In the first ever study to examine how insects respond to reclamation in a natural gas field within a sagebrush steppe ecosystem, Dr. Michael Curran and a team of researchers from University of Wyoming, University of Californina- Davis, Jonah Energy, and QEP Resources showed insect diversity and abundance was far greater on reclaimed well pads compared to adjacent reference areas.
This publication was accepted earlier this week. It is the first research to assess how insects respond to reclamation of oil and gas development in a sagebrush-steppe ecosystem. We found very low floral diversity in the reference vegetation communities, which were basically monocultures of decadent sagebrush. We found higher insect abundance and diversity on sites seeded with native grasses as well as those seeded with a native annual forb, Rocky Mountain bee plant. On sites with the latter, we found 8-12x more pollinators than the reference sites.
A link to an article by Wyoming Public Media can be found here: https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/natural-resources-energy/2022-04-26/reclamation-in-pinedale-anticline-has-created-healthy-environment-for-insect-and-vegetation-growth
