D3100: Trap type and placement influence urban forest pollinator diversity assessment

Urban forest fragments offer refuge, early floral resources, and nesting substrates to native pollinators. However, without clustered focal flowers, monitoring pollinator populations in these remanent habitats proves difficult. Blue vane traps (BVT) and colored pan traps (CPT) are two common methods for passive sampling of bees. We deployed both BVT and CPT at forest edges and interiors in 8 urban fragmented forests in Athens, GA. Blue vane traps containing a preservative saltwater solution were deployed in the canopy at 15 m for 1 week, while colored (blue, white, and yellow) pan traps resting on wire ring stands were deployed for 48 hours to prevent excessive evaporation. Bees were sampled weekly from late February through August to detect fine scale phenology of native pollinators. We detected differences in species abundance, richness, and diversity between interior and edge and trap type. Given these results, BVT and CPT used in tandem gather a greater picture of the pollinator community in urban forest systems.