Rangelands and Pollinators

Part of what makes Montana such a beautiful place to live is our vast open Rangelands, which make up nearly 70% of the state.  Rangelands are wide open spaces not covered by water, trees, crops, cities, or pavement.  These areas serve a multitude of purposes including ecosystem benefits that create diverse wildlife habitats, soil health, nutrient cycling, pollinator health, contributions to our streams, and more.  The Madison Conservation District being an advocate for land conservation and environment preservation means this is a huge focus for us, especially its benefits tied to pollinator and native plant health.  We believe it’s important to educate the community on not only how Rangelands play a large part in creating pollinator environments but also how to get involved in protecting these lands and taking steps to further the expansion of pollination for bees, butterflies, and other native insect species.

It’s important to understand how Rangeland perseveration continues to help with pollinators.  This starts with prescribed grazing where livestock are on a rotational schedule, which means not one singular area is being over-grazed and instead allows for optimal bare-ground and prevents dense litter accumulation.  These bare grounds then become the perfect environment for bee nesting.  According to research through the MSU Extension Program, “Montana rangelands support an estimated 750-1,000 species of native bees, making them crucial habitat for pollinator biodiversity.”  Along with the creation of bare grounds, rangelands also provide overlapping bloom times for native wildflowers.  These native plants being a sustainable food source for wild insects, bees, and livestock.

So, what is the correlation of protecting pollinators and how does it affect us?  Keeping rangelands preserved and ensuring native plants species have a chance to thrive means better quality agriculture.  Which in turn means higher quality foods.  Keeping pollinators active and thriving over these lands contributes to high value commodities like alfalfa, cherries, sunflowers, and mint.  Rangelands are also fantastic environments for domestic honeybees.  With a sustainable environment to thrive off of, they then produce much of the delicious honey you can purchase throughout Montana.  The pollination of native plants provides a healthy range of food sources for our livestock; and the healthier the food going into our livestock the better it is for our consumption.

There are multiple steps you can take to ensure these lands, the native plants, and pollinators remain protected.  Doing things such as rotational grazing, avoiding spraying pesticides, creating natural nests by leaving dead wood, leaves and bare ground, and planting native seeds into your area are all key beneficial ways to support pollinators.  The Madison Conservation District provides several native seed mixes to help with this initiative and support the community in the expansion of pollinators.  Join us in the efforts to keep Montana beautiful and thriving by preserving our rangelands and all the benefits they have to offer.  Stop by our office to pick up a complimentary bag of native seeds or reach out to us via email at info@madisoncd.org to learn more about our efforts in protecting our land.