NCC reptile and amphibian technician, Louis Gagnon, records data during field variations of species at risk habitat models (Photo by NCC)
Improving restoration by understanding fescue prairie plant and pollinator relationships
Pollinators play a key role in supporting native prairies. In turn, prairies support pollinator populations, which help to pollinate important crops such as canola. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) works to manage native fescue prairie habitats in Manitoba, providing benefits to local cropland through enhanced pollinator services.
In partnership with NCC, Dr. Diana Robson of the Manitoba Museum is conducting research to better understand the relationship between pollinators and native fescue prairie plants. Her work will help to identify the most important plant-pollinator relationships in this unique habitat. The research will identify interactions between plants and pollinators, identify core plant species that drive pollinator abundance and calculate the flower preference index for key pollinator species.
By identifying plants that support important crop pollinators and can be used in restoration seed mixtures, this research will help NCC improve our restoration practices. By including these key plants, NCC can ensure that restored fescue prairies include strong pollinator populations that support both crops and other important fescue plants.