Beescapes

Internationally there is emerging evidence of the need to retain both managed and wild bee populations to mitigate disruptions to pollination services. Resource requirements for bee species other than the European honeybee, however, are poorly understood. My research uses a new method of genetic analysis known as pollen ‘meta-barcoding’ to investigate the pollen diets of Australian native bees. The method is an extension of the barcoding technique used to create unique DNA ‘barcodes’ for plants, which allows for faster identification of plant material. I aim to document the pollen diets of stingless and solitary bee species in forested and agroecological landscapes, thus providing a better understanding of what vegetation is required to support such species and the pollination services they provide.