. griseocollis bumble bees were sampled in ND across 13 and 17 sites respectively. We analyzed basic genetic diversity and structure measures to assess their current population health, and then explored potential links between these metrics and environmental factors. We anticipate influential factors to include land cover classes (i.e. grassland, cropland) and climatic variables (i.e. temperature, precipitation). We also expect populations in fragmented, isolated landscapes to show lower genetic diversity and higher inbreeding due to reduced gene flow. Our study’s findings will inform conservation strategies and further the understanding of bumble bee ecology in dynamic landscapes. The insights garnered from this study will also enrich our broader understanding of bumble bee ecology and inform targeted interventions to mitigate the threats posed by anthropogenic activities and environmental changes.