Pollination assessments

[Julio M. Arias]

Hi all

	I am trying to design a field practice for my students and will welcome any friendly advice that can get from any of you.  The goal is to measure in some way the value of pollination services from natural areas.  The setting in question is a small protected forest surrounded by urban and agricultural areas (crops and pastures), of course in the tropics (Atenas, Costa Rica).  I tought initially of working with bats, but later on reading that most pollination is done by Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera and Coleoptera, I decided to drop the vertebrates.

My approaches are to sample the diversity of potential pollinators in the forest and in another comparative area, and to try to mark pollinators in the forest or in the neigbour agricultural areas and try to recover it later in the forest.  I only have less than a month for the students to do it.  Does anyone have any suggestion/criticism/observation?  My experience with bees and flies is minimal.

Thanks in advance



	
Julio M. Arias-Reveron, Ph.D.
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Center for Sustainable Development Studies
School for Field Studies
Apdo. 150-4013
Atenas, Alajuela
Costa Rica
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Ph. (506)446-5558, (506)446-6960
Home (506)460-3072
JMArias at sol.racsa.co.cr
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