Dr. Sara Galbraith is a postdoctoral researcher in the Forest Animal Ecology Lab at Oregon State University in the Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society. She has a B.A. in Biology from St. Olaf College and a Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Idaho and the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center in Costa Rica. Her research focuses on understanding the influence of human-caused and natural disturbances on pollinator communities, especially in forest habitats. Sara has studied how land use change in Costa Rica and wildfire severity in southwestern Oregon influence wild bee communities, and she is currently investigating the influence of forest management on pollinator health in the Oregon coast range. Outside of work, Sara enjoys hiking with her dog and watching the Great British Baking Show.

Listen in to learn how forests are managed, how it affects pollinator habitat, and how bioassays gather essential insights into improving pollinator health.

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“We know so much about these mason bees and some of the other species that we manage that could work for these types of experiments, that it gives us the abilities to test all sorts of hypotheses.” – Dr. Sara Galbraith

Show Notes:

• How forests are managed, and why that affects the bees we see
• Why herbicides can affect bee habitats in very complex ways
• How researchers learn the ways that habitats are affected by forest management
• The methodological challenges of researching the changing bee habitats
• What can be learned through using the bioassay in studying pollinators
• Why forests are so important to the ecosystem of the Pacific Northwest
• What is measured in a bioassay
• How the myriad data collected through the bioassay can be used
• The ways that natural disasters affect pollinator habitats in forests
• What Sara and her team are currently working on
• What wood lot owners can do to help their pollinator habitats thrive

”There are a lot of challenges in measuring the quality of habitat for bees, especially because they are such mobile organisms. So some of our biggest challenges are really methodological.” – Dr. Sara Galbraith

Links Mentioned:

• Learn more about the Oregon Bee Atlas training
• Listen to Dr. Jim Rivers’ episode of Pollination, where he also talks about forests and pollinator habitats
• Find out more about Dr. Jim Rivers’ Forest Animal Ecology Lab
• Check out Jim Rivers’ journal paper: Rivers, J. W., C. L. Mathis, A. R. Moldenke, and M. G. Betts. 2018. Wild bee diversity is enhanced by experimental removal of timber harvest residue within intensively managed conifer forest.
• Dr. Sara Galbraith’s favorite book on pollinators: “Buzz” by Thor Hanson
• Sara’s favorite tool: the Oregon Flora Project app
• Sara’s favorite pollinator: orchid bees
• Connect with Dr. Sara Galbraith at her website