Fire and Pollinators with Lauren Ponisio

Wildfires are becoming more frequent and severe across Oregon, driven by a legacy of fire suppression and the growing influence of climate change. These disturbances reshape entire ecosystems, but their impacts on pollinators—such as butterflies and bees—are only beginning to be understood. In this talk, Dr. Lauren Ponisio will share what recent research tells us about how wildfire affects pollinator populations and the plants they depend on, including her team’s work in the Holiday Farm Fire and in burned high-elevation meadows in H.J. Andrews. She will also highlight several ongoing projects exploring how post-fire landscapes can be restored and enhanced with native plants to better support diverse pollinator communities. Lastly, she will describe her team’s most recent project examining the effects of controlled prairie burns on pollinators at Mt. Pisgah.