Willamette Valley Prairie Pollinator Studies

Project ID: W912HZ-26-2-A019

Federal Agency: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Partner Institution: Institute for Applied Ecology

Fiscal Year: 2026

Alternative Project ID: To effectuate W912HZ-22-2-0021 P00004, the Research and Development Cooperative Agreement identified by FAIN W912HZ-22-2-0021 is hereby reissued as W912HZ-26-2
A019. This newly numbered cooperative agreement is necessary for the agency to adapt to the Army’s new contract writing system and ensures that all future activities related to this cooperative agreement can proceed without issue.
A new Cooperative Agreement (CA), W912HZ-26-2-A019, is being awarded to carry forward the option(s) that have not been exercised prior to the migration of Cooperative Agreement W912HZ-22-2-0021 into the new Acquisition Contract Writing System (ACWS).
This administratively newly numbered cooperative agreement, W912HZ-26-2-A019, will abide by the same terms and conditions agreed upon at award of CA W912HZ-22-2-0021.

Initial Funding: $94,980

Total Funding: $94,980

Principal Investigator: Harris, Scott

Agreement Technical Representative: Whitaker, Sherry

Abstract: 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: We propose to expand upon previous efforts (Kaye et al. 2021) by compiling detailed inventories of pollinators and describe the plant-pollinator networks at multiple prairie sites in the Willamette Valley. We will maintain a database of pollinators and plant-pollinator networks for these sites that will inform both investigations as part of this project and future questions addressing critical management and species conservation issues. We will publish our pollinator collection with the Oregon State Arthropod Collection. We will also leverage past efforts to better understand the mating systems and pollination biology of Willamette daisy, Kincaid’s lupine, and golden paintbrush. We will work with federal partners (BLM, USFWS, ACOE) to identify prairie sites that will be subject to management activities and assess the effects of those activities on plant-pollinator communities. We will communicate our findings via peer-reviewed publications, scientific conferences, public outreach, and meetings with project partners. 

Objective 1: Inventory pollinators and document plant-pollinator networks IAE has been conducting pollinator inventories and documenting plant-pollinator networks at multiple prairies in the Willamette Valley (Kaye et al. 2021). We will continue these surveys so that each prairie has 4 consecutive years of pollinator inventories, capturing important information on temporal variation in pollinator communities. We will add a new site managed by the ACOE, Dorena Prairie, which will result in 7 Willamette Valley (and Valley fringe) prairies, each with detailed pollinator inventories and descriptions of plant-pollinator networks. Our project partner Quamash EcoResearch (Dr. Susan Waters) has conducted similar efforts at prairies in the Puget Trough (Waters 2021). We will integrate data from both these efforts, creating the most complete dataset on prairie plant pollinators and networks in the Pacific Northwest. We will maintain a pollinator reference collection, publish the collection to the Oregon State Arthropod Collection, and develop a publicly-available resource (web-based, similar to Discover Life) for prairie pollinator identification. We will coordinate the public resource with the Oregon Bee Project, for which we already have an established collaboration. 

Objective 2: Understand the mating systems and pollination biology of rare plants We propose to conduct research to determine the mating systems and pollination biology of rare prairie plants (Willamette daisy, Kincaid’s lupine, and golden paintbrush). Our previous study revealed that Willamette daisy does not self-pollinate and is entirely dependent of pollinators for reproduction (Kaye et al. 2021). We will complete our study of Willamette daisy by assessing the effects of pollinators and genetic diversity (local or distant pollen sources) on additional vital rates (plant vigor, seed set, etc.) and also conduct an additional year of pollen supplementation studies. Our previous study of Willamette Daisy allowed us to perfect techniques to examine pollen supplementation, which we will utilize to conduct similar studies of Kincaid’s lupine and golden paintbrush. These studies will test the hypothesis that pollen 2  supplementation improves seed set, which would further elucidate the role of pollinators in reproduction of these species. We also propose to conduct detailed observations of the pollinators of Kincaid’s lupine and golden paintbrush, using the same techniques we successfully used to document pollinators of Willamette daisy. Upon completion of these experiments and observations, we will publish a peer-reviewed journal article on the mating systems, pollination biology, and key pollinators of these three rare species. 

Objective 3: Assess management effects on pollinator communities and plant-pollinator networks We will work with project partners (ACOE, BLM, USFWS) to identify at least 2 prairie sites scheduled for management or restoration activity (e.g., prescribed fire, herbicide). We will utilize a Before After Control Impact (BACI) study design with fire or herbicide as treatment and using the same protocols as Objective 1 to assess the effects of management actions on pollinator communities and plant-pollinator networks. We hypothesize that fire will have a negative effect on some species, especially shallow ground nesting bees within two years of disturbance, but little effect on other species. 

Objective 4: Conduct plant-pollinator network and pollinator community analyses Utilizing the combined dataset from Objective 1, we will analyze the variation in plant-pollinator networks in both space and time, using network analyses (Waters 2021) and multivariate statistical tools. The variation in latitude and other key environmental gradients represented by the sites in this database will allow us to test critical questions about how networks and pollinator communities vary along climatic, latitudinal, and other ecological gradients. We will test the hypotheses that these networks and communities vary along north-south gradients and differences in both precipitation (e.g., drought) and temperature. This approach will help elucidate critical plant and pollinator species and interactions that impact the reproduction of species of concern and identify critical steps to manage habitat for pollinators. We will publish our results in a peer-reviewed journal article and present our results at scientific and management conferences.