Forbs included in conservation seed mixes exhibit variable blooming detection rates and cost‐effectiveness: implications for pollinator habitat design

作者：Simanonok Stacy C.; Otto Clint R. V.; Iovanna Rich

来源：Restoration Ecology, 2022, 30(8).

DOI：10.1111/REC.13657

• bees
• Conservation Reserve Program
• private land conservation programs
• seed cost

Although forb‐rich plantings for pollinator habitat are becoming more common, natural resource managers lack insight on the cost‐effectiveness of forbs seeded in private land conservation programs. Additional information on the possible benefits of including more forb species in a mix may help guide the design of future pollinator habitat. We examined the detection of blooming forbs from seed mixes, colonization of non‐seeded blooming forbs, and bee utilization of forbs on private lands enrolled in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation programs. By obtaining the original seed mixes used on conservation program lands and sampling forbs and bees, we provide a first‐hand evaluation of the cost‐effectiveness of USDA conservation plantings in a field setting. We identified seeded forbs with the highest blooming detection rates and the most common colonizing forbs across 27 sites, the majority of which were considered young conservation plantings. We additionally designated 16 forbs as the mos...