Pollination by Native Bee Communities in Berkeley, California

Abstract

Urban agriculture is on the rise in many areas throughout California. Native bees are a viable option to satisfy the growing demand for sustainable pollination services. Nevertheless, little is known about native bee ecology. This study examines native bee pollination in two urban agricultural sites that differ in their proximity to natural habitat. Squash, tomato, strawberry and sunflower plants were observed at the Oxford track and Berkeley Youth Alternative garden in Berkeley, California. Data collected from both sites include; distance from natural habitat, diversity of native bee pollinators and their visitation rates. I hypothesized that the Oxford Tract would have higher native bee diversity and visitation rates than the Berkeley Youth Alternative garden, because the Oxford Tract was closer to native bee habitat. The community statistics gave mixed results for genus richness and evenness. The t-test indicated no significance of visitation rates for each plant type between each site. Results indicated that close proximity to natural habitat had no effect on native bee visitation rates to crops. The factors expected to contribute to a healthy native bee population are: common floral resources between native and non-native habitats, habitat fragmentation and age variability of gardens. City planners and conservationists should be cognizant of these factors when developing an urban agricultural site that can provide food and sustain biodiversity.