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Harvard Forest Research Project 2022

  • Title: Black gum (Nyssa sylvatica) pollinator survey
  • Principal investigator: Evan Preisser (preisser@uri.edu)
  • Institution: University of Rhode Island
  • Primary contact: Evan Preisser (preisser@uri.edu)
  • Team members: Caroline Cohen
    Katharine Harrison
    Zachary Lee
    Maxwell McGuire
    Sophia Szeneitas
  • Abstract:

    There is increasing interest in understanding the role played by forest trees in sustaining forest insect communities. This especially true for pollinating insects that utilize pollen and nectar provided by flowering trees. Because black gum (Nyssa sylvatica) bloom later than most spring-flowering trees, they may play a critical role in extending the floral resources available to forest pollinators. While N. sylvatica has been shown to support a variety of native bees in eastern Maryland, their pollinator communities have not been studied in the Northeast. We propose to survey the pollinator fauna of N. sylvatica trees growing at Harvard Forest.