Restoration of Pollinators Using Native Flowers

Habitat loss is a major driver of global biodiversity decline, with millions of acres of natural landscapes altered or degraded each year. As habitats are disturbed, native pollinators often lose access to the floral resources required for survival and reproduction. Although natural recovery can occur through ecological succession, this process is increasingly hindered by invasive species, reduced native plant diversity, and continued human disturbance. Active restoration using native plants may accelerate habitat recovery, yet small-scale experimental studies quantifying pollinator response to targeted native plant installations remain limited. This project will evaluate whether establishing native flowering plants in small restoration plots can enhance pollinator abundance and diversity over time. Forty-five 1m2 plots will be assigned to one of three treatments: (1) no-remediation control plots, (2) single-species plantings of partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata), and (3) mixed-species plantings consisting of partridge pea, lanceleaf coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) and black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta).  Pollinator communities will be assessed prior to planting to establish baseline conditions and monitored biweekly throughout the growing season to quantify abundance, visitation rates, and diversity.  We predict that restored plots, particularly mixed-species plantings, will support greater pollinator abundance and diversity than untreated controls due to increased floral resource availability and bloom variation. By testing restoration strategies at a manageable scale, this study will provide practical guidance for pollinator-friendly habitat enhancement. Ultimately, this project argues that even small, affordable native plant installations can produce measurable ecological benefits and serve as scalable tools for pollinator conservation.