Abstract Detail

Ecology

Pittenger, Madison [1], Stark, William [1].

Ground Beetle Diversity in Native, Invasive, and Encroaching Plant Communitities.

Ground beetles (Carabidae) are commonly used as ecological indicators in studies regarding land use because they are ubiquitous, react quickly to environmental change, have a well-understood taxonomy, and can be trapped with ease. While the effects of various plant communities on ground beetle diversity is relatively well-known, past studies have operated within the scope of specific biomes and have not placed much emphasis on the effects of native and nonnative species. To test this, three woody plant species were selected as representatives of native (Populus deltoides), nonnative (Tamarix gallica), and encroaching (Prunus angustifolia) plant communities. 8 pitfall trap arrays were placed within each community type at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge during the summer of 2018. Vegetation surveys were also conducted in the four cardinal directions around each pitfall trap array, assigning percent cover classes and species diversity indices. It was hypothesized that native plant communities would house the most diverse ground beetle populations, and that areas with more aerial cover would contain more individuals. Identification to species level is currently underway for carabids, but other coleopteran families will be considered as well if time allows. Preliminary summaries indicated that the highest relative abundance occurred in the nonnative treatment; however, many of these individuals are from generalist species. The native treatment yielded fewer individuals but more specialist species. The encroaching treatment yielded the fewest individuals but also comprised several specialist species. Results from this study will aid in management decisions at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge.

1 - Fort Hays State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 600 Park St., Hays, KS, 67601, United States

Keywords:
ground
beetle
diversity
native
Invasive 
encroaching
cottonwood
saltcedar
sand plum.

Presentation Type: Poster
Session: P, Ecology Posters
Location: Arizona Ballroom/Starr Pass
Date: Monday, July 29th, 2019
Time: 5:30 PM This poster will be presented at 6:15 pm. The Poster Session runs from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Posters with odd poster numbers are presented at 5:30 pm, and posters with even poster numbers are presented at 6:15 pm.
Number: PEC022
Abstract ID:782
Candidate for Awards:Ecological Section Best Graduate Student Poster