主要研究 今天

Shyloh费儒 skillfully swings an insect collection net along a row of mature apple trees in an orchard in southern New Hampshire. 他沿着这排走, 在苹果树旁把网追来追去, joking that his lacrosse skills are finally being put to good use while he avoids disrupting the recent white blossoms covering each tree. 费儒’s research goals are to understand how Granite State farmers’ management of their crops affects bee populations, 反过来, 帮助食品生产商取得成功. 这项工作支持 NH农业试验站 科学家 丰富的史密斯’s broader research goals of improving the quantity and quality of ecosystem services derived from agriculture.

这项工作代表了紧密结合 三大支柱 联合国大学的赠地使命:研究、教学和推广. 费儒的研究有助于推动空间站科学的发展, 这是他在主要研究生命科学与农业学院(COLSA)学习的一部分。 自然资源硕士项目 他的经验告诉他 联合国卫生组织合作推广.

为什么新罕布什尔州的果园里有各种各样的蜜蜂?

“通过我在Extension的角色, 我和新罕布什尔州的农民一起工作过, many of whom expressed an interest in knowing the types of 蜜蜂 that they have on their farms,费儒说。, 谁也是诊断服务项目经理 主要研究植物病害 & 诊断服务实验室. “所有这些不同的蜜蜂种类都有不同的需求, and the farmers want to know which species are out there helping them create their product and make a profit.”

他补充说, “Another goal is to look at the growing practices employed at these different orchards to identify trends or patterns that potentially result in the presence or absence of different bee species.”

苹果是花岗岩州产量最高的农产品之一. 根据美国农业部的人口普查数据, 新罕布什尔州有228个农场，种植50个品种的苹果,500英亩土地. 2017年，花岗岩州的苹果农民收获了价值超过8美元的苹果.600万年.

回到果园, 费儒的网里有几十只嗡嗡作响的昆虫，其中大部分是蜜蜂，它们代表了不同物种的样本 本地的 和非本地物种，从更容易识别的欧洲蜜蜂(的蜜蜂)及东部大黄蜂(Bombus凤仙花属植物)到不太知名的泥瓦匠(壁蜂采bicornis)和木匠(Xylocopa属) 蜜蜂. 费儒, 谁的研究重点是环境保护和可持续发展, 正在新罕布什尔苹果树开花的时候进行为期两周的数据收集. The study requires long days—sometimes surveying at as many as three orchards per day—while crisscrossing the state to capture data at 25 different orchards and ensuring that he doesn’t miss this narrow window, 在新罕布什尔州的不同地区会有所不同.

“I wanted to make sure I collect only when the blooms are present so that I can share with the farmers what bee pollinators are active during this time,费儒说。, 当他接近终点时，他还在挥动他的网. “不同的蜜蜂在一年中不同的时间出来. 然而, 许多蜜蜂种类在花期外出, 帮助苹果和其他植物授粉, may not be around later in the year or even later in the month—so it’s important to sample during this time.”

团队合作

幸运的是, 费儒的团队包括COLSA的研究生和本科生, 以及推广专家和农民本身. At each orchard, 费儒 and his team employ a combination of active and passive data collection. The active method—the netting—is conducted at least twice per day along three different 100-meter-long transects, with three 15-minute collection events (or passes with the net) being performed along each transect. 这三个横截面代表果园的三个不同部分:中间, 一条边又沿着一排 麦金托什红色一种几乎每个地区果园都种植的品种. Passive collection involves using bright-yellow plastic bowls filled with soapy water to attract 蜜蜂.

一旦完成, 费儒和他的团队将在每个农场进行18次收集活动, 或者总共450个. Overall, they will have collected bee species from orchards in all 10 Granite State counties.

“我喜欢蜜蜂，”费儒说. “我本科时做过一些永利app新版本官网地址蜜蜂的研究, and honestly I’m curious—I want to know how the bee communities around the state are similar or different.”

“我对蜜蜂很了解,他补充道, “我希望在这门课结束时，我能对苹果有很多了解, 太.”

“有很多我们最喜欢的当地和地区食物, 包括苹果, 相信那里有足够多的蜜蜂,史密斯说。, an associate professor in the natural resources and the environment department and 费儒’s master’s thesis adviser. “不幸的是，我们也知道，在全球范围内，传粉者的数量正在下降.”

“Shyloh’s work will shed new light on the health of bee communities here in New Hampshire and will provide apple growers in our state and elsewhere with knowledge of the specific types of 蜜蜂 that visit orchards,史密斯补充道, “as well as insight into the farm management practices that are likely to help protect bee populations.”