Evaluating the Utility of Drought Indices and Indicators for Monitoring Environmental Drought in Pollinators.
Saved in:
| Title: | Evaluating the Utility of Drought Indices and Indicators for Monitoring Environmental Drought in Pollinators. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Beck, Jacklynn K.1 (AUTHOR) beck.746@osu.edu, Quiring, Steven M.1 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Journal of Applied Meteorology & Climatology. May2026, Vol. 65 Issue 5, p1-16. 16p. |
| Subjects: | Droughts, Pollinators, Soil moisture, Water table, Soil moisture measurement, Ecological impact |
| Abstract: | Drought is a climatic hazard that is both costly and destructive. The impacts of drought not only affect hydrologic and agricultural systems, they also cascade through the natural environment. Pollinators play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity as well as the health of ecosystems. Here we evaluate 26 drought indices and indicators to determine which are most appropriate for quantifying ecological drought impacts to pollinators in the Mid-Atlantic United States. This study evaluates what indices and indicators are most strongly correlated with pollinator abundance, and how these relationships vary across different genera, as well as spatially and temporally. This analysis demonstrates that the relationships between drought and pollinator abundance are complex. We found that groundwater storage, rootzone soil moisture, and surface soil moisture are the most appropriate indices for quantifying how environmental drought influences pollinator abundance. The Bombus genus was the most responsive to drought conditions (r = 0.15 to 0.52), while other genera, including Lasioglossum , Andrena , and Halictus , did not have statistically significant relationships with drought conditions. There is substantial spatial variability in the relationships between pollinator population and drought conditions. The relationship was stronger in the Ridge and Valley ecoregion (mean r = 0.26) and weaker in the Blue Ridge ecoregion (mean r = 0.09). There is also temporal variability in these relationships. Drought conditions in June have the greatest impact on pollinator abundance (r = −0.57 to −0.62). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Applied Meteorology & Climatology is the property of American Meteorological Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
| Abstract: | Drought is a climatic hazard that is both costly and destructive. The impacts of drought not only affect hydrologic and agricultural systems, they also cascade through the natural environment. Pollinators play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity as well as the health of ecosystems. Here we evaluate 26 drought indices and indicators to determine which are most appropriate for quantifying ecological drought impacts to pollinators in the Mid-Atlantic United States. This study evaluates what indices and indicators are most strongly correlated with pollinator abundance, and how these relationships vary across different genera, as well as spatially and temporally. This analysis demonstrates that the relationships between drought and pollinator abundance are complex. We found that groundwater storage, rootzone soil moisture, and surface soil moisture are the most appropriate indices for quantifying how environmental drought influences pollinator abundance. The Bombus genus was the most responsive to drought conditions (r = 0.15 to 0.52), while other genera, including Lasioglossum , Andrena , and Halictus , did not have statistically significant relationships with drought conditions. There is substantial spatial variability in the relationships between pollinator population and drought conditions. The relationship was stronger in the Ridge and Valley ecoregion (mean r = 0.26) and weaker in the Blue Ridge ecoregion (mean r = 0.09). There is also temporal variability in these relationships. Drought conditions in June have the greatest impact on pollinator abundance (r = −0.57 to −0.62). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 15588424 |
| DOI: | 10.1175/JAMC-D-25-0161.1 |
