Can the pollination model be adapted to model non-bee pollinator groups such as the hoverflies?
Thank you.
From taking a look at the User’s Guide chapter, the InVEST Pollination Model is specifically designed to model certain characteristics of the nesting and foraging habits of bees only (though there are some user-defined parameters that can be tweaked for various species of bee). I’m afraid I don’t know anything about hoverflies … but if they behave like bees when it comes to pollinating, maybe the model could be used for them as well?
@swolny are you aware of anyone having used the pollination model for any non-bee species?
@asbusari, @jdouglass, Yes, since the model is fairly generic, I do believe that it can be used for other native pollinators who behave similarly to bees, in terms of nesting in particular types of habitat, using particular types of vegetation for food resources, and having a particular distance that they’re willing to fly to find food. Offhand, I don’t know of any studies where this has been done though.
~ Stacie
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