A seven-year WSU study in the Puget Sound region found that neglected urban patches—like abandoned golf courses and powerline corridors—support a wider variety of wild bee species than many managed parks and farms. Researchers collected over 25,000 specimens and confirmed 118 species, including records new to Snohomish and King counties. The study suggests that retaining wild-flowering vegetation and reducing intensive maintenance in urban green spaces can boost pollinator diversity and inform future urban planning.
Neglected Urban Sites Harbor More Wild Bee Species Than Managed Parks, WSU Study Finds
A seven-year WSU study in the Puget Sound region found that neglected urban patches—like abandoned golf courses and powerline corridors—support a wider variety of wild bee species than many managed parks and farms. Researchers collected over 25,000 specimens and confirmed 118 species, including records new to Snohomish and King counties. The study suggests that retaining wild-flowering vegetation and reducing intensive maintenance in urban green spaces can boost pollinator diversity and inform future urban planning.
11:32 AM, 11/17/2025Environment
Neglected urban green spaces support richer wild bee communities, WSU research shows
A seven-year study by Washington State University (WSU) found that less-maintained parcels around Puget Sound—so-called "marginal lands" such as abandoned golf courses and corridors beneath power lines—host a broader and more diverse community of wild bees than many actively managed parks and farms.
Published in the journal Ecology and Evolution, the research team sampled bees at three sites across the Puget Sound region, collecting more than 25,000 specimens and confirming 118 species. Several of those species were not previously recorded in Snohomish and King counties.
"Someone looking from the outside would say this is a junky old golf course that has been left to rot," said David Crowder, professor in WSU's Department of Entomology and the study's corresponding author. "But it has 118 bee species in it, some that have never been seen before in our state."
The authors suggest that the structural diversity and patchy wildflower cover in these neglected sites—combined with reduced mowing and lower pesticide use—provide continuous floral resources and suitable nesting habitats for a wide range of bee species. Crowder noted, "Different species do different jobs in the environment. If you have a diverse community of species, they'll be pollinating plants throughout the year."
Rather than simply being eyesores, these urban "wastelands" can have measurable ecological value. The findings indicate that preserving and intentionally managing pockets of wild-flowering vegetation in cities could complement existing conservation strategies, influence urban planning, and bolster pollinator diversity in human-dominated landscapes.
Implications for planners and conservationists: Incorporating low-maintenance wildflower strips, reduced mowing regimes, and pesticide-free utility corridors into urban green-space design may help sustain diverse pollinator communities and the ecosystem services they provide.