The lab focuses on understanding how land use impacts critical ecological processes for native plants and their pollinators. Agro-ecosystems and urban areas have long been considered ‘dead zones’- habitats that limit the dispersal of animals or plant propagules. However, recent studies have shown that many agricultural and urban matrices preserve key ecological processes – depending on the functional traits of the organism and the biotic and abiotic composition of the matrix. Despite the ubiquity of human-altered landscapes and the importance of dispersal processes in ecology and evolution, much remains to be understood about how human-managed landscapes affect critical movement processes for plants and pollinators.
The lab is currently working on a number of projects that investigate these processes. To learn more, click on the link below to each project.
Publications
Coauthors: † = graduate student, ‡ = undergraduate student, § = postdoc
Pollinator Health, Diet & Behavior
Ivers, Nicholas and Shalene Jha. Biogeography, climate, and land use create a mosaic of parasite risk in native bumble bees. Science of the Total Environment Vol. 868 (2023) 161545. ISSN 0048-9697 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161545
Ivers, N.A., Jordan, Z., Cohen, H. et al. Parasitism of urban bumble bees influenced by pollinator taxonomic richness, local garden management, and surrounding impervious cover. Urban Ecosyst (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-022-01211-0 – OR – pdf
Cusser†, S., Neff, J. L., & S. Jha (2019) Landscape context differentially drives diet breadth for two key pollinator species. Oecologia 191: 873-886. DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04543-5 [3.01]
Woodard† S.H., Duennes M.A., Watrous K. & S. Jha. Diet and nutritional status during early adult life have immediate and persistent effects on queen bumble bees. Conservation Physiology, Volume 7, Issue 1, 2019 [3.46] pdf
Woodard S.H. & S. Jha (2017) Wild bee nutritional ecology: predicting pollinator population dynamics, movement, and services from floral resources. Current Opinion in Insect Science 21: 83-90. pdf
Jha S., Casey-Ford R.G., Platt T., Queller D.C. & J.E. Strassmann (2006) The queen is not the pacemaker in colonies of the small-colony wasps Polistes instabilis and P. dominulus. Animal Behavior 71: 1197-1203.pdf
Pollinator Networks & Communities
Cortina† C., Neff J., & S. Jha (in press) Historic and contemporary land use shape plant-pollinator networks and community composition. Frontiers in Ecology & Evolution. pdf
Helderop§ E., Bienenstock E.J., Grubesic T.H., Miller J., Tong D., Brosi B. & S. Jha (2021) Network-based geoforensics: connecting pollen and plants to place. Ecological Informatics 66: 101443. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2021.101443
Ballare† K.M., Neff J.L. & S. Jha (2019) Multi-scalar drivers of biodiversity: local management mediates wild bee community response to regional urbanization. Ecological Applications 29: e01869. DOI: 10.1002/eap.1869 [4.31] pdf
Cusser† S., Neff J.L. & S. Jha (2018) Land-use history drives contemporary pollinator community similarity. Landscape Ecology 33:1335-1352. DOI: 10.1007/s10980-018-0668-2 [3.62] pdf
Jha S., Allen† D.A., Liere H., Perfecto I. & J.H. Vandermeer (2012) Mutualisms and population regulation: mechanism matters. PLoS ONE 7: e43510.pdf
Pollinators & Agricultural Systems
Allen-Perkins A., Magrach A., Dainese M., Garibaldi L.A., Kleijn D., Rader R., Reilly J.R., Winfree R., Lundin O., McGrady C.M., Brittain C., Biddinger D.J., et al. (2022) CropPol: a dynamic, open and global database on crop pollination. Ecology 103: e3614. DOI:10.1002/ecy.3614
Cusser S.J., Haddad N. & S. Jha (2021) Unexpected functional complementarity from non-bee pollinators enhances cotton yield. Agriculture, Ecosystems and the Environment 314:107415. DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2021.107415 [3.99]
Senapathi D., Fründ J., Albrecht M., Garratt M.P.D., Kleijn D., Pickles B.J., Potts S.G., An J., Andersson G.K.S., Bäensch S., Basu P., Benjamin F., Bezerra A.D.M., Bhattacharya R., Biesmeijer J.C., Blaauw B., Blitzer E.J., Brittain C.A., Carvalheiro L.G., Cariveau D.P., Chakraborty P., Chatterjee A., Chatterjee S., Cusser S., Danforth B.N., Degani E., Freitas B.M., Garibaldi L.A., Geslin B., de Groot G.A., Harisson T., Howlett B., Isaacs R., Jha S., et al. (2021) Wild insect diversity increases inter-annual stability in global crop pollinator communities. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 288: 20210212. DOI:10.1098/rspb.2021.0212 [5.39]
Cusser§, S.J. & S. Jha (2021) No Tradeoff in Fiber Quality with Increased Cotton Yield Due to Outcross Pollination. Sustainability 13: 6079. DOI:10.3390/su13116079
Vandermeer J., Armbrecht I., de la Mora† A., Ennis§ K.K., Fitch† G., Gonthier D.J., Hajian-Forooshani Z., Hsieh H., Iverson§ A., Jackson D., Jha S., Jiménez-Soto E., Lopez-Bautista G., Larsen A., Li K., Liere H., MacDonald A., Marin L., Mathis§ K.A., Monagan I., Morris J.R., Ong T., Pardee§ G.L., Rivera-Salinas I.S., Vaiyda C., Williams-Guillen K., Yitbarek† S., Uno S., Zemenick A., Philpott S.M. & I. Perfecto (2019) The Community Ecology of Herbivore Regulation in an Agroecosystem: Lessons from Complex Systems, BioScience 69: 974–996. DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biz127 [6.15] pdf
Dainese M., Martin E.A., Aizen M.A., Albrecht M., Bartomeus I., Bommarco R., Carvalheiro L.G., Chaplin-Kramer R., Gagic V., Garibaldi L.A., Ghazoul J., Grab H., Jonsson M., Karp D.S., Kennedy C.M., Kleijn D., Kremen C., Landis D.A., Letourneau D.K., Marini L., Poveda K., Rader R., Smith H.G., Tscharntke T., Andersson G.K.S, Badenhausser I., Baensch S., Bezerra A.D.M., Bianchi F.J.A.A., Boreux V., Bretagnolle V., Caballero-Lopez B., Cavigliasso P., Ćetković A., Chacoff N.P., Classen A., Cusser S., da Silva F.D., de Groot G.A., Dudenhöffer J.H., Ekroos J., Fijen T., Franck P., Freitas B.M., Garratt M.P.D., Gratton C., Hipólito J., Holzschuh A., Hunt L., Iverson A.L., Jha S., et al. (2019). A global synthesis reveals biodiversity-mediated benefits for crop production. Science Advances 16 Oct 2019: Vol. 5, no. 10 [11.51] pdf
Cusser† S., Lopez-Uribe M., Zucchi M.I., Young K., Grando C., Pope N.S., Ballare K., Neff J., Almeida E., de Luna D.C. & S. Jha (2019) Small but critical: semi-natural habitat fragments promote bee abundance in cotton agroecosystems across both Brazil and the United States. Landscape Ecology [3.62] pdf
Lichtenberg E., Kennedy C.M., Kremen C, Batary P., Berendse F., Bommarco R., Bosque-Pérez N.A., Carvalheiro L.G., Snyder W.E., Williams N.M., Winfree R., Åström S., Benjamin F., Brittain C., Chaplin-Kramer R., Clough Y., Connelly H., Danforth B., Diekötter T., Eigenbrode S.D., Ekroos J., Elle E., Freitas B.M., Fukuda Y., Gaines-Day H.R., Gratton C., Holzschuh A., Isaacs R., Isaia M., Jha S., et al. (2017) A global synthesis of the effects of diversified farming systems on arthropod diversity within fields and across agricultural landscapes. Global Change Biology 16: 584-599.pdf
Cusser† S., Neff J.L. & S. Jha (2016) Natural land cover drives pollinator abundance and richness, leading to reductions in pollen limitation in cotton agroecosystems. Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment 226: 33–42.pdf
Kleijn D., Winfree R., Bartomeus I., Carvalheiro L.G., Henry M., Isaacs R., Klein A.-M., Kremen C., M’Gonigle L.K., Rader R., Ricketts T., Williams N.M., Adamson N.L., Ascher J.S., Báldi A., Batáry P., Benjamin F., Biesmeijer J.C., Blitzer E.J., Bommarco R., Brand M.R., Bretagnolle V., Button L., Cariveau D.P., Chifflet R., Colville J.F., Danforth B.N., Elle E., Garratt M.P., Herzog F., Holzschuh A., Howlett B.G., Jauker F., Jha S., et al. (2015) Delivery of crop pollination services is an insufficient argument for wild pollinator conservation. Nature Communications 6: 7414.pdf
Kennedy C.M., Lonsdorf E., Neel C.M., Williams N.M., Ricketts T.H., Winfree R., Bommarco R., Brittain C., Burley A.L., Cariveau D., Carvalheiro L.G., Chacoff N.P., Cunningham S.A., Danforth B.N., Dudenhöffer J., Elle E., Gaines H.R., Gratton C., Greenleaf S.S., Holzschuh A., Isaacs R., Javorek S.K., Jha S., Klein A.M., Krewenka K., Mandelik Y., Mayfield M.M., Morandin L., Neame L.A., Otieno M., Park M., Potts S.G., Rundlöf M., Saez A., Steffan-Dewenter I., Taki H., Tuell J.K., Felipe B., Veldtman R., Westphal C., & C. Kremen (2013) A global quantitative synthesis of local and landscape effects on native bee pollinators in agroecosystems. Ecology Letters 16: 584-599.pdf
Philpott S.M., Lin B.B., Jha S. & S.J. Brines (2008) A multi-scale assessment of hurricane impacts on agricultural landscapes based on land-use and topographic features. Agriculture, Ecosystems and the Environment 128: 12-20.pdf
Jha S., Vandermeer J.H. & I. Perfecto (2009) Population dynamics of Coccus viridis, a ubiquitous ant-tended agricultural pest, assessed by a new photographic method. Bulletin of Insectology 62: 183-189. pdf
Outreach & Education
Treviño Murphy, L.; Engelman, S.; Neff, J.L.; Jha, S. The Native Bees of Texas: Evaluating the Benefits of a Public Engagement Course. Insects 2021, 12, 702. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12080702
Egerer† M.H., Philpott S.M., Bichier, P., Jha S., Liere H. & B.B Lin (2018) Gardener well-being along social and biophysical landscape gradients. Sustainability 10: 96. DOI: 10.3390/su10010096 [2.18] pdf
Livingston† G., Waring B., Pacheco L.F., Gilbert L., Buchori D., Jiang Y. & S. Jha (2016) Perspectives on the Global Disparity in Ecological Science. Bioscience 66: 147-155.pdf
Foraging & Dispersal
Tong D., Grubesic T.H., Mu W., Miller J.A., Helderop E., Jha S., Brosi B.J., & E.A. Bienenstock (2021) Identifying the Spatial Footprint of Pollen Distributions Using the Geoforensic Interdiction (GOFIND) Model. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems 87:101615. DOI: 10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2021.101615 [4.67]
Pope† N. & S. Jha. (2018) Seasonal food scarcity prompts long-distance foraging by a wild social bee. The American Naturalist. Vol. 191, No. 1: pp. 000–000. © 2017 by The University of Chicago Press. pdf
Pope† N. & S. Jha (2017) Inferring the foraging ranges of social bees from sibling genotypes sampled across discrete locations. Conservation Genetics 18: 645-658.pdf
Ritchie‡ A.D., Ruppel R. & S. Jha (2016) Generalist behavior describes pollen foraging for perceived oligolectic and polylectic bees. Environmental Entomology 45: 909-919.pdf
Jha S. & J. H. Vandermeer (2009) Contrasting bee foraging in response to resource scale and local habitat management. Oikos 118: 1174-1180.pdf
Saifuddin‡ M. & S. Jha (2014) Colony-level variation in pollen collection and foraging preferences among wild-caught bumble bees. Environmental Entomology 43: 393-401.pdf
Jha S. & C. Kremen (2013) Resource diversity and landscape-level homogeneity drive native bee foraging. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 8:555-558. pdf
Jha S., Stefanovich‡ L. & C. Kremen (2013) Bumble bee pollen use and preference across spatial scales in human-altered landscapes. Ecological Entomology 38: 570-579.pdf
Jha S. & J.H. Vandermeer (2009) Contrasting foraging patterns for Africanized honeybees and native bees and wasps in a tropical agroforestry landscape. Journal of Tropical Ecology 25: 13-23.pdf
Landscape & Conservation Genetics
Ballare† K.M. and S. Jha (2020) Genetic structure across urban and agricultural landscapes reveals evidence of resource specialization and philopatry in the Eastern carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica L. Evolutionary Applications 12:136-149. DOI: 10.1111/eva.13078 [5.04]
Ballare† K.M., Pope† N.S., Castilla§ A.R., Cusser† S.J., Metz R.P., & S. Jha (2019) Utilizing field collected insects for next generation sequencing: effects of sampling, storage, and DNA extraction methods. Ecology and Evolution 9:13690–13705. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5756 [2.54] pdf
O’Connell† M., Castilla§ A.R., & S. Jha (2018) Bee movement across heterogeneous tropical forests: multi-paternal genetic analyses reveal the importance of neighborhood composition for pollen-mediated gene flow. Biotropica 50(6): 908-918. DOI: 10.1111/btp.12603 [2.35] pdf
Lopez-Uribe* M., Soro* A. & S. Jha* (2019) A trait-based approach to predict population genetic structure in bees. Molecular Ecology, April 2019, Vol.28(8), pp.1919-1929. DOI: 10.1111/mec.15028 [6.33] pdf
Castilla§ A.R., Pope† N., O’Connell† M., Rodriguez‡ M.F., Treviño L., Santos A. & S. Jha (2017) Adding landscape genetic & individual traits to the ecosystem function paradigm reveals the importance of species functional breadth. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. pdf
Schenau‡ E. & S. Jha (2017) High levels of diploidy but low levels of genetic structure, characterize male Bombus vosnesenskii populations across the Western US. Conservation Genetics 18: 597-605.pdf
Castilla§ A., Pope† N. & S. Jha (2016) Positive density-dependent reproduction regulated by local kinship and size. Annals of Botany 117: 319-329.pdf
Castilla§ A., Pope† N., Jaffé§ R. & S. Jha (2016) Elevation, not deforestation, promotes genetic differentiation in a pioneer tropical tree. PLoS ONE 11: e0156694.pdf
López-Uribe M.M., Soro A. & S. Jha (2017) Conservation genetics of bees: advances in the application of molecular tools to guide bee pollinator conservation. Conservation Genetics 18: 501-506.pdf
Jaffé§ R., Castilla§ A., Pope† N., Imperatriz-Fonseca V.L., Metzger J.P., Arias M.C. & S. Jha (2016) Landscape genetics of a tropical rescue pollinator. Conservation Genetics 12: 267-278.pdf
Jaffé§ R., Pope† N., Acosta A.L., Alves D.A., Arias M.C., De la Rúa P., Francisco F.O., Giannini T.C., González-Chaves A., Imperatriz-Fonseca V.L., Jha S. & L.G. Carvalheiro (2016) Beekeeping practices and geographic distance, not land use, drive gene flow across tropical bees. Molecular Ecology 25:5345-5358.pdf
Jha S. (2015) Contemporary human-altered landscapes and oceanic barriers reduce bumble bee gene flow. Molecular Ecology 24: 993-1006.pdf
Woodard§ S.H., Lozier J.D., Goulson D., Williams P.H., Strange J.P. & S. Jha (2015) Molecular tools and bumble bees: revealing hidden details of ecology and evolution in a model system. Molecular Ecology 24: 2916-2936.pdf
Jha S. & C. Kremen (2013) Urban land use limits regional bumble bee gene flow. Molecular Ecology 22: 2483–2495.pdf
Jha S. & C.W. Dick (2008) Shade coffee farms promote genetic diversity of native trees. Current Biology 18: 1126-1128.pdf
Jha S. & C.W. Dick (2010) Native bees mediate long-distance pollen dispersal in a shade coffee landscape mosaic. Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences 107:13760-13764.pdf
Jha S. & C.W. Dick (2009) Isolation and characterization of nine microsatellite loci for the tropical understory tree Miconia affinis Wurdack (Melastomataceae). Molecular Ecology Resources 9: 344-345.pdf
Conservation & Monitoring
Woodard* S.H., Federman* S., James R.R., Danforth B.N., Griswold T., Inouye D.W., McFrederick Q.S., Morandin L., Paul D., Sellers E., Strange J.P., Vaughan M., Williams N.M., et al. (2020) Towards a US national program for monitoring native bees. Biological Conservation 252:108821. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108821 [4.69]
Ballare† K.M., Stevens‡ L. & S. Jha (2017) Reproductive biology of three wildflower species: Implications of floral compatibility system and pollen limitation for prairie restoration. Rhodora. pdf
Liere§ H., Jha S. & S. Philpott (2017) Intersection between biodiversity conservation, agroecology, and ecosystem services. Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems. pdf
Cusser† S., Neff J.L. & S. Jha (2015) Land use change and pollinator extinction debt in exurban landscapes. Insect Conservation and Diversity 8: 562-572.pdf
Jha S., Bacon C., Philpott S.M., Rice R.A., Mendez V.E. & P. Läderach (2014) Shade coffee: update on a disappearing refuge for biodiversity. Bioscience 64: 416-428.pdf
Jha S. & J.H. Vandermeer (2010) Impacts of coffee agroforestry management on tropical bee communities. Biological Conservation 143: 1423-1431.pdf
Jha S., Harcombe P.A. & I.S. Elsik (2004) Potential Causes of a Decline in American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) in Wier Woods. Texas Journal of Science 21: 328-339.pdf
Livingston† G., Jha S., Vega A. & L. Gilbert (2013) Conservation value and permeability of Neotropical oil palm landscapes for orchid bees. PloS ONE 8: e78523. pdf
Book Chapters
Lin B.B., Philpott S.M., Jha S., and H. Liere (2017) Urban agriculture as a productive green infrastructure for environmental and social well-being, in Greening Cities: A Growing Imperative for Liveability and Sustainability (eds. Yok T.P. and C.Y. Jim). Springer. pp 155-179.external / internal link
Jha S., Burkle L. & C. Kremen (2012) Vulnerability of pollination ecosystem services to global climate change. Ecosystem Services and Climate Change. Timothy Seastedt and Kathryn Suding. Netherlands, Springer. pp 118-128. pdf
Jha S., Bacon C., Philpott S.M., Rice R.A., Mendez V.E. & P. Läderach (2011) Shade coffee at a crossroads again: A review of ecosystem services, farmer livelihoods, and value chains in shade coffee agroecosystems. In: Campbell, W. B. and Lopez Ortiz, Silvia, Integrating Agriculture, Conservation and Ecotourism: Examples from the Field. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, pp.141-208. pdf
Urban Ecology & Urban Gardens
Cohen† H., Egerer† M.H., Lin B.B., Liere H., Bichier P., Philpott S.M & S. Jha (2021) The relationship between pollinator community and pollination services is mediated by floral abundance in urban landscapes. Urban Ecosystems 24: 275-290. DOI: 10.1007/s11252-020-01024-z [2.78].
Belaire J.A., Higgins† C., Zoll§ D., Leiberknecht K., Bixler P., Neff J.L, Keitt T. & S. Jha (2022) Fine-scale monitoring and mapping of biodiversity and ecosystem services reveals multiple synergies and few tradeoffs in urban green space management. Science of the Total Environment 849: 157801. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157801. pdf
Ong§ T.W., Lin B.B., Lucatero A., Cohen† H., Bichier P., Egerer† M.H., Danieu A., Jha S., Philpott S.M. & H. Liere (in press) Rarity begets rarity: Social and environmental drivers of rare organisms in cities. Ecological Applications. e2708. DOI:10.1002/eap.2708. pdf
O’Connell† M., Jordan‡ Z., McGilvray‡ E., Cohen H., Liere H., Lin B.B., Philpott S.M. and S. Jha (2021) Reap what you sow: local plant composition mediates pollinator foraging patterns within urban garden landscapes. Urban Ecosystems 24: 391-404. DOI:10.1007/s11252-020-01043-w [2.78].
Philpott S.M., Egerer† M.H., Bichier, P., Cohen† H., Cohen R., Liere H., Jha S. & B.B Lin (2020) Gardener demographics, experience, and motivations drive differences in plant species richness and composition in urban gardens. Ecology and Society 25:8. DOI: 10.5751/ES-11666-250408 [4.14].
Philpott S.M., Lucatero† A., Bichier P., Egerer† M., Jha S., Lin B., and H. Liere (2020) Natural enemy-herbivore networks along local management and landscape gradients in urban agroecosystems. Ecological Applications 30:e02201. DOI: 10.1002/eap.2201 [4.31]
Egerer† M.H., Liere H., Lin B.B., Jha S, Bichier P. & S.M. Philpott (2018) Herbivore regulation in urban agroecosystems: Direct and indirect effects. Basic and Applied Ecology 29: 44-54. DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2018.02.006 [2.14] pdf
Egerer† M.H., Philpott S.M., Liere H., Jha S, Bichier P. & B.B Lin. People or place? Neighborhood opportunity influences community garden soil properties and soil-based ecosystem services. International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Services & Management 14:32-44. DOI: 10.1080/21513732.2017.1412355 [2.23] pdf
Lin B.B., Egerer† M.H., Liere§ H., Jha S., Bichier P. & S.M. Philpott (2018) Local-and landscape-scale land cover affects microclimate and water use in urban gardens. Science of The Total Environment. pdf
Lin B.B., Egerer† M.H., Liere H., Jha S., Bichier P. & S.M. Philpott. Soil management is key to maintaining soil moisture in urban gardens facing changing climatic conditions. Scientific Reports 2018; 8(1):1-9. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35731-7 [4.12] pdf
Jha S., Egerer† M.H., Bichier P., Cohen† H., Liere H., Lin B.B., Lucatero A. & S.M. Philpott (2023) Multiple ecosystem service synergies and landscape-mediation of biodiversity within urban agroecosystems. Ecology Letters 2023: 00:1–15. DOI: 10.1111/ele.14146. pdf
Lin B.B., Philpott S.M. & S. Jha (2015) The future of urban agriculture and biodiversity-ecosystem services: challenges and next steps. Basic and Applied Ecology 16: 189-201.pdf