Short project description

Wordwide, land-use intensification has resulted in large areas being dedicated to crop production, leaving less natural and semi-natural habitat to support pollinators. Even when habitat patches exist, their connectivity can be limited, requiring pollinators to travel across agricultural fields to access nesting and foraging areas. Pollinators vary in their ability to travel such distances without ‘refueling’, with some small species needing nectar and/or pollen sources within 100 meters of their nest.

The intrinsic value of agricultural weeds as valuable resources for pollinators has been previously documented, but it is unclear whether in-field presence would offer benefits that outweigh the added complexity of management that would demand from a producer. As such, this project seeks to answer the question: In Denmark, are our fields of a size and configuration where in-field weeds are needed to support native pollinator success? To answer this questions, this project will combine Geographical Information Systems (GIS) tools, land-use data, and pollinator ecology.

The project will support student learning about native pollinator species in Denmark, their foraging ranges, and dietary preferences, as well as agricultural land-use patterns across different regions. The project offers flexibility for the student to focus on the area they find most interesting for deeper learning such as habitat connectivity modelling or ecological value of weeds, along with spatial data analytical skills It is expected the analyses will result in publishable findings that contribute to both academic understanding and practical agricultural management strategies. .