Date of Award
January 2020
Degree Type
Open Access Thesis
Document Type
Master Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Biological Sciences
First Advisor
Valerie E. Peters
Department Affiliation
Biological Sciences
Second Advisor
David R. Brown
Department Affiliation
Biological Sciences
Third Advisor
Stephen C. Richter
Department Affiliation
Biological Sciences
Abstract
Anthropogenic disturbance has led to widespread losses in biodiversity. Native bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) provide essential pollination services and have been declining in abundance dramatically in recent years. One potential cause of these declines is anthropogenic disturbance. Eleven sites were established in Southeastern Kentucky, U.S.A. where surface mining for coal is common. Data was analyzed using generalized linear mixed-effect models to detect the most important landscape scale variables, including mining, in shaping bee communities. Bee species richness was significantly lower on sites that contained surface mines, but abundance was similar between mined and unmined sites. The proportion of each nesting group from each site was not significantly influenced by landscape variables in most cases. Cavity nesting bees, however, were most strongly influenced by the presence of a mine as well as the percent herbaceous cover and percent forest cover.
Copyright
Copyright 2020 Amanda Sheryl Dunaway
Recommended Citation
Dunaway, Amanda Sheryl, "The Importance Of Surface Mining As A Landscape Variable In Shaping Wild Bee Communities In Central Appalachian Forests" (2020). Online Theses and Dissertations. 657.
https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/657
