| Field surveys conducted in the summers of 2016 and 2017 in a selection of montane wet meadow systems aim to assess how different abiotic and botanical features affect abundance and species richness of bumble bee (Bombus spp.) populations. The meadows surveyed include undisturbed, degraded and restored wet meadows in four regions of the northern Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades of California, at elevations ranging from 3500ft-8000ft. Additionally, we aim to assess vulnerability of bumble bees to drought through a paired analysis of data collected during and after recent drought conditions in California. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive survey of bumble bees in these systems. In total 762 bumble bees were captured via non-lethal survey methods. Fifteen different species were detected, with the majority being yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii), associated with at least 50 flowering plant species. With mounting evidence that bumble bee distributions are sensitive to climate change and habitat degradation, monitoring this pollinator community will help determine their current status. This will allow us to determine whether bumble bees could act as an indicator species for meadow health in the montane regions of California, and thus feed into management strategies for sensitive meadow systems. |