A stunning variety of bees help plants reproduce and bear fruit in North Carolina. In this podcast “Why We Need Bees,” Elsa Youngsteadt, Ph.D. gives an overview of what pollination is, and how diverse bee species can do a better job of it than one species alone.
A stunning variety of bees help plants reproduce and bear fruit in North Carolina. In this podcast “Why We Need Bees,” Elsa Youngsteadt, Ph.D. gives an overview of what pollination is, and how diverse bee species can do a better job of it than one species alone. Climate change may threaten bee diversity. Youngsteadt gives a glimpse of research in her lab that will help understand how bees and pollination could change in a warming climate.
Elsa Youngsteadt is an assistant professor in the Department of Applied Ecology at NC State. The Youngsteadt lab investigates the effects of urbanization and climate change on insects, including bees and ants. Youngsteadt also manages a native-bee extension and outreach program, and developed outreach materials that are used statewide––including a bee identification guide for North Carolina. After completing her Ph.D. in entomology at NC State, she worked as a science writer and editor for American Scientist magazine. Since returning to research, her work has taken her up and down the east coast, from the Carolina sandhills to the streets of New York City.
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