Dr. Saul-Gershenz will discuss several recent studies that have documented a large decline in insect abundance, biodiversity, and biomass in Europe, Puerto Rico, and the United States (including California), looking at changes in insect populations over a 30-year period. Each study used different methodologies and pointed to different causes of declines. If time permits, she will also speak about her current bee study to understand the impact of utility-scale solar energy development in California’s deserts, and how activities outside protected areas affect protected areas, such as national parks and reserves. Insects, plants, and underground resources are inseparable within their ecosystems. Conservation management policies need to reflect these complex relationships.
In addition, Leslie studies the chemical ecology, pollination ecology, and complex parasite-host interactions of solitary native bees and their nest parasites across the western US, including the Mojave Desert, the coastal sand dunes of Oregon, and eastern Washington. She has also collaborated on a bee inventory in the Mojave Desert, providing evidence that this amazing ecosystem is a biological hot spot for both native bees and plants; her research team found 170 species of bees in the intersection between the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts along the Highway 10 corridor in surveys at 3 solar energy facilities in one season.
Watch for an email from Marin CNPS on Monday, May 11, that will contain the instructions for joining this Zoom online presentation.
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Meeting ID: 913 9188 4751 Password: 003468