An official website of the United States government.

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

National Invasive Species Information Center
U.S. Department of Agriculture
  1. Home
  2. Resources
  3. Resource Search

Resource Search

Provides access to all site resources, with the option to search by species common and scientific names. Resources can be filtered by Subject, Resource Type, Location, or Source. Search Help

Displaying 1 to 5 of 5

  • Assessing Pollinator Friendliness of Plants and Designing Mixes to Restore Habitat for Bees

    • Jan 2022

    • USDA. FS. Rocky Mountain Research Station.
      General Technical Report. RMRS-GTR-429.

    • The worldwide decline in bee populations is threatening the delivery of pollination services, thus leading to the development of pollinator restoration strategies. In the United States, one way to protect and restore bee populations is to use seed mixes composed of pollinator-friendly native plants to revegetate federal lands following disturbance.

      Scientists assessed the attractiveness and use by bees of 24 native plant species that are standard for revegetation projects (focal plants) on national forest lands in western Montana.

  • What Can We Do to Encourage Native Bees?

    • Nov 9, 2016

    • Pennsylvania State University. Cooperative Extension.

    • Pollinators need a diverse, abundant food source and a place to build their nests and rear their young. If we keep these two elements in mind we can encourage native bee populations.

  • Selecting Pollinator-Friendly Plants to Restore Bee Habitat

    • 2022

    • USDA. Forest Service.
      Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-429.

    • A guide to selecting native plants desired by native bees. This framework can be used to assess pollinator friendliness of native plant species for forests, public lands, and other areas.

  • Of Bees and Blooms: A New Scorecard For Selecting Pollinator-Friendly Plants in Restoration

    • Jan/Feb 2023

    • USDA. FS. Rocky Mountain Research Station.
      Science You Can Use Bulletin, Issue 58.

    • Bees are declining in the U.S. and with them the pollination services on which people and wildlife depend. Several national forests have begun to include habitat restoration for bees in their forest plans. Justin Runyon, a Rocky Mountain Research Station research entomologist, and Montana State University scientists identified the most pollinator-friendly plants to include in seed mixes for use in restoration projects in the Northern Rockies.

      The researchers developed a scorecard that managers can use to select pollinator-friendly mixes based on local factors such as budget, habitat type, or plant availability.

  • US National Native Bee Monitoring Network

    • US National Native Bee Monitoring Network.

    • There are more than 4,000 native bee species in the United States, with many species yet to be described. These native bees pollinate our native plants and agricultural crops, add beauty to our world, and are deserving of protection. The US National Native Bee Monitoring Research Coordination Network (RCN) is a USDA-funded effort to coordinate and support efforts to monitor native bee populations in the US, with the broader goal of conserving our nation's native bee fauna.

      From 2020-2023, native bee biologists from across the US will work together to develop a national plan for native bee monitoring. The plan will include components such as monitoring protocols and the designation of priority areas for monitoring. The RCN will also develop new educational and training opportunities in areas that are fundamental to native bee monitoring.
      See also: How You Can Help Count and Conserve Native Bees (New York Times, Dec 9, 2020)