The I-20 Wildlife Preserve and Jenna Welch Nature Study Center provided an update on research conducted by its Education Director Intern Evelyn Guerrero.
Last March, Guerrero presented her groundbreaking project, “Structure of a Plant-Pollinator Network at an Urban Wetland Preserve in Midland, Texas,” at the Texas Academy of Science Conference.
The presentation was part of the Terrestrial Ecology and Management section, showcasing the critical research undertaken by Guerrero and a team of researchers under the mentorship of University of Texas Permian Basin Professor David Hembry.
The project explored the interactions between native and introduced species within our plant-pollinator network. The research focused on understanding how these species interact with each other, particularly in a region where industrial activities are prevalent, The Preserve newsletter said. Through extensive fieldwork, the team recorded over 1,650 pollination interactions among more than 70 plant species and collected approximately 650 insect specimens. Their preliminary findings revealed intriguing insights, such as the role of introduced species like Apis mellifera in pollinating both native and non-native plants, and Tamarisk as a pollinator hub.
In exciting news, this research has now found a new home at the University of Texas at Austin. Evelyn and her colleagues have transferred their comprehensive collection and data to UT Austin, where it will serve as valuable baseline data for interpreting pollination interactions and furthering ecological studies. “Special thanks to Dr. David Hembry, UTPB, Dr. Shaun McCoshum of Sibley Nature Center, and Dr. Erica Newman for their crucial support and mentorship,” the newsletter said.
After the handoff of the collection, The Preserve is proud to highlight the collaboration between Guerrero, Hembry, Dr. Alex Wild, Director of the UT Austin Entomology Collection, and the broader research community. The Preserve eagerly anticipates how this project will continue to evolve and contribute to our understanding of plant-pollinator dynamics and conservation efforts, the newsletter said.
