Biology seminar shines a spotlight on pollinator habitat restoration

The seminar was held in Life Science 185. Photo by Madison Hunter.

The 10th Biology Seminar of the spring semester was presented by Dr. Daniel Cariveau on Friday, March 26.

Hosted by Dr. Jessica Savage of the UMD Biology Department, Dr. Cariveau’s seminar covered the topic of "Restoration and wild bee communities: From rarity to pollination services."

Cariveau is an assistant professor in the department of entomology at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. He received his bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology from the University of Montana, and his PhD in ecology from Colorado State University.

“Bees are really important to our natural systems and cultural systems,” said Dr. Savage, to start off the seminar. It’s true—bees are an incredibly diverse group of organisms, with over 20,000 known species. That’s twice as many species as birds, according to Cariveau.

Dr. Cariveau speaking about pollinators. Photo by Madison Hunter.

“How can we most effectively create and maintain habitat for pollinators?” Cariveau asked in his seminar.

The main focus area of the talk was the creation and maintenance of pollinator habitats. He went on to outline various projects being done by the entomology and biology departments to ensure the restoration of pollinator habitats, as well as the work of grad students.

According to the UMN Bee Lab website, “Habitat loss is one of the primary factors leading to the decline in species abundance and richness.” This is why the Cariveau Lab is working to restore habitats and devise ways to prevent losses.

The Biology Seminars happen every Friday at 3:15 p.m. in Life Science 185. A full schedule of spring semester seminars can be found here.