Identifying environmental fates and effects of neonicotinoids on restoration prairie plants and beneficial insects in agroecosystems

Agricultural intensification and declines in beneficial insects have sparked initiatives to increase habitat by restoring agricultural land. Despite possessing crucial resources, restorations are often contaminated with agricultural chemicals such as neonicotinoid insecticides. Significant knowledge gaps exist regarding the translocation and physiological changes these chemicals induce in common prairie plants. Furthermore, little is known about how neonicotinoids affect plant physiology and the potential synergistic consequences that may impact beneficial insects. This project assesses the influence of the neonicotinoid clothianidin on plant secondary metabolite production, floral fitness (seed set and aboveground biomass), and insect visitation on four common prairie plants.