Anthropogenic effects, notably, habitat conversion from natural to managed systems, can alter interactions between plants, insects, and microbial communities; but these effects on such complex systems are poorly understood. Bacteria and yeast that live in floral nectar affect pollinator visitation and influence floral characteristics. REU students in this laboratory will use culture and colony PCR to examine how microbial communities in floral nectar vary between natural systems and those managed for agricultural production, and will examine whether differences in microbial communities influence attraction of pollinators in natural versus managed systems. Thus, the research has implications for pollinator management in agricultural systems.