Effects of Sage-Grouse Habitat Restoration Efforts on Pollination Networks in an Arid Ecosystem

On publicly managed lands of western North America, canopy removal is practiced as a habitat improvement for sage grouse (Centrocercus species), often with the goal of converting dominant vegetation cover from pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) and juniper (Juniperus spp.) to sagebrush (Artemisia spp.). However, it remains unclear whether habitat conversion practices impact other species of conservation concern, especially pollinators, which are sensitive to changes in vegetation cover. Here we test how bee-flower assemblages differ between pinyon-juniper and sagebrush habitats and whether removal of canopy by mastication affects bee-flower networks.