The influence of remnant forest on the diversity of bees on reclaimed mines.
Bee richness drops by half as distance from the forest edge increases to 400 m.
This research takes place at The Wilds, a reclaimed mine site that serves as a conservation education and research center. Some 30 years after surface mining ceased and the land was reclaimed, restoration of native plants has begun. In this mosaic of exotic grasslands, slag forests, restored native prairie, and high quality remnant hardwood forest I am investigating the factors that influence the population growth and community structure of native bees.