Utility Rights-of-Way Wildlife Research at Penn State
Plant and animal community response to long-term vegetation management on rights-of-way

Game Lands 33 and Green Lane Research Update

It has been two years since we last gave an update on the research being conducted at State Game Lands (SGL) 33 in Centre County, Pennsylvania and the Green Lane Research and Demonstration Area (GLR&D) in southeastern Pennsylvania. A great deal has been accomplished in refining the research protocols and collecting data on native bees and birds to measure the effect on them of various vegetation management (VM) methods used on the electric utility rights-of-way that cross through the two research locations.

Results of the past three-year research cycle include evidence that VM methods which incorporate a selective herbicide application supported the highest number and species diversity of bees. It is also noteworthy that several specimens of the “yellow bumble bee” (Bombus fervidus), which has been in decline since the 1930s, were collected in treatment sites where the ROW vegetation was managed by using selective herbicide application.

From the Holiday 2018 issue of The Asplundh TREE.