Fluctuating flowering patterns affect an environments floral abundance, impacting the spatial structure of nectar and pollen resources, ultimately influencing floral visitor foraging behavior. We examined the effect of reducing floral resources on floral visitors of Monardella odoratissima, commonly known as the mountain coyote mint. Isolated patches of M. odoratissima were created by removing all surrounding resources, in order to test its effect on floral visitor communities. Exploring how the resource-richness of a habitat affects this relationship, we conducted our study at two ecologically contrasting sites the Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory (SNARL) dominated by sagebrush steppe and Valentine Camp Reserve made up of montane chaparral. For both sites we anticipated changes in floral visitor composition, time spent per inflorescence, and patch visitation time, but expected results to be stronger at Valentine. A change in species composition of flower visitors occurred in our Valentine but was not found at SNARL. Only a weak interaction was found between treatment and flower visitation that accounted for an insignificant reduction of time spent per inflorescence at SNARL, Valentine had no difference. Overall floral visitor time spent before and after treatment showed difference only among site. Our findings offer insight into ways species composition shifts when resource availability changes and our methods provide a platform that should be expanded upon to a larger area with a longer research period.

CEC Research, Volume 3, Issue 2