{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/140791"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/140791","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Bees, Bombs, and Burns: Disturbance and the Native Bee Communities of Military and Other Public Lands in Virginia","abstract":"Physical and ecological disturbances caused by military land use can create and maintain early successional habitats, which can support diverse communities of native plants and animals. These lands may serve as refugia, protecting rare, threatened, and endangered species that may have disappeared from surrounding areas, particularly those that need disturbance to survive on the landscape. This is especially true for invertebrates, who are often overlooked in management planning due to a lack of information on their natural history. In Chapter 2, we provide an introduction to topics covered in this dissertation, including ecological disturbance with an emphasis on fire, the disturbances and effects of military land usage, bee conservation, the effects of disturbance on bees, and an introduction to the Southern Plains Bumble Bee (Bombus fraternus Smith 1854) In Chapter 3, we conducted bee, plant, and habitat surveys on Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, USA to determine how different combinations of disturbances generated by military land use would affect bee biodiversity. Disturbances that affected soil through exposure or soil compaction were most correlated with greater bee diversity but had negative impacts at higher levels of compaction. Fire frequency was only slightly correlated with bee diversity but had positive impacts on plant communities. In Chapter 4, we documented the collection of a Southern Plains Bumble Bee (B. fraternus) individual found at Marine Corps Base Quantico, as well as multiple specimens at Army Maneuver Training Center Fort Pickett. B. fraternus is an imperiled grassland bumblebee species that previously was known only from the southeastern region of Virginia. The species is thought to be in decline due to habitat loss/alteration, widespread pesticide use, and other factors affecting native bee populations. We also provided descriptions of the characteristics used to identify the specimens to assist other researchers. In Chapter 5, we modelled the potential range of B. fraternus in Virginia using MaxEnt predictive habitat modeling based on historic records as well as photographic records from recent years. The models indicated areas of potential habitat extending beyond the species historic range, specifically along transportation corridors, in some coastal refuges, and in areas near urban centers. We also determined that several bioclimate variables were noted as contributing significantly to two or more of the models, including Annual Mean Temperature, Isothermality, Temperature Seasonality, and Mean Temperature of the Warmest Quarter, as well as Annual Precipitation, Precipitation of the Driest Month, and Precipitation of the Wettest Quarter. More intensive surveys in patches of grassland or other open habitats within this region may be warranted to further refine our understanding of military land use and its impacts on invertebrate populations.","abstract_html":"Physical and ecological disturbances caused by military land use can create and maintain early successional habitats, which can support diverse communities of native plants and animals. These lands may serve as refugia, protecting rare, threatened, and endangered species that may have disappeared from surrounding areas, particularly those that need disturbance to survive on the landscape. This is especially true for invertebrates, who are often overlooked in management planning due to a lack of information on their natural history. In Chapter 2, we provide an introduction to topics covered in this dissertation, including ecological disturbance with an emphasis on fire, the disturbances and effects of military land usage, bee conservation, the effects of disturbance on bees, and an introduction to the Southern Plains Bumble Bee (Bombus fraternus Smith 1854) In Chapter 3, we conducted bee, plant, and habitat surveys on Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, USA to determine how different combinations of disturbances generated by military land use would affect bee biodiversity. Disturbances that affected soil through exposure or soil compaction were most correlated with greater bee diversity but had negative impacts at higher levels of compaction. Fire frequency was only slightly correlated with bee diversity but had positive impacts on plant communities. In Chapter 4, we documented the collection of a Southern Plains Bumble Bee (B. fraternus) individual found at Marine Corps Base Quantico, as well as multiple specimens at Army Maneuver Training Center Fort Pickett. B. fraternus is an imperiled grassland bumblebee species that previously was known only from the southeastern region of Virginia. The species is thought to be in decline due to habitat loss/alteration, widespread pesticide use, and other factors affecting native bee populations. We also provided descriptions of the characteristics used to identify the specimens to assist other researchers. In Chapter 5, we modelled the potential range of B. fraternus in Virginia using MaxEnt predictive habitat modeling based on historic records as well as photographic records from recent years. The models indicated areas of potential habitat extending beyond the species historic range, specifically along transportation corridors, in some coastal refuges, and in areas near urban centers. We also determined that several bioclimate variables were noted as contributing significantly to two or more of the models, including Annual Mean Temperature, Isothermality, Temperature Seasonality, and Mean Temperature of the Warmest Quarter, as well as Annual Precipitation, Precipitation of the Driest Month, and Precipitation of the Wettest Quarter. More intensive surveys in patches of grassland or other open habitats within this region may be warranted to further refine our understanding of military land use and its impacts on invertebrate populations.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Weber, Jennifer Marie"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy","degree_level":"doctoral","degree_discipline":"Forestry","degree_department":"Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Coates, Thomas Adam"],"committee_members":["Emrick, Verl Roy","Couvillon, Margaret Jane","Ford, William Mark"],"year":2026,"date_issued":"2026-01-13","date_published":"2026-01-13","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:41Z","subjects":["insect pollinators","disturbance","conservation"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:45397"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:45397","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10919/140791","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Coates, Thomas Adam"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Emrick, Verl Roy","Couvillon, Margaret Jane","Ford, William Mark"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Weber, Jennifer Marie"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2026-01-14T09:00:41Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2026-01-14T09:00:41Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2026-01-13"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Forestry"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["insect pollinators","disturbance","conservation"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:45397"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/140791"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Physical and ecological disturbances caused by military land use can create and maintain early successional habitats, which can support diverse communities of native plants and animals. These lands may serve as refugia, protecting rare, threatened, and endangered species that may have disappeared from surrounding areas, particularly those that need disturbance to survive on the landscape. This is especially true for invertebrates, who are often overlooked in management planning due to a lack of information on their natural history. In Chapter 2, we provide an introduction to topics covered in this dissertation, including ecological disturbance with an emphasis on fire, the disturbances and effects of military land usage, bee conservation, the effects of disturbance on bees, and an introduction to the Southern Plains Bumble Bee (Bombus fraternus Smith 1854) In Chapter 3, we conducted bee, plant, and habitat surveys on Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, USA to determine how different combinations of disturbances generated by military land use would affect bee biodiversity. Disturbances that affected soil through exposure or soil compaction were most correlated with greater bee diversity but had negative impacts at higher levels of compaction. Fire frequency was only slightly correlated with bee diversity but had positive impacts on plant communities. In Chapter 4, we documented the collection of a Southern Plains Bumble Bee (B. fraternus) individual found at Marine Corps Base Quantico, as well as multiple specimens at Army Maneuver Training Center Fort Pickett. B. fraternus is an imperiled grassland bumblebee species that previously was known only from the southeastern region of Virginia. The species is thought to be in decline due to habitat loss/alteration, widespread pesticide use, and other factors affecting native bee populations. We also provided descriptions of the characteristics used to identify the specimens to assist other researchers. In Chapter 5, we modelled the potential range of B. fraternus in Virginia using MaxEnt predictive habitat modeling based on historic records as well as photographic records from recent years. The models indicated areas of potential habitat extending beyond the species historic range, specifically along transportation corridors, in some coastal refuges, and in areas near urban centers. We also determined that several bioclimate variables were noted as contributing significantly to two or more of the models, including Annual Mean Temperature, Isothermality, Temperature Seasonality, and Mean Temperature of the Warmest Quarter, as well as Annual Precipitation, Precipitation of the Driest Month, and Precipitation of the Wettest Quarter. More intensive surveys in patches of grassland or other open habitats within this region may be warranted to further refine our understanding of military land use and its impacts on invertebrate populations."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstractgeneral","label":"General Abstract","values":["Native bee populations have been declining in the last decade, leading to concerns about long-term persistence of these vital species. Studies point to loss of habitat due to human driven activities, including land development and management, as well as pesticide over-usage, the introduction of non-native species, and climate change. Many native bee species prefer early successional habitats, open habitats with an abundance of flowering plants that provide nectar and pollen and bare patches of ground that can be used as nesting sites. Early successional habitats are created and maintained by natural disturbances such as wildfires, hurricanes, and disease outbreaks, or by human management activities such as logging, mowing, or prescribed fire. Military lands provide opportunities for conservation due to the combination of disturbances from normal installation activities and protection from further encroachment by human development. These installations may play an important role as refuges for our native bee species. Chapter 2 presents an introduction to ecological disturbance, with an emphasis on fire, disturbances on military lands, bee conservation, and an introduction to the Southern Plains Bumble Bee (B. fraternus Smith 1854). In Chapter 3, we collected data on bee communities and the disturbances generated by standard military land use practices including vehicle maneuver and ordinance training on Marine Corps Base Quantico, located near Triangle, Virginia. We observed 86 species of bees present on the installation, as well as documented a relationship between local bee diversity and soil disturbance and a weak relationship between local bee diversity and fire. In Chapter 4, we documented the presence of the Southern Plains Bumblebee (Bombus fraternus) from two new locations, Fort Pickett in Blackstone, Virginia, and Marine Corps Base Quantico in Triangle, Virginia. Both new collection localities are of interest due to the distance (no less than 90 km) from the closest area where this species is historically known to occur in southeastern Virginia. In Chapter 5, we surveyed sites across the Commonwealth to determine if any populations of the Southern Plains Bumble Bee were present and used the results of those surveys and pre-existing records of where the bee had been recorded in the Commonwealth to create a list of places where the species has been found. We took those locations, added a climatic dataset of information about temperature and precipitation of eastern Virginia, and used predictive modeling to create a potential habitat map of where the Southern Plains Bumble Bee might be found. We noted an area of potential around the I-95 corridor connecting Richmond to Fredericksburg, and some areas along the coast north of the pervious known range. We also found specific climate variables relating to precipitation and temperature that contributed more to the models than other climatic variables. These variables should be included in future modeling efforts using climatic variables to target suitable areas of habitats."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Bees, Bombs, and Burns: Disturbance and the Native Bee Communities of Military and Other Public Lands in Virginia"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Coates, Thomas Adam"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Emrick, Verl Roy","Couvillon, Margaret Jane","Ford, William Mark"],"dc:contributor.department":["Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation"],"dc:creator":["Weber, Jennifer Marie"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2026-01-14T09:00:41Z"],"dc:date.available":["2026-01-14T09:00:41Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2026-01-13"],"dc:description.abstract":["Physical and ecological disturbances caused by military land use can create and maintain early successional habitats, which can support diverse communities of native plants and animals. These lands may serve as refugia, protecting rare, threatened, and endangered species that may have disappeared from surrounding areas, particularly those that need disturbance to survive on the landscape. This is especially true for invertebrates, who are often overlooked in management planning due to a lack of information on their natural history. In Chapter 2, we provide an introduction to topics covered in this dissertation, including ecological disturbance with an emphasis on fire, the disturbances and effects of military land usage, bee conservation, the effects of disturbance on bees, and an introduction to the Southern Plains Bumble Bee (Bombus fraternus Smith 1854) In Chapter 3, we conducted bee, plant, and habitat surveys on Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, USA to determine how different combinations of disturbances generated by military land use would affect bee biodiversity. Disturbances that affected soil through exposure or soil compaction were most correlated with greater bee diversity but had negative impacts at higher levels of compaction. Fire frequency was only slightly correlated with bee diversity but had positive impacts on plant communities. In Chapter 4, we documented the collection of a Southern Plains Bumble Bee (B. fraternus) individual found at Marine Corps Base Quantico, as well as multiple specimens at Army Maneuver Training Center Fort Pickett. B. fraternus is an imperiled grassland bumblebee species that previously was known only from the southeastern region of Virginia. The species is thought to be in decline due to habitat loss/alteration, widespread pesticide use, and other factors affecting native bee populations. We also provided descriptions of the characteristics used to identify the specimens to assist other researchers. In Chapter 5, we modelled the potential range of B. fraternus in Virginia using MaxEnt predictive habitat modeling based on historic records as well as photographic records from recent years. The models indicated areas of potential habitat extending beyond the species historic range, specifically along transportation corridors, in some coastal refuges, and in areas near urban centers. We also determined that several bioclimate variables were noted as contributing significantly to two or more of the models, including Annual Mean Temperature, Isothermality, Temperature Seasonality, and Mean Temperature of the Warmest Quarter, as well as Annual Precipitation, Precipitation of the Driest Month, and Precipitation of the Wettest Quarter. More intensive surveys in patches of grassland or other open habitats within this region may be warranted to further refine our understanding of military land use and its impacts on invertebrate populations."],"dc:description.abstractgeneral":["Native bee populations have been declining in the last decade, leading to concerns about long-term persistence of these vital species. Studies point to loss of habitat due to human driven activities, including land development and management, as well as pesticide over-usage, the introduction of non-native species, and climate change. Many native bee species prefer early successional habitats, open habitats with an abundance of flowering plants that provide nectar and pollen and bare patches of ground that can be used as nesting sites. Early successional habitats are created and maintained by natural disturbances such as wildfires, hurricanes, and disease outbreaks, or by human management activities such as logging, mowing, or prescribed fire. Military lands provide opportunities for conservation due to the combination of disturbances from normal installation activities and protection from further encroachment by human development. These installations may play an important role as refuges for our native bee species. Chapter 2 presents an introduction to ecological disturbance, with an emphasis on fire, disturbances on military lands, bee conservation, and an introduction to the Southern Plains Bumble Bee (B. fraternus Smith 1854). In Chapter 3, we collected data on bee communities and the disturbances generated by standard military land use practices including vehicle maneuver and ordinance training on Marine Corps Base Quantico, located near Triangle, Virginia. We observed 86 species of bees present on the installation, as well as documented a relationship between local bee diversity and soil disturbance and a weak relationship between local bee diversity and fire. In Chapter 4, we documented the presence of the Southern Plains Bumblebee (Bombus fraternus) from two new locations, Fort Pickett in Blackstone, Virginia, and Marine Corps Base Quantico in Triangle, Virginia. Both new collection localities are of interest due to the distance (no less than 90 km) from the closest area where this species is historically known to occur in southeastern Virginia. In Chapter 5, we surveyed sites across the Commonwealth to determine if any populations of the Southern Plains Bumble Bee were present and used the results of those surveys and pre-existing records of where the bee had been recorded in the Commonwealth to create a list of places where the species has been found. We took those locations, added a climatic dataset of information about temperature and precipitation of eastern Virginia, and used predictive modeling to create a potential habitat map of where the Southern Plains Bumble Bee might be found. We noted an area of potential around the I-95 corridor connecting Richmond to Fredericksburg, and some areas along the coast north of the pervious known range. We also found specific climate variables relating to precipitation and temperature that contributed more to the models than other climatic variables. These variables should be included in future modeling efforts using climatic variables to target suitable areas of habitats."],"dc:description.degree":["Doctor of Philosophy"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:45397"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/140791"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["insect pollinators","disturbance","conservation"],"dc:title":["Bees, Bombs, and Burns: Disturbance and the Native Bee Communities of Military and Other Public Lands in Virginia"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Forestry"],"thesis:degree_level":["doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:41Z"}