Pollinator Habitat in Log Landings (PHiLL)

Bees play a critical role in ecosystem health and sustainability across the globe. They pollinate flowers, trees, and other plants that in turn provide food and habitat for other creatures. Their role in pollinating agricultural crops is invaluable.  However, scientists are observing that many pollinating species, including native bees, are declining in range or abundance and the Midwest United States has among the lowest predicted bee abundance.

Pesticide use, climate change, disease, and habitat loss are among the most serious threats to pollinator species. Reduction in pollinator abundance corresponds to reductions in the plants on which they rely. Boosting the abundance, diversity, and continuity of floral resources and bee nesting sites may be one way to help reverse this trend.

Log landings, open areas in forests where logs are processed and stacked before being loaded onto logging trucks, have been identified as sites with potential to boost floral resources and in turn bee populations. On the Hoosier National Forest in Indiana, forest staff have been leading an effort to establish ephemeral pollinator habitat in recent log landings. They have run into several barriers to success, however. Soil compaction, low fertility, erosion, residual mulch and logging debris, and competition from invasive plants have limited germination and growth of seeded species. Soil remediation and biochar as a soil amendment coupled with enrichment plantings could increase success.

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Northern Research Station scientists and partners are conducting field experiments to address the issues of soil compaction and other site characteristics hampering the development of floral resources for native bees, and the sequestration of carbon in soils on log landings.

Research is underway on three National Forests in the Midwest: the Hoosier National Forest in Indiana, Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois, and the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri. On each forest, scientists selected five log landings to receive treatments and for comparison, five landings that will revegetate naturally. On each treated landing, scientists will compare a complete treatment, a soil remediation only, and a soil amendment only treatment to an untreated control.

The control plots are treated with Log Landing Standard Practices commonly used in rehabilitating log landing sites.  Standard practices include removal of mulch and excess logging debris, implementing erosion measures and preparing a seedbed.

Complete treatment plots will begin with Log Landing Standard Practices (described above). They will also receive biochar amendments, subsoil remediation and a split-plot application of a native pollinator seed mix. Biochar amendments have been shown to increase vegetation growth rates and improve soil health across a range of ecological systems and soil conditions. Biochar application has also been associated with reduction in invasive species. Subsoil remediation will reduce compaction.  Finally, the pollinator seed mix, representing generalist, native flora, adapted to a wide range of site conditions, will be applied to promote floral resources for native pollinators throughout the growing season.

In Remediation only plots the treatment starts with the Log Landing Standard Practice followed by subsoil remediation to reduce compaction and a split-plot application of the pollinator seed mix.

Amendment only plots will start with the Log Landing Standard Practice followed by application of biochar and a split-plot seeding with the pollinator seed mix.

Scientists will monitor the plots for vegetation and floral availability, soil characteristics, and presence of pollinators. The study will continue for 3 years.

The study will result in a General Technical Report (GTR) synthesis of the project outcomes and a management guide including best management practices (BMPs) for establishing ephemeral pollinator habitat in log landings. Management guidelines including BMPs will also be shared via webinar and through site visits. Outreach to other forests and landowners will be conducted to describe results and impact of these restoration practices on pollinators (plants and insects), vegetation, and soil. The project will also result in two master’s theses, one PhD dissertation, and several peer-reviewed publications.

View a video about PHiLL: