06/03/2015 12:00:00 AMDoctoral candidate Jessica Beckham is studying these important pollinators. Online ExclusivesDepartment of Biological Sciences, College of ScienceScience/Researchstory Tomatoes, chili peppers and blueberries are a few of the many crops that rely on bumblebees for pollination. Bumblebees also are the main pollinators for several wildflower species such as sunflowers that grow to become food sources for birds and small mammals. UNT doctoral candidate Jessica Beckham has spent years researching Texas bumblebee populations, observing how urban green spaces and community gardens are preserving these important pollinators.