How much food is on the landscape for bees, and when? This study provides one of the most detailed answers so far. Researchers combined crop maps, habitat data, remote sensing, and even roadside ditch records to create a high-resolution map of floral resource habitats across 12 counties in Central New York. The dataset captures not only where flowers are, but also how their availability shifts through the seasons, from mass-flowering crops to roadside vegetation and wetlands.

The model allows users to estimate floral resources within any chosen radius—say, the foraging range of a hive—and across time, pairing land-cover classes with flowering phenology. This makes it possible to predict periods of scarcity or abundance for pollinators, identify priority areas for habitat restoration, and guide decisions on hive placement or crop management.

Beyond New York, this work points to the importance of mapping biodiversity infrastructure inside agrifood systems. By visualising floral resources as dynamic, landscape-level assets, it highlights how natural habitats, crops, and “marginal” spaces (like ditches) all combine to sustain pollinators and the services they provide.

Citation:
Li, K., Fisher, J.R.B., Power, A.G., Iverson, A.L. (2024). A map of pollinator floral resource habitats in the agricultural landscape of Central New York. One Ecosystem, 9: e118634.