Bees Eye View: Using Multispectral Photography to Simulate Bees’ View of Flowers in Natural Settings
Start Date
4-4-2023 4:00 PM
End Date
4-4-2023 6:00 PM
Abstract
Flowers use ultraviolet (UV) reflecting signals to influence and attract bees for pollination. Previous research has developed ways to capture these UV signals with UV light applied in lab settings, but methods that can be utilized in the natural world are lacking. Digital photography presents a viable means for obtaining information from natural settings. I developed a method for capturing UV signals in the natural environment using accessible, affordable technology. I used a Sony A6000 full-spectrum converted Mirrorless camera, a Canon 50mm 1:35 FD macro lens, and five specialized filters to capture the UV signals of flowers in vivo. After photographing 7 species of flowering plants native to the Pacific Northwest, along with 15 cultivated versions of the natives, I found 4 species that demonstrated the presence of UV reflectance. This indicates that the approach is viable for use in capturing UV signals in the natural environment. I also found that UV reflectance varied for different anatomical features across plants, with some plants displaying reflective petals and others reflective pollen, for example. This approach would make exploring flowers' UV signals and their effect on bees more accessible and allow for investigating plant-pollinator relationships in nature.
Subjects
Animal ecology, Plant ecology
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/40477
Bees Eye View: Using Multispectral Photography to Simulate Bees’ View of Flowers in Natural Settings
Flowers use ultraviolet (UV) reflecting signals to influence and attract bees for pollination. Previous research has developed ways to capture these UV signals with UV light applied in lab settings, but methods that can be utilized in the natural world are lacking. Digital photography presents a viable means for obtaining information from natural settings. I developed a method for capturing UV signals in the natural environment using accessible, affordable technology. I used a Sony A6000 full-spectrum converted Mirrorless camera, a Canon 50mm 1:35 FD macro lens, and five specialized filters to capture the UV signals of flowers in vivo. After photographing 7 species of flowering plants native to the Pacific Northwest, along with 15 cultivated versions of the natives, I found 4 species that demonstrated the presence of UV reflectance. This indicates that the approach is viable for use in capturing UV signals in the natural environment. I also found that UV reflectance varied for different anatomical features across plants, with some plants displaying reflective petals and others reflective pollen, for example. This approach would make exploring flowers' UV signals and their effect on bees more accessible and allow for investigating plant-pollinator relationships in nature.