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Michael Simanonok, PhD (Former Employee)

Science and Products

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Photo of museum specimens of Bombus affinis.

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...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
link

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...
Learn More

Rusty Patched Bumble Bee Pollen Metagenome

The rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) is a listed species under the Endangered Species Act of the United States. While understood to be a highly generalist forager, little is known on the role that limited floral resources or shifting floral community composition could have played in B. affinis decline. Determining which floral species provide suitable B. affinis forage could...
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

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 forage crops, and...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Dataset: 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...
By
Species Management Research Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Bee habitat, but not bee community structure, varies across grassland management in four national parks in the Mid-Atlantic, USA

National parks in the U.S. play a large role in providing habitat for native pollinators. In parks that are established to preserve cultural landscapes, park managers recognize an opportunity to improve pollinator habitat while maintaining historically accurate conditions. In this study we document floral resources and native bees within managed park grasslands, with the goal of...
Authors
Diane L. Larson, Andrew P Landsman, Michael Simanonok, Jennifer Larson, Cora Davies, Clint R.V. Otto
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Floral Composition of Pollen Collected from a Rusty Patched Bumble Bee (Bombus affinis, Cresson) Nest in Southeastern Minnesota

Understanding the forage diets of imperiled bumble bees can improve conservation planning and habitat restoration efforts. In this study, we describe the taxonomic composition of bee-collected pollen from 2 Rusty Patched Bumble Bee (Bombus affinis, Cresson) nests located in southeastern Minnesota. This is the first published reporting of pollen collected from active B. affinis nests. We...
Authors
Michael Simanonok, Elaine Evans, Clint R.V. Otto, Robert S. Cornman, Deborah Iwanowicz, Tamara A. Smith
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Comparison of microscopy and metabarcoding to identify pollen used by the critically endangered rusty patched bumble bee, Bombus affinis

Taxonomic analysis of pollen collected by bees can provide insights into their host plant use, providing information about the plant species selected for targeted conservation strategies. The two main identification approaches used are morphological analysis of pollen samples affixed to microscope slides (i.e., microscopic palynology) and molecular analysis of samples. Both methods are...
Authors
Michael P. Simanonok, Deborah Iwanowicz, Clayton D. Raines, Thomas J. Wood, Rufus Isaacs, Robert S. Cornman, Clint R.V. Otto
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Landscape 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...
Authors
Matthew Smart, Clint R.V. Otto, Alisa L. Gallant, Michael P. Simanonok
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center , Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

A 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...
Authors
Michael P. Simanonok, Clint R.V. Otto, Robert S. Cornman, Deborah Iwanowicz, James P. Strange, Tamara A. Smith
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Forage and habitat for pollinators in the northern Great Plains—Implications for U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs

Managed and wild pollinators are critical components of agricultural and natural systems. Despite the well-known value of insect pollinators to U.S. agriculture, Apis mellifera (Linnaeus, 1758; honey bees) and wild bees currently face numerous stressors that have resulted in declining health. These declines have engendered support for pollinator conservation efforts across all levels of...
Authors
Clint R.V. Otto, Matthew Smart, Robert S. Cornman, Michael Simanonok, Deborah Iwanowicz
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Do the quality and quantity of honey bee-collected pollen vary across an agricultural land use gradient?

Pollen is the source of protein for most bee species, yet the quality and quantity of pollen is variable across landscapes and growing seasons. Understanding the role of landscapes in providing nutritious forage to bees is important for pollinator health, particularly in areas undergoing significant land-use change such as in the Northern Great Plains (NGP) region of the United States...
Authors
Michael P. Simanonok, Clint R.V. Otto, Matthew Smart
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Science and Products

link
Photo of museum specimens of Bombus affinis.

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...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
link

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...
Learn More

Rusty Patched Bumble Bee Pollen Metagenome

The rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) is a listed species under the Endangered Species Act of the United States. While understood to be a highly generalist forager, little is known on the role that limited floral resources or shifting floral community composition could have played in B. affinis decline. Determining which floral species provide suitable B. affinis forage could...
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

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 forage crops, and...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Dataset: 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...
By
Species Management Research Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Bee habitat, but not bee community structure, varies across grassland management in four national parks in the Mid-Atlantic, USA

National parks in the U.S. play a large role in providing habitat for native pollinators. In parks that are established to preserve cultural landscapes, park managers recognize an opportunity to improve pollinator habitat while maintaining historically accurate conditions. In this study we document floral resources and native bees within managed park grasslands, with the goal of...
Authors
Diane L. Larson, Andrew P Landsman, Michael Simanonok, Jennifer Larson, Cora Davies, Clint R.V. Otto
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Floral Composition of Pollen Collected from a Rusty Patched Bumble Bee (Bombus affinis, Cresson) Nest in Southeastern Minnesota

Understanding the forage diets of imperiled bumble bees can improve conservation planning and habitat restoration efforts. In this study, we describe the taxonomic composition of bee-collected pollen from 2 Rusty Patched Bumble Bee (Bombus affinis, Cresson) nests located in southeastern Minnesota. This is the first published reporting of pollen collected from active B. affinis nests. We...
Authors
Michael Simanonok, Elaine Evans, Clint R.V. Otto, Robert S. Cornman, Deborah Iwanowicz, Tamara A. Smith
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Comparison of microscopy and metabarcoding to identify pollen used by the critically endangered rusty patched bumble bee, Bombus affinis

Taxonomic analysis of pollen collected by bees can provide insights into their host plant use, providing information about the plant species selected for targeted conservation strategies. The two main identification approaches used are morphological analysis of pollen samples affixed to microscope slides (i.e., microscopic palynology) and molecular analysis of samples. Both methods are...
Authors
Michael P. Simanonok, Deborah Iwanowicz, Clayton D. Raines, Thomas J. Wood, Rufus Isaacs, Robert S. Cornman, Clint R.V. Otto
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Landscape 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...
Authors
Matthew Smart, Clint R.V. Otto, Alisa L. Gallant, Michael P. Simanonok
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center , Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

A 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...
Authors
Michael P. Simanonok, Clint R.V. Otto, Robert S. Cornman, Deborah Iwanowicz, James P. Strange, Tamara A. Smith
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Forage and habitat for pollinators in the northern Great Plains—Implications for U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs

Managed and wild pollinators are critical components of agricultural and natural systems. Despite the well-known value of insect pollinators to U.S. agriculture, Apis mellifera (Linnaeus, 1758; honey bees) and wild bees currently face numerous stressors that have resulted in declining health. These declines have engendered support for pollinator conservation efforts across all levels of...
Authors
Clint R.V. Otto, Matthew Smart, Robert S. Cornman, Michael Simanonok, Deborah Iwanowicz
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Do the quality and quantity of honey bee-collected pollen vary across an agricultural land use gradient?

Pollen is the source of protein for most bee species, yet the quality and quantity of pollen is variable across landscapes and growing seasons. Understanding the role of landscapes in providing nutritious forage to bees is important for pollinator health, particularly in areas undergoing significant land-use change such as in the Northern Great Plains (NGP) region of the United States...
Authors
Michael P. Simanonok, Clint R.V. Otto, Matthew Smart
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
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