Artificial beach nourishment, the most common method to mitigate coastal erosion in the United States, is also considered the most ecologically friendly alternative for shoreline stabilization. However, this habitat alteration has the potential to impact nesting marine turtles and developing hatchlings. The first objective of this study was to determine how nourishing beaches with two different design templates affects loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green turtle (Chelonia mydas) nesting success, the ratio of nests to the total number of nests and non-nesting emergences, and reproductive success, the ratio of hatched and emerged hatchlings to the total number of eggs deposited. Two types of restoration designs exist along the southern Brevard County, FL coastline, which supports some of the highest density loggerhead and green turtle nesting worldwide. Since 2005, approximately 35 kilometers of beach have undergone 1) fullscale restoration (typically called nourishment), where sand was added above and below the mean high tide line (2005, 2010) or 2) dune restoration, where sand was placed on the dune (2005, 2006, 2008, 2009). To quantify the effects of these restoration types, we used a Before-After-ControlImpact-Paired Series (BACIPS) model, which tests for significance between the difference in nesting success rates at the impact (engineered) and control sites (natural beach) before and after restoration ( ). For loggerheads, there was a significant difference in after dune restoration during the years of construction (2005, 2006, 2008, and 2009; p

As shrubland bird populations decline, there is a critical need to understand the effects of habitat management. I studied a population of color-banded prairie warblers (Setophaga discolor) between 2008-2011 in a shifting mosaic landscape within a Massachusetts inland, pitch pine-scrub oak barren consisting of persistent, newly created, succeeding, and disturbed habitats. I present data showing that the abundance and population structure at this site appears to be a function of colonization of newly created habitat by second-year birds, which are likely excluded from mature early-successional habitat by site-faithful older birds. Breeding season fecundity did not differ significantly between newly-created and mature habitats. Birds displaced by mowing or fire dispersed to nearby suitable habitat the following year, had relatively similar reproductive success, and did not negatively affect pairing or reproductive success in adjacent areas. My findings are novel and show that the effects of shrubland management on shrubland birds are beneficial in the short- and long-term. I also examined prairie warbler nest-site selection and nest survival in relation to plant leafing phenology and other factors. Prairie warblers selected distinct nest sites and certain attributes of these selected sites increased nest survival; thus I conclude that nest-site selection is adaptive. Plant leafing phenology influenced nest-site selection and nest survival in this system; its effects on birds should be considered as a potential mechanism by which bird communities can be affected by global climate change.

Identifying the resources that limit bee populations is essential both for bee conservation and pollination management in agroecosystems. Land-use change typically leads to decreased habitat availability for wild pollinators including loss of nesting habitat, which is an essential but often-overlooked resource for wild bees. Cavity-nesting bees, such as many Osmia spp. (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), occupy holes in wood or reeds to build their nests; due to their nesting habits, they are frequently scarce in agricultural settings, although, under the right circumstances, these bees can be ideal pollinators of apple and other orchard crops. Artificial nesting structures (“bee hotels”, “trap nests”, or “nest boxes”) are used to study cavity-nesting bees and have been posited as solutions for promoting bee conservation. To evaluate the effects of additional nesting habitat on the local abundance of Osmia spp., and on bees more generally, artificial nesting structures for cavity-nesting bees were installed at 24 sites in apple orchards around Ottawa in 2021 and 2022. Each site had two treatments: one with nest boxes, and one without (control). Transect walks were conducted to measure overall bee contact (including contact by Osmia spp.) with apple blossoms and, after the end of apple bloom, with flowers in the undergrowth and/or in shrubs. Numbers of apple buds and developing fruit were also recorded. Osmia spp. and overall bee numbers were both significantly higher in the treatment with nest boxes (44% and 15% higher, respectively, in 2021, and 113% and 47% higher, respectively, in 2022); however, there was no difference in fruit set (apple count/bud count) between the two treatments. Thus, nest boxes seem to locally increase Osmia spp. numbers as well as total bee numbers, but they have no apparent effect on apple yield, likely because apple production was not pollinator limited in the years of this study. These findings suggest that bee populations in apple orchards are limited by nesting resources, which has important implications for orchard management practices and bee conservation policy.

Mutualism is an understudied phenomenon across taxa, but is important to the persistence and structure of communities. The role of positive interactions in supporting threatened species is critically important given that freshwater fish are extremely vulnerable due to the combined effects of climate change and habitat degradation. To disentangle complex positive multi-species interactions, I applied both Eltonian and Hutchinsonian niche approaches to the reproductive mutualism of leuciscids known as nest association, a form of alloparental care characterized by an adult of one species guarding the offspring of another. I conducted this study with the leuciscid community of Toms Creek in which Bluehead Chub Nocomis leptocephalus is the primary nest builder and nest associate species include Rosyside Dace Clinostomus funduloides, Rosefin Shiner Lythrurus ardens, Mountain Redbelly Dace Chrosomus oreas, Crescent Shiner Luxilus cerasinus, White Shiner Luxilus albeolus, Central Stoneroller Campostoma anomalum, Creek Chub Semotilus atromaculatus, and Blacknose Dace Rhinycthys atratulus. I applied Hutchinsonian niche theory with respect to hydrology and water temperature to define the reproductive phenology of each species involved in the reproductive mutualism, then used Eltonian niche theory to define the role of each species in parental and alloparental care. My dual niche theory approach elucidates the reproductive requirements of each species and quantifies the contribution of nest associates to alloparental care, which historically have not been included in definitions of nest association. My results show that Blacknose Dace Rhinichthys atratulus and Creek Chub Semotilus atromaculatus are not true nest associates of Bluehead Chub Nocomis leptocephalus based on their reproductive phenology and observed nesting behaviors. In contrast to previous work on nest association, most associate species did contribute to parental care through nest defense and vigilance behaviors, and their specific behaviors were influenced by morphology. By clearly defining the reproductive niches of these species, this study lays the groundwork for future investigation of how various climate scenarios may impact multi-species reproductive mutualisms. / Master of Science / Positive interactions are understudied throughout ecology, but are important to the persistence and structure of communities. The role of positive interactions in supporting threatened species is critically important given that freshwater fish are at high risk of extinction due to the combined effects of climate change and habitat degradation. To understand the complex positive interactions in freshwater fish, I applied both niche theory approaches to a mutualistic reproductive interaction known as nest association, where an adult of one species builds a nest on which it guards the offspring of other species (formally: a type of alloparental care). I conducted this study with the leuciscid (commonly known as minnow) community of Toms Creek in which Bluehead Chub Nocomis leptocephalus is the primary nest builder and nest associate species include Rosyside Dace Clinostomus funduloides, Rosefin Shiner Lythrurus ardens, Mountain Redbelly Dace Chrosomus oreas, Crescent Shiner Luxilus cerasinus, White Shiner Luxilus albeolus, Central Stoneroller Campostoma anomalum, Creek Chub Semotilus atromaculatus, and Blacknose Dace Rhinycthys atratulus. For each species involved in the reproductive mutualism, I defined the seasonal timing of reproduction with respect to hydrology and water temperature, then defined their role in parental and alloparental care. My approach clarifies the reproductive requirements of each species and establishes the contributions of associate species to alloparental care, which historically have not been included in definitions of nest association. My results show that Blacknose Dace Rhinichthys atratulus and Creek Chub Semotilus atromaculatus are not true nest associates of Bluehead Chub Nocomis leptocephalus based on their reproductive requirements and observed nesting behaviors. In contrast to historic descriptions of nest association, most associate species did contribute to parental care through nest defense and vigilance behaviors, and their specific behaviors were influenced by their size and physical adaptations. By clearly defining the reproductive needs and roles of these species, this study lays the groundwork for future investigation of how various climate scenarios may impact positive relationships among species.

In April of 1990 the Sebastian Inlet Tax District received a long-term (25 year) permit to conduct maintenance dredging of the navigation channel at Sebastian Inlet, Florida. Approximately 105,150 cubic meters of sediment will be removed every two years and pumped to a feeder beach immediately south of the inlet. The renourished beach, a high density nesting beach for loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtles, is within the proposed Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge and will play a critical role in the long-term maintenance of Sebastian Inlet as a navigable waterway. A turtle monitoring program was implemented by the District at the request of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The monitoring program was designed to investigate nesting behavior, reproductive success and physical characteristics of the nesting habitat on the renourished beach at Sebastian Inlet and on a control beach (Wabasso Beach). Daily nesting surveys were conducted to record all sea turtle nests and non-nesting emergences in each study area. All nests were marked, monitored throughout incubation and inventoried to determine hatching and emergence success. Data on physical parameters were collected in monthly profiles of each beach. Compaction values were recorded with a cone penetrometer along transects from the dune to mean high water line. Temperature of the ambient beach was recorded at 30 and 60-cm depths along two transects from the dune to mean high water line. Moisture and sand grain analysis were conducted monthly in 1991. Sea turtle nesting and hatching success were similar on the renourished and control beaches in 1990 and 1991, suggesting that renourishment had no adverse effect on sea turtle reproductive success. Nesting success on the renourished and control beaches, respectively, was 42.0% (N = 104) and 45.0% (N = 65) in 1990, and 62.9% (N = 165) and 62.4% (N = 118) in 1991. Hatching success on the renourished and control beaches, respectively, was 80.7% (N = 85) and 79.3% (N = 59) in 1990, and 69.1% (N = 118) and 66.7% (N = 102) in 1991. Compaction values averaged 500 PSI on the renourished beach, while values on the control were approximately 250 PSI. The higher level of compaction on the renourished beach resulted in a lack of complete nest covering, and aberrant nest chamber configurations on the renourished beach. Grain size and moisture content were similar on the renourished and control beaches. Compaction levels were not related to incompatible fill, implying that the manner in which the material was deposited resulted in the increased compaction. Beach temperatures measured at 30-cm and 60-cm depths indicated that the renourished beach was consistently 0.5°C warmer than the control beach. If the physical parameters of a subsequent renourishment project are within the findings of 1990 and 1991, there should be no adverse effect on sea turtle nesting and hatching success. The results of this project cannot be applied to other beach renourishment projects however, but should be restricted to future dredging projects at Sebastian Inlet. Although the results are not applicable to other locations, the methodologies developed to study the effects of renourishment on sea turtles could be applied to other beach renourishment situations. Future research should focus on how the physical parameters of a renourished beach affect the micro-environment within the actual nest chamber and embryonic development. / Master of Science

The Kittlitz's murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris) is a rare member of the seabird family Alcidae that breeds in coastal areas of Alaska and Beringian Russia. The species belongs to the genus Brachyramphus, an unusual seabird taxon in which all three extant species nest non-colonially, situating their nests up to 75 km inland from coastal marine waters. This nesting strategy is different from that of most seabird species, which tend to nest colonially on remote islands or sea cliffs, where terrestrial predators are generally absent or cannot easily access nests. Within the genus Brachyramphus, Kittlitz's murrelet is notable because a majority of the global population appears to nest on the surface of the ground in rocky alpine habitat near inland or tidewater glaciers, foraging in adjacent marine waters influenced by glacial outflows. The unusual nesting habits of Kittlitz's murrelet have made the study of its nesting ecology difficult, and gaps therefore exist in our understanding of the species' breeding biology. Kittlitz's murrelet populations have declined substantially in core areas of its range, causing the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service to designate the species as a candidate for protection under the Endangered Species Act. A better understanding of Kittlitz's murrelet nesting ecology is crucial for determining potential causes of these declines and for future management of the species. To this end, I studied Kittlitz's murrelet breeding ecology and nest site selection during 2008-2011 on Kodiak Island, Alaska, in an unglaciated area that was recently found to have large numbers of accessible nests. I and my colleagues found 53 active Kittlitz's murrelet nests in inland scree-dominated habitats and placed remote, motion-sensing cameras at 33 nests. Adults exchanged incubation duties at the nest every 24 or 48 h, almost exclusively during early morning twilight. Following hatching of eggs, parents provisioned their single nestling with an average of 3.9 to 4.8 fish per day, depending on the year. Parental visits to the nest during chick-rearing occurred primarily after sunrise in the early to mid-morning hours, and during evening twilight. Fish were delivered singly to the chick, and Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus), a high-lipid forage fish, accounted for about 92% of all identifiable chick meal deliveries. Chick growth rates were high relative to confamilial species, consistent with the high quality of chick diets; the logistic growth rate constant (K) was 0.291, greater than that for any other semi-precocial alcid. Chicks fledged an average of 24.8 d after hatching and asymptotic chick body mass averaged about 135.5 g, approximately 58% of adult body mass. Age at fledging, asymptotic chick body mass (% adult mass), and the number of meal deliveries required to fledge a chick were all lower than or as low as any other species of semi-precocial alcid. The average estimated nest survival rate during 2008-2011 was 0.093 (95% CI = 0.01–0.30), which is extremely low compared to other species in the family Alcidae, and is almost certainly insufficient to sustain a stable population. The primary causes of nest failure were depredation (47% of total nest fates), mostly by red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), and unexplained nestling mortality on the nest (21% of nest fates). Saxitoxin and/or pathogenic endoparasite burdens were observed in five of six necropsied chick carcasses, suggesting possible causes for chick mortality not directly attributable to predation. Habitat characteristics of Kittlitz's murrelet nest sites differed significantly from unused sites at several scales. At a small scale (within 5 m of the nest), nest sites had a lower percent coverage of vegetation and higher percent coverage of intermediate-sized rocks (5–30 cm diameter), compared to randomly selected unused sites. Nest sites were also located on steeper, more north-facing slopes compared to randomly selected sites. Nest sites also had a lower percent coverage of vegetation than randomly-selected sites at larger scales (within 25 m and 50 m of the nest site). Nest sites were located significantly farther from the edge of densely-vegetated habitats than random sites. There was no evidence that nest sites were different from randomly-selected sites in terms of elevation, proximity to ridgelines, or proximity to the open ocean, although a low degree of variation within the study area for these habitat characteristics may have precluded detection of potential differences. Nest survival rates did not co-vary with slope, percent vegetation coverage, distance from vegetated edges, or percent cover of intermediate-sized rocks; however, this result may be an artifact of a limited sample size. The results of this thesis will provide managers with a better understanding of the factors that may limit Kittlitz's murrelet nesting success, such as nest predation and forage fish availability, as well as factors that may influence the quality and distribution of Kittlitz’s murrelet nesting habitat in the future, given on-going and progressive climate change. / Graduation date: 2013

Master of Science / Department of Biology / David A. Haukos / The lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) is a species of prairie grouse native to the southwest Great Plains. Population declines and threats to populations of lesser prairie-chickens led U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the species as “threatened” under the protection of the Endangered Species Act in May 2014. Lesser prairie-chickens are found within three distinct ecoregions of Kansas and Colorado and portions of the species’ range are affected by tree encroachment into grasslands. The effect of trees on lesser prairie-chickens is poorly understood. I evaluated habitat selection and reproductive success and across the northern portion of the species’ range. I captured female lesser prairie-chickens within the three different ecoregions in Kansas and Colorado to track nest and brood survival and measure nest and brood habitat. My findings show that there are regional and annual variations in nest and brood survival. Mean nest survival during 2013 and 2014 was estimated to be 0.388 (95% CI = 0.343 – 0.433) for a 35-day exposure period. Brood survival during 2013 and 2014 was estimated to be 0.316 (95% CI = 0.184 – 0.457) for 56 days. Chick survival was the lowest during the first week of life and is probably a limiting factor for population growth. Chick and brood survival decreased as Julian hatch date increased. Across the northern portion of the species’ range, females consistently select visual obstruction between 2-3 dm. Vegetation at the nest changes between regions and years to reflect environmental and regional conditions. Broods consistently selected habitats with greater percent cover of forbs than was expected at random across all study sites. Broods also selected against areas of bare ground. The threshold of lesser prairie-chicken use was 2 trees/ha throughout the year. No nests were located within areas with greater densities. Lesser prairie-chickens had a greater probability of use at greater distances from trees and at lower tree densities. To provide adequate nesting habitat managers should provide 2-3 dm of visual obstruction. Providing forb cover with visual obstruction between 2.5-5 dm near nesting habitat should provide adequate habitat for broods. Removing trees in core habitats and expand removal efforts outward should expand potential habitat for lesser prairie-chickens.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Biology / Kimberly A. With / The loss, fragmentation, and degradation of grasslands have resulted in widespread declines in grassland birds. Nest predation is the leading cause of avian reproductive failure; therefore minimizing nest predation can lessen the severity of bird declines. Snakes are important predators of bird nests, but little is known about how snakes may enhance predation risk. To address this issue, I studied the habitat use, movement behavior, population genetic structure, and connectivity of snakes in the grasslands of northeastern Kansas. I addressed the connectivity of eastern yellowbelly racer (Coluber constrictor flaviventris) populations by using a landscape genetics approach at a broad scale (13,500 km2). I also radio-tracked the yellowbelly racer and Great Plains ratsnake (Pantherophis emoryi) at Konza Prairie Biological Station to understand their spatial ecology while simultaneously evaluating nest survival in grassland birds. Individual racers had limited dispersal (<3 km), but substantial admixture occurred within 30 km and populations were in migration-drift equilibrium and had high allelic diversity; therefore, racers must be abundant and continuously distributed for gene flow to be fluid throughout the region. Racers may be more likely to encounter bird nests, as they had more frequent movements and traversed greater distances on average than ratsnakes, which exhibited long periods of inactivity between directed movements. As for grassland birds, nest survival rates decreased with increasing shrubs and decreasing vegetation height. Discriminant function analysis revealed that successful nests were likely to occur in tall vegetation but reduced shrub cover, whereas higher shrub cover characterized snake habitats. Because snakes often use shrubs, nests in areas of increased shrubs may be at higher risk of predation by snakes. Targeted removal of shrubs may increase nest success by minimizing the activity of predators attracted to shrubs. Although predator removal is often a strategy for protecting bird populations, it may not be feasible in this instance, especially since snakes are a native component of the grassland community. Efforts to reduce snake predation on grassland bird nests should therefore focus on managing habitat within grasslands (i.e., shrubs) that influence snake activity, as no natural or anthropogenic habitat barriers currently limit snake movement across the landscape.

Li-O2 batteries have been attracting increasing attention and R&amp;D efforts as promising power sources for electric vehicles (EVs) due to their significantly higher theoretical energy densities compared to conventional Li-ion batteries. The research presented in this thesis covers the investigation of factors influencing the decomposition of Li2O2, the development of highly active electrocatalysts, and the design of low-cost and easy-operation binder-free O2 electrodes for Li-O2 batteries. Being the main technique, SR-PXD was used both as a continuous light source to advance the electrochemical decomposition of Li2O2 under the X-ray illumination and an operando tool that allowed us to probe the degradation of Li2O2. Since XRD was intensively used in my thesis work, the effect of X-ray irradiation on the stability of Li2O2 was studied. The accelerating effect of X-rays on the electrochemical decomposition of Li2O2 was, for the first time, explored. The electrochemical decomposition rate of Li2O2 was proportional to the X-ray intensity used. It is proposed that the decomposition might involve a three-step reaction with [Li2O2]x+ and Li2-xO2* as intermediates, which followed pseudo-zero-order kinetics. Then, three electrocatalysts (Pt/MNT, Ru/MNT and Li2C8H2O6) were developed, which exhibited good electrocatalytic performances during the OER. Their activities were evaluated by following the Li2O2 decomposition in electrodes during the charging processes. In addition, the time-resolved OER kinetics for the electrocatalyst-containing Li-O2 cells charged galvanostatically and potentiostatically was systematically investigated using operando SR-PXD. It was found that a small amount of Pt or Ru decoration on the MNTs enhanced the OER efficiency in a Li-O2 cell. The Li2O2 decomposition of an electrode with 5 wt% Pt/MNT, 2 wt% Ru/MNT or Li2C8H2O6 in a Li-O2 cell followed pseudo-zero-order kinetics. Finally, a novel binder-free NCPE for Li-O2 batteries was presented. It displayed a bird’s nest microstructure, which could provide the self-standing electrode with considerable mechanic durability, fast O2 diffusion and enough space for the discharge product deposition. The NCPE contained N-containing functional groups, which may promote the electrochemical reactions.

Estudos de ecologia de comunidade e conservação são importantes para entender quais áreas com diferentes fitofisionomias podem manter maior número de espécies coexistindo. Também é possível compreender o nicho trófico das abelhas, sendo este relacionado com a diversidade de recursos alimentares disponíveis e a sobreposição entre espécies de uma guilda. Uma ferramenta que atualmente vem sendo utilizada em estudos ecológicos de interações inseto-planta são as redes mutualísticas e suas métricas. Com essas ferramentas é possível inferir ou até prever as consequências da extinção de espécies e as perturbações ambientais, além de variações nos padrões para a comunidade como um todo, e a ecologia das abelhas e plantas. A partir disso o objetivo deste trabalho foi caracterizar e analisar a estrutura da comunidade de abelhas e vespas e o nicho trófico da comunidade de abelhas que nidificam em cavidades preexistentes em áreas de Cerrado e Mata semidecídua. A área de estudo foi a Estação Ecológica Jataí que apresenta diferentes fitofisionomias. Os dados foram obtidos com a utilização do método de ninhos-armadilha instalados em seis pontos, três no cerrado e três na mata semidecídua, em agosto de 2015. Foi utilizado o método de análise polínica e redes mutualísticas para o estudo do nicho trófico das abelhas. Foram amostradas 11 espécies de abelhas e oito de vespas, e essas comunidades apresentaram espécies com ampla distribuição geográfica o que confere a condição de generalistas por explorarem uma alta diversidade de ambientes. Elas tiveram mais nidificações no período chuvoso, refletindo na maior sobreposição temporal das abelhas nesse período. Entretanto na estação seca, a sobreposição temporal das vespas foi maior. Os dados obtidos de riqueza e abundância das abelhas amostradas na mata foram diferentes do cerrado, o que indica que, realmente, as espécies podem ter suas populações mudando significativamente de um ambiente para o outro como consequência de mudanças nos vários fatores abióticos e bióticos. A dieta das abelhas amostradas se mostrou bastante variada, um grande número de tipos polínicos de 14 famílias de plantas. A família mais importante para Anthidiini e Euglossini foi Fabaceae. Como já conhecida, a relação entre Centris e plantas que disponibilizam óleo, Malpighiaceae foi a família mais utilizada por C. analis. Já para as espécies de Tetrapediini, a família Euphorbiaceae foi mais frequente. As espécies se mostraram, de maneira geral, com comportamento generalista uma vez que suas amplitudes de nichos foram altas. Por outro lado, em alguns momentos, como foi possível perceber na sobreposição de nicho, essas fêmeas adotaram comportamentos mais especialistas. As Tetrapedia tiveram as maiores sobreposições de nicho entre elas mesmas, mas também utilizaram as espécies de plantas mais abundantes. Ludwigia foi o tipo polínico mais importante na dieta das abelhas para o cerrado enquanto que Gliricidia, Dalechampia, Serjania e Desmodium foram centrais na dieta da mata. As redes para ambas fitofisionomias e anos de coletas foram aninhadas e não-modulares, como esperado para redes mutualísticas. Além disso, provavelmente pelo bom estado de preservação, as redes foram robustas, indicando que a comunidade não está frágil à perda de espécies. A comunidade apresentou um comportamento mais especialista no cerrado e não alterou muito em relação aos dois anos. A especialização das populações foi maior, de maneira geral, para a área de cerrado, com exceção de Epanthidium erythrocephalum. A grande diferença nos parâmetros como composição, abundância e métricas de rede em comparação com outros estudos mostra a importância de se conhecer a dinâmica de cada área para pensar de maneira mais eficiente em estratégias específicas de recuperação e preservação de áreas naturais / Studies on community ecology and conservation are important to understand which areas with different phytophysiognomies can maintain a great number of species coexisting. It also understand the trophic niche of bees and this is associated with the diversity of food resources available and with the overlap between species of a guild. A tool that currently is being used in ecological insect-plant studies, mutualistic networks and their metrics. With these tools, it is possible to infer or even predict the consequences of the species extinction, the environmental disruption of the community as a whole, variations in community patterns and bee-plant ecology. Therefore, the aim of this study was to characterize and analyze the community structure of bees and wasps and the trophic niche of bees that nest in preexisting cavities in Brazilian savannah and semideciduous mesophytic forest. The study area was the Estação Ecológica de Jataí that presents different phytophysiognomies. The data were obtained from the method of trap-nests installed in six areas, three in the brazilian savannah and three in the semideciduous mesophytic forest, in August 2015. The methodology of pollen analysis and mutualistic networks was used to study the trophic niche of bees. Eleven species of bees and eight wasps species were sampled and this community showed species with high geographic distribution that confers the status of generalists by exploring a great variety of environments. They nested more in the rainy season reflecting in the larger temporal overlap of the bees in that period. Besides that, the wasps were higher time ovelap in the dry season. The richness and abundance of bees in the forest was different from Brazilian savannah, what can indicate that the species can have their populations changing significantly from one environment to another because of changes in the various abiotic and biotic factors. The diet of bees showed a variety of pollen types of 14 plants families. The most important family to Anthidiini and Euglossini was Fabaceae. As well documented, the relationship between Centris and plants that provide oil, Malpighiaceae was the most used family for C. analis. For the Tetrapediini species, the family Euphorbiaceae was the most frequent. All species showed a generalist behavior once their breath niche was high. On the other hand, in a few moments, as it was possible to observe in the niche overlap, the species adopted a more specialist behavior. Tetrapedia had the highest overlap niche among them, but they used the most abundant plants in the area. Ludwigia was the most important pollen type in the bees` diet in the Brazilian savannah, while Gliricidia, Dalechampia, Serjania e Desmodium were the most central in the diet of bees in the forest. The networks for both phytophysiognomies and year of sampling, was nested and not modular, as expected in mutualistic networks. Besides, probably, because of the good state of conservation of the study area, the networks were robust, indicating that the community is not fragile to the loss of species. The community showed a more specialist behavior in the Brazilian savannah and did not change much over the two years. The specialization of populations was greater, in the most cases, in the Brazilian savannah, except Epanthidium erythrocephalum. The important difference among the parameters such as composition, abundance and network metrics compared to other studies shows the importance of knowing the dynamics of each area to think more efficiently about specific strategies for recovery and preservation of natural areas