ARTHROPOD BIODIVERSITY FROMPOPULUSCOARSE WOODY MATERIAL IN NORTH-CENTRAL ALBERTA: A REVIEW OF TAXA AND COLLECTION METHODS

Abstract

Arthropods associated with Populus coarse woody material (CWM) were sampled from aspen-mixedwood stands in north-central Alberta using rearings from wood bolts and flight-intercept traps attached to snags. More than 39 000 arthropod specimens were collected over 3 years, comprised mainly of Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Acari. Detailed analyses are provided to compare the number of species, standardized abundance, and trophic structure between collecting methods for 257 saproxylic species of Coleoptera. Abundance of beetle species, from both rearings and window traps, and rarefaction estimates of species richness indicate little difference between methods with respect to expected number of species. However the abundance of particular beetle families differed significantly between methods, with the Aderidae, Anthicidae, and Scaphidiidae collected mainly in rearings and the Micropeplidae, Bostrichidae, Cephaloidae, Clambidae, Salpingidae, and Tenebrionidae more commonly collected with window traps. Fungivorous and predatory beetles were more abundant in CWM than wood borers, scavengers, or taxa with undetermined feeding habits, but the two methods revealed similar overall trophic structure. To census the variability in saproxylic arthropod faunas from CWM, a combination of collecting methods is recommended.

Application of Semiochemicals to Assess the Biodiversity of Subcortical Insects following an Ecosystem Disturbance in a Sub-boreal Forest

“…We collected over 5,000 trap samples with 86,471 rhizophagous and subcortical insects represented by 143 species in baited Lindgren funnel and pitfall traps. Other studies in North America on subcortical beetles of similar scope are by Hammond (1997) and Hammond et al (2001) where 40,049 beetles represented by over 250 species were collected in 3 years from aspen, Populus spp., stands in north-central Alberta, Canada; and by Jacobs (2004) where 18,374 beetles represented by over 230 species were collected in 3 years from boreal deciduous and coniferous stands in northern Alberta. Neither of these studies used semiochemicals as baits to target key species in the trap catches.…”

“…More recently, such community level taxonomic characterizations in North America have included insects associated with aspen, Populus spp. (Hammond 1997;Hammond et al 2001); butternut, Juglans cinerea L. (Katovich and Ostry 1998); Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco, hemlock, Tsuga spp. (Endlicher) Carrière, and lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta latifolia (Engelmann) Critchfield (Deyrup and Gara 1978); elms, Ulmus spp.…”

Arthropods as ecological indicators of sustainability in Canadian forests

“…Taxonomic expertise on these groups is now more common in Canada, and recently they have also been studied as potential ecological indicators (Brumwell et al 1998;Buddle et al 2000Buddle et al , 2006Gandhi et al 2001). With increasing focus on the ecological values of dead wood and recognition that insects associated with dead wood are among the most sensitive groups to forest management in northern Europe (Siitonen 2001), saproxylic beetles (Coleoptera) are receiving increasing attention as potential ecological indicators in Canada (Hammond 1997, Spence et al 1997, Hammond et al 2001, Langor et al 2006b). Among foliage-feeders, only Lepidoptera have received notable study, largely because this is one of the best known and easily sampled groups (Martel and Mauffette 1997, Morneau 2002, Pohl et al 2004.…”

Estimating species richness of arthropods in azorean pastures: the adequacy of suction sampling and pitfall trapping

“…Indeed, there is already a substantial literature comparing arthropod sampling methods in terms of arthropod abundance in specific sites or habitats and often of species groups of arthropods (e.g. Disney et al, 1982;Schotzko & O´Keeffe, 1989;several papers in Toft & Riedel, 1995;Broatch & Vernon, 1997;Costello & Daane, 1997;Hammond, 1997;Buffington & Redak, 1998 Boiteau & Osborn, 1999;Churchill & Arthur, 1999;Standen, 2000). The study described here was conducted in the context of estimating species richness and composition in different habitats and islands and to give insight into the importance of using, simultaneously, two methods of sampling arthropods in agroecosystems, to assess herbivorous and predatory groups.…”