On this episode we’re joined by Lauren Ponisio, associate professor of biology and food studies at the University of Oregon and principle investigator at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution. Ponisio discusses her research on native bees, the connections between pollinators and post-fire landscapes, and how native bee populations respond to changes in their environment. She explains how her team is planting native wildflowers in burned slash piles after the 2020 Holiday Farm fire to create pockets of bee habitat in Oregon’s managed forests, why early post-fire forests can be surprisingly rich in biodiversity, and what continued bee declines could mean for our food systems and wild landscapes. She also shares practical ways to help support native bees from your own backyard.

Topics

• Native bees vs. honeybees: what’s the difference? [0:30]
• Lauren’s work exploring the connection between native bees, seeds and wildfire [2:48]
• Working in the Holiday Farm fire burn area [6:59]
• Why timber landowners want to support bees [12:22]
• Why post-fire forests can be good for bees [15:18]
• What bee decline would mean for our food and wild landscapes [18:26]
• How to make your garden more bee-friendly [23:09]
• Final thoughts on protecting native bees [24:57]

Guest

Lauren Ponisio, assistant professor of biology and food studies and principal investigator at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution.

Resources

• The Buzz About Bees Exhibit at MNCH, explore the bee exhibit currently on display at the Museum of Natural and Cultural History on University of Oregon’s campus.
• Environmental leadership program, learn how University of Oregon students gain hands-on experience in conservation and environmental problem solving.
• Native bee restoration in timber in collaboration with OFRI, learn about native bee research and restoration in collaboration with Oregon Forest Resources Institute.
• Ponisio Lab in the Press, explore news, features, and updates about Lauren Ponisio’s lab research.
• “Making Nature Less Predictable”, read more on a feature of Ponisio’s research and the importance of ecological unpredictability.

Quotes

• “So when I moved to Oregon, I was driving around and I started seeing all of these clear cuts, and maybe it wasn’t the reaction that most people have, but I was like, gosh, you know, these would be really amazing places for bees.” [3:00]
• “A lot of owners, maybe smaller scale owners, they see their harvested forest as more than just places to harvest timber. They are…stewards of this landscape.” [12:56]
• “It’s called the Western bumblebee because it used to be the most common bumblebee in the West. It was everywhere… They’ve gone from the most common bee in the West to, like, one of the rarest.” [13:48]
• “There’s actually a common misconception that places like old growth forest have more biodiversity than what we call an early zero or early successional forest, which is a post-fire or even post-harvest forest. And actually it’s the opposite.” [15:33]
• “[Honeybees] are not in need of conservation concern, like something like the spotted owl… They’re in need of our attention and our support because our agricultural system relies on the European honeybee, but they don’t need conservation as such.” [26:13]

Listen to more episodes and explore the Oregon Podcast Network at news.uoregon.edu/podcasts