Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge Bumblebee (Bombus) Surveys

In 2018 USFWS retained Environmental Solutions & Innovations, Inc. and Stone Environmental to complete bumble bee surveys and provide management recommendations to enhance pollinator habitat and populations at Missisquoi NWR. Survey methods followed the guidance issued by USFWS Ecological Services for rusty patched bumble bee, with an expansion to survey all bumble bee species and record time of collection. Survey objectives included an inventory of bumble bee species in habitats with high availability of floral resources, such as early successional grasslands/meadows/old fields or shrubby wetlands; on National Wildlife Refuges between 1 June and 15 September in areas with available floral resources. Sampling objectives for each survey site were: generate a bumble bee species list, measure bumble bee species richness and relative abundance by species, and explore habitat relationships with bumble bee richness and abundance. In 2018, bumble bee surveys were conducted at 12 sites, resulting in the detection of 992 individuals of 12 species.

2018年，美国鱼类和野生动物管理局（USFWS）委托环境解决方案与创新公司（Environmental Solutions & Innovations, Inc.）与斯通环境公司，承接密西斯阔伊国家野生动物保护区（Missisquoi NWR）的熊蜂调查工作，并提出管理建议以优化传粉者栖息地、提升传粉者种群规模。本次调查遵循美国鱼类和野生动物管理局生态服务部门发布的锈斑熊蜂（rusty patched bumble bee）调查指南，并将调查范围拓展至所有熊蜂物种，同时记录样本采集时间。本次调查目标为：于国家野生动物保护区内，在6月1日至9月15日期间，对具备充足蜜粉源植物资源的生境（如早期演替草原、草甸、弃耕地或灌丛湿地）开展熊蜂物种清查。各调查样点的采样目标包括：生成目标区域的熊蜂物种名录、测定熊蜂物种丰富度及各物种的相对丰度，并探究熊蜂丰富度、丰度与栖息地特征之间的关联。2018年，研究团队共在12个样点开展熊蜂调查，累计记录到12个物种的992头熊蜂个体。