Douglas Sponsler

Ecologist | Entomologist | Data Scientist | Writer

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America

Research Expertise

urban landscape ecology
pollinator biology
data analytics
causal inference
Bayesian modeling
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Plant Science
Pollution
Environmental Chemistry
Waste Management and Disposal
Environmental Engineering
Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Urban Studies
Ecology
Ecological Modeling
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Insect Science
Genetics

About

**During my career as an ecologist, I have established myself as an international authority on plant-pollinator interactions, with more than 20 peer-reviewed publications, more than 20 invited presentations, and research collaborations across 19 countries. My projects have taken me from the farmland of Ohio to the rooftops of Philadelphia to the endangered grasslands of Europe. Along the way, I have developed advanced skills in Bayesian statistics, causal inference, and scientific writing.**

Publications

Application of ITS2 metabarcoding to determine the provenance of pollen collected by honey bees in an agroecosystem

Applications in Plant Sciences / Jan 01, 2015

Richardson, R. T., Lin, C., Sponsler, D. B., Quijia, J. O., Goodell, K., & Johnson, R. M. (2015). Application of ITS2 metabarcoding to determine the provenance of pollen collected by honey bees in an agroecosystem. Applications in Plant Sciences, 3(1). Portico. https://doi.org/10.3732/apps.1400066

Pesticides and pollinators: A socioecological synthesis

Science of The Total Environment / Apr 01, 2019

Sponsler, D. B., Grozinger, C. M., Hitaj, C., Rundlöf, M., Botías, C., Code, A., Lonsdorf, E. V., Melathopoulos, A. P., Smith, D. J., Suryanarayanan, S., Thogmartin, W. E., Williams, N. M., Zhang, M., & Douglas, M. R. (2019). Pesticides and pollinators: A socioecological synthesis. Science of The Total Environment, 662, 1012–1027. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.01.016

Honey bee success predicted by landscape composition in Ohio, USA

PeerJ / Mar 19, 2015

Sponsler, D., & Johnson, R. (2015). Honey bee success predicted by landscape composition in Ohio, USA. PeerJ, 3, e838. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.838

County-level analysis reveals a rapidly shifting landscape of insecticide hazard to honey bees (Apis mellifera) on US farmland

Scientific Reports / Jan 21, 2020

Douglas, M. R., Sponsler, D. B., Lonsdorf, E. V., & Grozinger, C. M. (2020). County-level analysis reveals a rapidly shifting landscape of insecticide hazard to honey bees (Apis mellifera) on US farmland. Scientific Reports, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-57225-w

Mechanistic modeling of pesticide exposure: The missing keystone of honey bee toxicology

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry / Dec 16, 2016

Sponsler, D. B., & Johnson, R. M. (2016). Mechanistic modeling of pesticide exposure: The missing keystone of honey bee toxicology. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 36(4), 871–881. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.3661

Quantitative multi‐locus metabarcoding and waggle dance interpretation reveal honey bee spring foraging patterns in Midwest agroecosystems

Molecular Ecology / Feb 01, 2019

Richardson, R. T., Curtis, H. R., Matcham, E. G., Lin, C., Suresh, S., Sponsler, D. B., Hearon, L. E., & Johnson, R. M. (2019). Quantitative multi‐locus metabarcoding and waggle dance interpretation reveal honey bee spring foraging patterns in Midwest agroecosystems. Molecular Ecology, 28(3), 686–697. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.14975

Spatial and taxonomic patterns of honey bee foraging: A choice test between urban and agricultural landscapes

Journal of Urban Ecology / Jan 01, 2017

Sponsler, D. B., Matcham, E. G., Lin, C.-H., Lanterman, J. L., & Johnson, R. M. (2017). Spatial and taxonomic patterns of honey bee foraging: A choice test between urban and agricultural landscapes. Journal of Urban Ecology, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/jue/juw008

Characterizing the floral resources of a North American metropolis using a honey bee foraging assay

Ecosphere / Apr 01, 2020

Sponsler, D. B., Shump, D., Richardson, R. T., & Grozinger, C. M. (2020). Characterizing the floral resources of a North American metropolis using a honey bee foraging assay. Ecosphere, 11(4). Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3102

Application of plant metabarcoding to identify diverse honeybee pollen forage along an urban–agricultural gradient

Molecular Ecology / Nov 10, 2020

Richardson, R. T., Eaton, T. D., Lin, C., Cherry, G., Johnson, R. M., & Sponsler, D. B. (2020). Application of plant metabarcoding to identify diverse honeybee pollen forage along an urban–agricultural gradient. Molecular Ecology, 30(1), 310–323. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.15704

MetaCurator: A hidden Markov model‐based toolkit for extracting and curating sequences from taxonomically‐informative genetic markers

Methods in Ecology and Evolution / Oct 29, 2019

Richardson, R. T., Sponsler, D. B., McMinn‐Sauder, H., & Johnson, R. M. (2019). MetaCurator: A hidden Markov model‐based toolkit for extracting and curating sequences from taxonomically‐informative genetic markers. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 11(1), 181–186. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210x.13314

Beekeeping in, of or for the city? A socioecological perspective on urban apiculture

People and Nature / Apr 02, 2021

Sponsler, D. B., & Bratman, E. Z. (2021). Beekeeping in, of or for the city? A socioecological perspective on urban apiculture. People and Nature, 3(3), 550–559. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10206

Contrasting patterns of richness, abundance, and turnover in mountain bumble bees and their floral hosts

Ecology / Apr 27, 2022

Sponsler, D. B., Requier, F., Kallnik, K., Classen, A., Maihoff, F., Sieger, J., & Steffan‐Dewenter, I. (2022). Contrasting patterns of richness, abundance, and turnover in mountain bumble bees and their floral hosts. Ecology, 103(7). Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3712

Honey Bees and Neonicotinoid‐Treated Corn Seed: Contamination, Exposure, and Effects

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry / Feb 05, 2021

Lin, C., Sponsler, D. B., Richardson, R. T., Watters, H. D., Glinski, D. A., Henderson, W. M., Minucci, J. M., Lee, E. H., Purucker, S. T., & Johnson, R. M. (2021). Honey Bees and Neonicotinoid‐Treated Corn Seed: Contamination, Exposure, and Effects. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 40(4), 1212–1221. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.4957

Floral preferences of mountain bumble bees are constrained by functional traits but flexible through elevation and season

Oikos / Dec 20, 2021

Sponsler, D., Kallnik, K., Requier, F., Classen, A., Maihoff, A. F., Sieger, J., & Steffan‐Dewenter, I. (2021). Floral preferences of mountain bumble bees are constrained by functional traits but flexible through elevation and season. Oikos, 2022(3). Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.08902

A screening-level assessment of the pollinator-attractiveness of ornamental nursery stock using a honey bee foraging assay

Scientific Reports / Jan 21, 2020

Sponsler, D. B., Grozinger, C. M., Richardson, R. T., Nurse, A., Brough, D., Patch, H. M., & Stoner, K. A. (2020). A screening-level assessment of the pollinator-attractiveness of ornamental nursery stock using a honey bee foraging assay. Scientific Reports, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-57858-2

Grassy–herbaceous land moderates regional climate effects on honey bee colonies in the Northcentral US

Environmental Research Letters / Jun 01, 2022

Quinlan, G. M., Sponsler, D., Gaines-Day, H. R., McMinn-Sauder, H. B. G., Otto, C. R. V., Smart, A. H., Colin, T., Gratton, C., Isaacs, R., Johnson, R., Milbrath, M. O., & Grozinger, C. M. (2022). Grassy–herbaceous land moderates regional climate effects on honey bee colonies in the Northcentral US. Environmental Research Letters, 17(6), 064036. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac7063

Poisoning a Society: A Superorganism Perspective on Honey Bee Toxicology

Bee World / Jan 02, 2017

Sponsler, D. B., & Johnson, R. M. (2017). Poisoning a Society: A Superorganism Perspective on Honey Bee Toxicology. Bee World, 94(1), 30–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/0005772x.2017.1295762

Pollinator competition and the structure of floral resources

Ecography / Jul 10, 2023

Sponsler, D., Iverson, A., & Steffan‐Dewenter, I. (2023). Pollinator competition and the structure of floral resources. Ecography, 2023(9). Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.06651

Honey bee success predicted by landscape composition in Ohio, USA

Jan 16, 2015

Sponsler, D. B., & Johnson, R. M. (2015). Honey bee success predicted by landscape composition in Ohio, USA. https://doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.795

Targeted treatment of injured nestmates with antimicrobial compounds in an ant society

Nature Communications / Dec 29, 2023

Frank, Erik. T., Kesner, L., Liberti, J., Helleu, Q., LeBoeuf, A. C., Dascalu, A., Sponsler, D. B., Azuma, F., Economo, E. P., Waridel, P., Engel, P., Schmitt, T., & Keller, L. (2023). Targeted treatment of injured nestmates with antimicrobial compounds in an ant society. Nature Communications, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43885-w

Next-generation colony weight monitoring: a review and prospectus

Apidologie / Jan 22, 2024

McMinn-Sauder, H. B. G., Colin, T., Gaines Day, H. R., Quinlan, G., Smart, A., Meikle, W. G., Johnson, R. M., & Sponsler, D. B. (2024). Next-generation colony weight monitoring: a review and prospectus. Apidologie, 55(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-023-01050-8

High rates of nectar depletion in summer grasslands indicate competitive conditions for pollinators

Oct 23, 2023

Sponsler, D., Dominik, C., Biegerl, C., Honchar, H., Schweiger, O., & Steffan-Dewenter, I. (2023). High rates of nectar depletion in summer grasslands indicate competitive conditions for pollinators. https://doi.org/10.22541/au.169805822.20474691/v1

Distance functions of carabids in crop fields depend on functional traits, crop type and adjacent habitat: a synthesis

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences / Jan 10, 2024

Boetzl, F. A., Sponsler, D., Albrecht, M., Batáry, P., Birkhofer, K., Knapp, M., Krauss, J., Maas, B., Martin, E. A., Sirami, C., Sutter, L., Bertrand, C., Baillod, A. B., Bota, G., Bretagnolle, V., Brotons, L., Frank, T., Fusser, M., Giralt, D., … Schirmel, J. (2024). Distance functions of carabids in crop fields depend on functional traits, crop type and adjacent habitat: a synthesis. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 291(2014). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.2383

Review for "Distance functions of carabids in crop fields depend on functional traits, crop type and adjacent habitat: a synthesis"

May 31, 2023

Review for “Distance functions of carabids in crop fields depend on functional traits, crop type and adjacent habitat: a synthesis.” (2023). The Royal Society. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.2383/v1/review1

Education

The Ohio State University

PhD, Entomology / December, 2016

Columbus

Cedarville University

BS, Biology / December, 2010

Cedarville, Ohio, United States of America

Experience

University of Würzburg

Postdoctoral Researcher / March, 2020Present

The Pennsylvania State University

Postdoctoral Scholar / January, 2017March, 2020

Links & Social Media

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