Biology ETDs

Publication Date

Spring 5-16-2026

Abstract

This thesis examines the pollinator concept and tests how sampling methods shape bee communities. Chapter 1 provides a conceptual and philosophical analysis, arguing that pollination is a process and that pollinators are context-dependent functional roles rather than fixed taxonomic categories. It traces the concept’s development from natural history to ecological theory, introduces a dual-goal model separating plant reproduction from visitor foraging, and proposes a classification framework based on evidentiary certainty and pollination potential to resolve ambiguity in pollination research.

Chapter 2 applies these ideas empirically by evaluating how pan-trap color and ultraviolet (UV) reflectance influence bee assemblages across elevation and season in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico. Sampling with eight trap types over two summers collected 6,955 bees from 66 species. Bee abundance varied by trap color, and UV reflectance altered outcomes for some colors. Together, the chapters show how conceptual clarity and methodological standardization improve interpretation of pollination data.

Language

English

Keywords

Pollinator, Pollination, Philosophy of Biology, Flower-Visitor, Hymenoptera, Ultraviolet

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Biology

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

UNM Biology Department

First Committee Member (Chair)

Kelly B Miller

Second Committee Member

Paul J Watson

Third Committee Member

David C Witherington

Fourth Committee Member

Steven Poe

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