Assessing the status and climate change vulnerability of southeastern pollen-specialist bees for use by wildlife managers

The Southeastern United States (US) are home to a large diversity of endemic, native flowering plants and their insect pollinators, including many pollen-specialist bees. Despite ongoing threats from extreme events to the region, many of these specialist bees and their host plants have not been evaluated for their conservation status or vulnerability to climate change. Wildlife and resource managers rely on species assessments to inform their conservation planning and priorities, and climate change vulnerability assessments are valuable tools for integrating climate change science into these efforts. However, these assessments require significant capacity and technical expertise. Therefore, we are collaboratively conducting assessments for at-risk bee pollinator species identified by partners via expert opinion and two NatureServe tools: climate change vulnerability index and conservation status ranks. We have developed a list of candidate species for assessments, with input from taxa experts and an advisory committee of wildlife agency partners, including both state/territory and Tribal Nation biologists. A technical team of Southeast bee experts will complete preliminary assessments, which the advisory committee will finalize. The project, set for completion by the end of 2026, will address knowledge gaps around Southeastern US bee species and plants they pollinate, strengthen partnerships, and establish a foundation for climate adaptation and biodiversity conservation in the region.