Integrating data to assess occupancy patterns of an endangered bumble bee

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Conservation Biology
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Integrating community science data with structured monitoring presents challenges for analyzing species distribution patterns.
• Pollinators, including bumble bees, are imperiled, necessitating effective methods for tracking their distribution changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and apply a dynamic framework for combining community science and structured monitoring data.
• To estimate changes in occupancy and extirpation risk for the endangered rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis).

Main Methods:

• Applied metapopulation theory and accounted for imperfect detection to estimate extirpation and colonization rates.
• Utilized a combination of community science and structured monitoring data for Bombus affinis in the Upper Midwest, USA.
• Analyzed occupancy dynamics from 2017 to 2022, correlating with environmental factors like drought.

Main Results:

• Despite a 144% increase in presence-only detections, Bombus affinis occupancy probabilities remained static or declined.
• Preliminary evidence suggests drought increases extirpation risk, but this is mitigated by a rescue effect from nearby populations.
• The study identified static or declining occupancy trends for this endangered bumble bee species.

Conclusions:

• The developed framework aids managers in tracking population recovery for Bombus affinis and other bumble bees.
• Accurate monitoring requires accounting for imperfect detection and spatial sampling biases, especially when using community science data.
• Conservation strategies must address factors like drought and inter-patch connectivity for bumble bee recovery.