Over 80% of all terrestrial plant species require an animal pollinator (usually an insect) to reproduce. Unfortunately, insect pollinators are declining due to factors such as habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change. Climate change will lead to increasing temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, and more frequent extreme weather events. These changes will have a variety of effects on pollinators, including shifting species ranges, changes in phenology, and changes in the way species interactions play out. Plants will also be affected by climate change, and shifts in plant composition, abundance, and quality may also affect pollinator communities. Finally, the effects of climate change can combine with the effects of other stressors, such as habitat loss or pesticide exposure, magnifying the effects on pollinators. While climate change may be beneficial for some pollinator species, many will be negatively affected. Because of the far-reaching effects that climate change can have on these important insects, it is important to find ways to improve climate resilience of pollinators and pollinator habitat. In this talk, we will discuss 1) the variety of effects that climate change can have on insect pollinators, 2) our approach to improving climate resilience for pollinators and 3) specific recommendations for increasing climate resiliency of roadside pollinator habitat.
Buffering pollinators from negative effects of climate change requires us to restore and protect habitat, increase habitat connectivity, and reduce additional stressors. Roadsides and rights-of-way can provide valuable habitat for these pollinators that are so important to our economy and environment. With a network of potential habitat criss-crossing the landscape, roadsides present an ideal opportunity to provide habitat corridors, increasing habitat connectivity for pollinators. Attributes of climate resilient habitat include using native plants, ensuring that multiple plant species will be flowering throughout the growing season, providing nesting resources, and reducing mowing and herbicide use where possible.