A bee diversity survey in oak savannah habitats in Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario

A survey of bee diversity was conducted in two oak savannah habitats - Oak Savannah 3 (03) and South Point (SP) - in Rondeau Provincial Park in Southern Ontario, Canada. The bee community composition of 03 and SP were similar in both sites according to a Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) and Sorensen's coefficient of community similarity. However, bees appeared to prefer the SP habitat over 03 as determined by the greater bee species abundance, richness, Shannon diversity, and evenness values found in SP. This is possibly due to the larger habitat area and greater plant species richness and abundance of SP compared to 03. The decline in bee species richness and abundance toward the end of the summer correlated with the decline in plant richness and abundance because bees rely on the nectar and pollen in plants that are flowering as sources of food.