Clint Otto is a Research Ecologist for the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in Jamestown, North Dakota.
The principle goal of my research program is to investigate the impacts of land-use change on wildlife habitat and ecosystem services in the Prairie Pothole Region. Much of my research focuses on the development of decision-support tools for informing natural resource policy and management. Some of my current research projects include modeling the effects of agricultural land-use change on pollinator habitat, health and national pollination services. I am also working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to quantify the benefits of land conservation programs on pollinator habitat and other ecosystem services.
Professional Experience
Research Ecologist, USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Education and Certifications
Michigan State University (Ph.D.), 2012
Towson University (M.S.), 2006
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (B.S.), 2002
Science and Products
Patch utilization and flower visitations by wild bees in a honey bee-dominated, grassland landscape
Farmland in U.S. Conservation Reserve Program has unique floral composition that promotes bee summer foraging
Honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies benefit from grassland/ pasture while bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) colonies in the same landscapes benefit from non-corn/soybean cropland
Honey bee foraged pollen reveals temporal changes in pollen protein content and changes in forager choice for abundant versus high protein flowers
Pollinator communities vary with vegetation structure and time since management within regenerating timber harvests of the Central Appalachian Mountains
Floral resource selection by wild bees and honey bees in the Midwest United States: Implications for designing pollinator habitat
Land conversion and pesticide use degrade forage areas for honey bees in America’s beekeeping epicenter
Landscape characterization of floral resources for pollinators in the Prairie Pothole Region of the United States
A century of pollen foraging by the endangered rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis): Inferences from molecular sequencing of museum specimens
Towards a U.S. national program for monitoring native bees
Flowering plants preferred by bees of the Prairie Pothole Region
An updated genetic marker for detection of Lake Sinai Virus and metagenetic applications
Determining the dietary preferences and population genetics of an endangered bumble bee, Bombus affinis, by maximizing the use of museum specimens
Quantifying the effects of land-use change and bioenergy crop production on ecosystem services in the Northern Great Plains
The pollinator library: a decision-support tool for improving national pollinator conservation efforts
Understanding how land-use change in the Northern Great Plains affects pollinator health and pollination services
Improving forage for honey bees and native pollinators on Federal conservation lands
Data release for: "Does the quality and quantity of honey bee-collected pollen vary across an agricultural land-use gradient?"
Genetic detection of Lake Sinai Virus in honey bees (Apis mellifera) and other insects
Dataset: Plant and bee transects in the Northern Great Plains 2015-2018
Dataset: Molecular identification of honey bee collected pollen in the Northern Great Plains, 2015-2016
Nutritional physiology of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) workers across an agricultural land use gradient dataset
Using colony monitoring devices to evaluate the impacts of land use and forage quality on honey bee health datasets
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 32
Patch utilization and flower visitations by wild bees in a honey bee-dominated, grassland landscape
Understanding habitat needs and patch utilization of wild and managed bees has been identified as a national research priority in the United States. We used occupancy models to investigate patterns of bee use across 1030 transects spanning a gradient of floral resource abundance and richness and distance from apiaries in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of the United States. Estimates of transectFarmland in U.S. Conservation Reserve Program has unique floral composition that promotes bee summer foraging
Bee conservation is a topic of global concern, particularly in agroecosystems where their contribution to crop pollination is highly valued. Over a decade ago, bees and other pollinators were made a priority of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), a U.S. federal program that pays land owners to establish a conservation cover, typically grassland, on environmentally sensitive farmland. Despite lHoney bee (Apis mellifera) colonies benefit from grassland/ pasture while bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) colonies in the same landscapes benefit from non-corn/soybean cropland
Agriculturally important commercially managed pollinators including honey bees (Apis mellifera L., 1758) and bumble bees (Bombus impatiens Cresson, 1863) rely on the surrounding landscape to fulfill their dietary needs. A previous study in Europe demonstrated that managed honey bee foragers and unmanaged native bumble bee foragers are associated with different land uses. However, it is unclear howHoney bee foraged pollen reveals temporal changes in pollen protein content and changes in forager choice for abundant versus high protein flowers
Protein derived from pollen is an essential component of healthy bee diets. Protein content in honey bee foraged-pollen varies temporally and spatially, but the drivers underlying this variation remain poorly characterized. We assessed the temporal and spatial variation in honey bee collected pollen in 12 Michigan apiaries over 3 summers (2015–2017). We simultaneously monitored forage in floweringPollinator communities vary with vegetation structure and time since management within regenerating timber harvests of the Central Appalachian Mountains
Native pollinator populations across the United States are increasingly threatened by a multitude of ecological stressors. Although the drivers behind pollinator population declines are varied, habitat loss/degradation remains one of the most important threats. Forested landscapes, where the impacts of habitat loss/degradation are minimized, are known to support robust pollinator populations in eaFloral resource selection by wild bees and honey bees in the Midwest United States: Implications for designing pollinator habitat
Many seed mix recommendations for creating pollinator habitat are in part based on anecdotal evidence or field observations of bees visiting forbs (i.e. use). However, there is limited information on what forbs are preferred by bees, particularly in working landscapes where bee forage may be limited. We examined floral resource selection by wild bees and honey bees on grasslands in the Midwest usiLand conversion and pesticide use degrade forage areas for honey bees in America’s beekeeping epicenter
A diverse range of threats have been associated with managed bee declines globally. Recent increases of two known threats, land-use change and pesticide use, have resulted from agricultural expansion and intensification notably in the top honey producing state in the United States (U.S.): North Dakota. This study investigated the dual threat from land conversion and pesticide use surrounding ~14,0Landscape characterization of floral resources for pollinators in the Prairie Pothole Region of the United States
Across agricultural areas of the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR), floral resources are primarily found on public grasslands, roadsides, and private grasslands used as pasture or enrolled in federal conservation programs. Little research has characterized the availability of flowers across the region or identified the primary stakeholders managing lands supporting pollinators. We explored spatial andA century of pollen foraging by the endangered rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis): Inferences from molecular sequencing of museum specimens
In 2017 the rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) became the first bee listed under the Endangered Species Act in the continental United States due to population declines and an 87% reduction in the species’ distribution. Bombus affinis decline began in the 1990s, predating modern bee surveying initiatives, and obfuscating drivers of decline. While understood to be a highly generalist forager,Towards a U.S. national program for monitoring native bees
North America has more than 4000 bee species, yet we have little information on the health, distribution, and population trends of most of these species. In the United States, what information is available is distributed across multiple institutions, and efforts to track bee populations are largely uncoordinated on a national scale. An overarching framework for monitoring U.S. native bees could prFlowering plants preferred by bees of the Prairie Pothole Region
Land managers have stressed the need for improved pollinator habitat on private and public lands of the Prairie Pothole Region. Understanding flowering plant preferences of pollinators will improve the cost-effectiveness of conservation seeding mixes. The purpose of this fact sheet is to assist conservation planners and producers with developing seed mixes by highlighting flowering plants that areAn updated genetic marker for detection of Lake Sinai Virus and metagenetic applications
BackgroundLake Sinai Viruses (LSV) are common RNA viruses of honey bees (Apis mellifera) that frequently reach high abundance but are not linked to overt disease. LSVs are genetically heterogeneous and collectively widespread, but despite frequent detection in surveys, the ecological and geographic factors structuring their distribution in A. mellifera are not understood. Even less is known about - Science
Determining the dietary preferences and population genetics of an endangered bumble bee, Bombus affinis, by maximizing the use of museum specimens
Bombus affinis, the rusty patched bumble bee, was federally listed as an endangered species in 2017 and has been identified as one of the top priority species for recovery nationally. Shortly after listing the species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and other partners prioritized the research needed to prevent the extinction of B. affinis. Some of the top research needs that were identified...Quantifying the effects of land-use change and bioenergy crop production on ecosystem services in the Northern Great Plains
Rising commodity crop prices, increased federal subsidies for biofuels, such as corn-based ethanol and soy-based biodiesel, and reduction in U.S. Farm Bill conservation programs have facilitated rapid land-use changes in the Northern Great Plains (NGP). Although renewable biofuels are touted as a mechanism for increasing energy security and potentially reducing greenhouse gas emissions, little is...The pollinator library: a decision-support tool for improving national pollinator conservation efforts
Pollinator declines have emphasized the need for a greater understanding of plant-pollinator networks and land management activities that improve pollinator habitat. At the request of USDA and FWS partners, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center created the Pollinator Library for managers and researchers interested in improving pollinator forage on federal and private lands. The aim of the...Understanding how land-use change in the Northern Great Plains affects pollinator health and pollination services
Societal dependence on insects for pollination of agricultural crops has risen amidst concerns over global pollinator declines. Habitat loss and lack of forage have been implicated in the decline of managed and native pollinators in the U.S. Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center is conducting a regional research project to understand how land use affects honey bee colony health, and the...Improving forage for honey bees and native pollinators on Federal conservation lands
Since its inception in 1933, the U.S. Farm Bill has been one of the most influential federal policies for agriculture and food production. Provisions within the Farm Bill have profound influence on global trade, nutrition programs, commodity crop programs, rural communities, and land conservation. Northern Prairie’s research quantifies the impact on pollinator forage and health of USDA... - Data
Data release for: "Does the quality and quantity of honey bee-collected pollen vary across an agricultural land-use gradient?"
This dataset includes pollen sample weight in grams and percent crude protein collected by honey bees (Apis mellifera) across 38 apiaries in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota approximately weekly from June through September in 2015 and 2016. Additionally it includes the hectares of different land covers (corn, Zea mays, & soybeans, Glycine max, grasslands, bee fGenetic detection of Lake Sinai Virus in honey bees (Apis mellifera) and other insects
Lake Sinai Viruses (LSV) are common ribonucleic acid (RNA) viruses of honey bees (Apis mellifera) that frequently reach high abundance but are not linked to overt disease. LSVs are genetically heterogeneous and collectively widespread, but despite frequent detection in surveys, the ecological and geographic factors structuring their distribution in A. mellifera are not understood. Even less is knoDataset: Plant and bee transects in the Northern Great Plains 2015-2018
These data were collected to fulfill multiple Inter-agency agreements established by USGS and multiple partners: USDA Farm Service Agency, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Honey Bee Health Coalition. In this study USGS scientists conducted floral resource and insect pollinator assessments across multiple land covers in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota from 2015 to 201Dataset: Molecular identification of honey bee collected pollen in the Northern Great Plains, 2015-2016
In this study USGS scientists collected pollen samples from honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies distributed across North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota, in 2015 and 2016. Sequencing of nuclear ribosomal loci was used to to determine the number and abundance of flowering plant taxa. The data contain counts of Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTU) reads of honey bee collected pollen from apiary loNutritional physiology of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) workers across an agricultural land use gradient dataset
These data describe land use (summed hectares of agricultural crops: corn, soy, and small grains), individual honey bee nutrition, honey bee colony population size, and proportional honey bee colony survival among 36 apiaries across Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.Using colony monitoring devices to evaluate the impacts of land use and forage quality on honey bee health datasets
Honey bee colonies located in 2 apiaries in North Dakota were fitted with two types of monitoring device: pollen traps and scales. Data were collected from devices periodically throughout the 2014 season (May-October). Data derived from pollen traps included: the total fresh weight of pollen collected, the percent crude protein content, the percent content of each amino acid, and DNA identificat