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Degree Name
MS (Master of Science)
Program
Biology
Date of Award
12-2026
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Arceo Gomez
Committee Members
Benjamin Lee, Ryan Stephens
Abstract
Species competition is a key ecological process determining species coexistence and community assembly. In plant-pollinator systems, understanding how pollinators respond behaviorally to competitive interactions is critical to identifying the mechanisms that shape pollinator niche breadth and the structure of plant-pollinator communities. Theoretical models predict that changes in foraging behavior (adaptive foraging) mitigate floral resource overlap and facilitate coexistence in the presence of competitors. However, empirical tests of bee foraging responses in the absence of competitors remain limited. Here, I investigated adaptive foraging responses across three native bee species, Bombus, Osmia, and Andrena, in response to a natural fluctuation in the density of Apis mellifera, a dominant introduced competitor. The study took place in plant communities at the McLaughlin Nature Reserve in California where honeybee abundance declined significantly between 2021 and 2022, providing an opportunity to assess shifts in foraging behavior under reduced competitive pressure.
Document Type
Thesis - restricted
Recommended Citation
Wright, Cody, "Changes in Native Bee Foraging Behavior Following Reductions in Honeybee Density" (2026). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 4762. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/4762
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.
