Pollinators are essential for both plants and animals in agriculture and natural ecosystems, but there have been dramatic declines in pollinator populations world-wide. Pollinator decline has not only alarmed the scientific community, but gained prominence in the popular press, raising the public’s awareness about threats to our ecosystem. The causes for pollinator decline are complex, and it is thought that a combination of many stressors are responsible, including pests, pathogens, environmental toxins, and disruptions in landscape ecology resulting in reduced nutrition and habitat. Addressing these issues will require multidisciplinary research approaches, the development of novel management and conservation practices, and a strong commitment to disseminate the results of these studies to students, the public, and policymakers. As part of its commitment to address pollinator health and conservation, Penn State has recently established a
Center for Pollinator Research, comprising 26 independent research, extension and outreach groups across the university. One of the first goals of this Center is to bring together researchers, policymakers, and conservationists in an
international conference on pollinator biology, health and policy, to begin to bridge the gaps in our knowledge that are necessary to address this complex issue.
Planned symposia include Behavioral Ecology, Disease Ecology, Impacts of Environmental Toxins, Conservation and Ecological Applications of Native Pollinators, Coordinated International Efforts on Pollinator Decline, and Policy and Public Outreach. Furthermore, the Xerces Society will be hosting a Pollinator Conservation Short Course in conjunction with the conference.
Conference registration is expected to open on February 1, 2010; additional information will be posted on this website.
For more information about the Conference or the Center for Pollinator Research, please contact Dr. Christina Grozinger, Director of the Center for Pollinator Research, at cmgrozinger@psu.edu
For more information about the Xerces Short Course, please contact Eric Mader, National Pollinator Outreach Coordinator, eric@xerces.org
