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<DIV><FONT size=2>A nice feature from the web site of the NRCS Plant Materials
Program:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><A
href="http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/">http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<H1><FONT size=4>Feature: Pollinator Conservation</FONT></H1>
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<P class=minitext align=center><B><FONT size=2>Click to
enlarge<BR></FONT></B><A
title="Click to enlarge - Yellow banded bumble bee, Bombus terricola Photo by Jodi DeLong, The Xerces Society"
href="http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/news/images/terricola.jpg"
target=_blank><FONT size=2><IMG height=199
alt="Yellow banded bumble bee, Bombus terricola Photo by Jodi DeLong, The Xerces Society"
hspace=0
src="http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/news/images/terricola.jpg"
width=300 border=1></FONT></A><BR><FONT color=#aa3333 size=2><B>Yellow
banded bumble bee, Bombus terricola<BR>Photo by Jodi DeLong, The Xerces
Society</B></FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=top>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 1.5em"><BR><FONT size=2>Pollinators are an integral
part of our environment and are critically important in 35 percent of
global crop production. World wide, there are an estimated 20,000 bee
species, with approximately 4,000 species native to the United States (U.
S.). The non-native European honey bee is currently the most important
crop pollinator in the U. S. However, with the number of honey bee
colonies in decline because of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and other
problems, the role of native pollinators is even more important to the
future success of agriculture. Native bees provide free pollination
services that contribute an estimated $3 billion worth of crop pollination
annually to the U.S. economy. With these kinds of monetary savings
provided by native pollinators, it behooves us to do what we can to
protect and encourage this valuable natural
resource.</FONT></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P><FONT size=2>Protecting, enhancing, or providing habitat is the best way to
conserve native pollinators. Habitat enhancement with native plants provides
multiple on-farm benefits. In addition to supporting pollinators, native plant
habitat will also attract beneficial predatory insects that may lessen the need
for insecticide use. Pollinator habitat will also provide habitat for other
wildlife and birds, serve as windbreaks and buffers, help stabilize the soil,
and ultimately improve water quality. In other words, many of the core factors
that the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides to farmers on a
daily basis.</FONT></P>
<H3><FONT size=2>Pollinators have two basic habitat needs:</FONT></H3>
<OL>
<LI><FONT size=2>a diversity of flowering plants across the spring, summer,
and fall seasons</FONT>
<LI><FONT size=2>egg-laying or nesting sites</FONT></LI></OL>
<P><FONT size=2>Many producers may already have an abundance of habitat for
native pollinators. Marginal lands such as field borders, hedge rows,
sub-irrigated areas, and drainage ditches offer both nesting and foraging sites.
Wood lots, conservation easements, farm roads, and other untilled areas can also
provide habitat. Many times poor quality soils, unfit for crop production, may
be useful as pollinator habitat.</FONT></P>
<P class=note><STRONG><FONT size=2>To assess pollen and nectar resources, it is
important to look at all potential plant resources on the producer’s property
and note which plants are heavily visited by bees and other
pollinators.</FONT></STRONG></P>
<P><FONT size=2>For pollinators to be most effective, nectar and pollen
resources are needed all season. Evaluation of the existing plant communities on
the margins of crop land should include and conserve early-season and
late-season blooming plants. Early spring-flowering plants provide an important
food source for bees emerging from winter hibernation, and late fall-flowering
plants help bees build up their energy reserves before entering winter dormancy.
Bees need nesting and overwintering sites. In fact, for supporting native bee
populations, protecting or providing nesting sites is as important as providing
flowers.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2>Native bees often nest in inconspicuous locations. Most of North
America’s native bee species (70%) are ground nesters. These bees need direct
access to the soil’s surface to excavate and access their nests. The majority of
ground-nesting bees are solitary, though some will share nest entrances or
cooperate to excavate and supply the nest. Still other species will nest
independently, but in large aggregations with thousands of bees excavating nests
in the same area.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2>Approximately 30 percent of bees in North America are
exclusively solitary wood nesters. These bees nest in abandoned beetle tunnels
in logs, stumps, and snags. Thus, dead limbs, logs, and snags should be
preserved as pollinator nesting areas wherever possible. A few bees can chew out
the centers of woody plant stems and twigs to make nests there. The </FONT><A
href="http://www.xerces.org/" target=_blank><FONT size=2>Xerces Society for
Invertebrate Conservation</FONT></A><FONT size=2> has been working closely with
NRCS to increase the agency’s capacity to implement pollinator conservation
projects across the U. S. The society will help state and regional technical
support teams to develop tools necessary for implementing high-quality habitat.
This collaboration is particularly valuable in light of the pollinator
provisions in the 2008 Farm Bill.</FONT></P>
<H6><FONT size=2>Feature Credit: </FONT><A
href="http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/KSPMC"><FONT size=2>NRCS Manhattan
Plant Materials Center</FONT></A></H6>
<H3><FONT size=2>More Information</FONT></H3>
<UL>
<LI><A title="3rd Annual Pollinator Week 2009 - Events and Information"
href="http://www.pollinator.org/pollinator_week_2009.htm" target=_blank><FONT
size=2>3rd Annual Pollinator Week 2009 - Events and
Information</FONT></A><FONT size=2> - June 22-28, 2009</FONT>
<LI><A href="http://www.xerces.org/" target=_blank><FONT size=2>Xerces Society
for Invertebrate Conservation</FONT></A>
<LI><A href="http://www.pollinator.org/" target=_blank><FONT size=2>North
American Pollinator Protection Campaign/Pollinator Partnership
(NAPPC)</FONT></A>
<LI><A href="http://www.pollinator.org/guides.htm" target=_blank><FONT
size=2>NAPPC Eco-Regional Guides to Pollinator-Friendly Plantings</FONT></A>
<LI><A href="http://plants.usda.gov/pollinators/NRCSdocuments.html"
target=_blank><FONT size=2>PLANTS NRCS documents for pollinator conservation
and enhancement</FONT></A>
<LI><A
href="http://www.plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/pollinators.html"
target=_blank><FONT size=2>Plant Materials Program - Plants for
Pollinators</FONT></A>
<LI><A href="http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/index.shtml"
target=_blank><FONT size=2>Celebrating Pollinators</FONT></A><FONT size=2> -
Our Future Flies on the Wings of
Pollinators</FONT></LI></UL></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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<DIV><FONT size=1><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT
size=1>______________________________________________________</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><STRONG>The Xerces Society for Invertebrate
Conservation</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=1>The Xerces Society is an international
nonprofit organization that </FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=1>protects wildlife through the conservation of
invertebrates and their </FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=1>habitat. </FONT></FONT><FONT face=Arial><FONT
size=1>To </FONT></FONT><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=1>join the Society, make a
</FONT></FONT><FONT size=1>contribution</FONT><FONT size=1>, </FONT><FONT
size=1>or read about our </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>work, </FONT><FONT size=1>please visit </FONT><FONT size=1><A
href="http://www.xerces.org/">www.xerces.org</A>.</FONT></DIV></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>Matthew Shepherd</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>Senior Conservation Associate</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>4828 SE Hawthorne Boulevard, Portland, OR 97215,
USA</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>Tel: 503-232 6639 Cell: 503-807 1577 Fax: 503-233
6794</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>Email: </FONT><A href="mailto:mdshepherd@xerces.org"><FONT
size=1>mdshepherd@xerces.org</FONT></A><FONT size=1> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><FONT
size=1>______________________________________________________</FONT></FONT></DIV>
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