Examining the impacts of climate change on floral nutritional quality for pollinators

Poor nutrition and climate change are two of the major stressors of bee species and contribute to loss in pollinator populations. Plant pollen and nectar contain all essential macro- and micronutrients for both honey bees (Apis mellifera) as well as native bees. Nectar is the primary source of carbohydrates for bees, while pollen is the primary source of proteins, lipids, free amino acids, and many other micronutrients that bees require. Climate change is impacting availability of forage resources for bee species. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of climate change stressors, particularly heat and drought, on the nutritional quality of plant pollen and nectar, as well as their effects on plant physiology. During this study, sunflower plants were grown in controlled environments containing four different experimental groups. These groups consisted of heat stress, drought stress, combined heat and drought stress, as well as a control group. After the stress period, pollen and nectar were collected and assayed in the lab to determine nutritional content, and plant physiology was monitored using a variety of methods.