The Population and Community Ecology (PACE) Lab is overseen by Dr. Michael J. Dreslik. The four programs of the lab are the Urban Biotic Assessment Program (UBAP), which provides environmental expertise to the Illinois Tollway, the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC) program, the Freshwater Mollusk Ecology and Conservation (FMEC) program, and the Environmental Education Program (EEP).
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Check out the new paper, "Archival Data Reveals Human Impacts on Blanding’s Turtle Population Persistence" looking at 140 years of data from Illinois! ![]()
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pace.inhs.illinois.edu/blog/
It's World Turtle Day! This is obviously one of our favorite holidays here in the INHS PaCE Lab. Here are a few turtle photos from our crew studying Spotted Turtles this spring in Will County. ![]()
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Spotted Turtles are a state endangered species here in Illinois. The INHS PaCELab is fortunate to have been part of the long-term data collection for @willcoforests on these species. This year we have added turtle fecal analysis to look at microplastics in their environment.![]()
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#worldturtleday #TurtlesOfInstagram
Happy World Bee Day! Today we’re celebrating a group of pollinators that make a BIG impact - bees! From wildflowers to squash, apples, tomatoes, and trees/shrubs, bees are essential to the health of our ecosystems and the food we eat. ![]()
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Did you know?![]()
• There are over 400 species of native bees in Illinois alone! Check out some of these species photographed by one of our Pollinator Ecologist Interns – Isabel Dalton.![]()
• Not all bees live in hives or colonies, many Midwestern native bees, like Mining Bees (Andrena spp.), Leafcutter Bees (Megachile spp.), and Cellophane (polyester) Bees (Colletes spp.) live in the ground or plant stems. Some even make nests out of pebbles or discarded snail shells. Some bees are even cuckoos - so they don’t build their own nest or collect pollen to feed their young. Instead, they lay eggs in the nests of other bee species. ![]()
• Bumblebees are some of the earliest pollinators you’ll see in the spring and some of the last to fly in the fall. The Two-spotted Bumblebee (Bombus bimaculatus) and Rusty-patched Bumblebee (Bombus affinis – federally endangered) can emerge as early as March and won’t begin hibernating until October. ![]()
• Unlike bumblebees and honeybees, many native bees are solitary, with each female building and provisioning her own nest.![]()
• Some bees are specialists, visiting only certain plants. An example that you have likely seen in Illinois is the Squash Bee (Xenoglossa pruinose), which pollinates Cucurbits (squash, pumpkins, gourds, zucchini, cucumbers). Another example is the Spring Beauty Miner Bee (Andrena erigeniae), which is known to specialize in pollinating Spring Beauty flowers.![]()
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Bees do more than buzz around flowers, they support biodiversity, ensure crop production, and keep natural systems thriving.![]()
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To support native bees:![]()
• Plant native flowers, grasses, and sedges in your yard, as well as squash, pumpkins, sunflowers, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, and fruit trees in your garden.![]()
• Avoid pesticides like round-up and mosquito treatments.![]()
• Leave some bare ground, dead wood, and leaf litter for nesting and overwintering insects.![]()
• Support your local plant sales, CSA programs, and native plant nurseries. ![]()
• Attend ecological events/guided hikes at local parks, forest preserves, libraries, and farms.![]()
• Volunteer or become a land steward on public lands, preserves, or parks to help control invasive species harming native plant communities. ![]()
• Create an INaturalist account to support global citizen scientist research efforts.