Arthropod Diversity

docx

School

Texas A&M International University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

3010

Subject

Biology

Date

Feb 20, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by UltraWorldOyster6

Arthropod Diversity April 26, 2023 Ecology Lab - BIOL 3010 2L8 Spring 2023

Introduction To understand a little more about arthropod diversity we have to know what arthropod really means. Arthropods are invertebrate animals and are an incredibly diverse group of taxa. The taxa can include spiders, crustaceous, scorpions, centipedes and many more. It is said that present day estimates that the total animal species can be from 900,000 to 1,300,000 (Anthony et al., 2018). Arthropod diversity can be found on all plants but for this project we will be focusing on Blackbrush ( Acacia rigidula ), Mesquite ( Prosopis glandulosa ), and Guajillo( Acacia berlandieri ). These three plants are indigenous to south Texas and can be found at Tamiu’s various field sites; including L5, B2, and Village, this is where we conducted our research. While conducting our research we will compare the amount of arthropod diversity (e.g. Acaria, Araneae, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Orthoptera, Phasmida, Homoptera, and Neuroptera) in each of the three different plants and also the environment of each of the three different sites. Research Question Is arthropod diversity similar or different across habitats (L5, B2, and Village) and tree species (Blackbrush, Mesquite, and Guajillo)? Objective The objective of our study is to observe and collect data of the arthropod diversity of Blackbrush, Mesquite, and Guajillo in L5, B2, and Village sites. Hypothesis Arthropod diversity across habitat and tree species will not be significantly different due to similar composition of habitats providing conditions that support similar arthropod communities.

Methods The bike paths at TAMIU and the area behind the RLC building are where the data was gathered. Thes locations are otherwise known as field sites B2, L5, and V. The environment was quite arid, and much of the vegetation was dry and thorny. We spotted a variety of plants, including Mesquite, Blackbrush, Guajillo , Tasajillo ( Cylindropuntia leptocaulis ), and Palo verde ( Parkinsonia aculeate ). Sand and pebbles were also present in the soil, which was very dry. On our first day at the research location, the weather was bright with a few clouds, mid-to-high temperatures, and little breezes. The second and third times, there were no breezes, a bright, sunny sky, and temperatures in the triple digits. On March 23, March 30, and April 13 we gathered our first, second, and third sets of data. We started by walking to the location the teacher had chosen in advance. Data was gathered using the beating sheet approach.In order to use this technique, you'll need a long wooden stick, a heavy-duty fabric stretched out and crossed with two pieces of wood attached diagonally in the middle. One person held the sheet that was used to collect the insects, spiders, worms, and other creatures that were placed beneath a limb of the tree. Another person gave the tree a shake with the stick (do not strike the tree). One minute's worth of shaking the tree was performed. Following the shaking, the sheet was set down on the ground, and the arthropod counting process started. Nine times in all, these actions were performed. Three of each of the three tree species—Blackbrush, Mesquite, and Guajillo —were shook. This technique allowed us to collect arthropods without needing to see through the tree. As a result, we were able to collect several arthropods from the three tree species we were watching. Three separate samples of each tree species were taken, each from a different tree. Using this technique, we can see the many arthropod species that inhabit the trees. The quantity of various arthropods is estimated by the beating sheet, however it varies. The beating sheet data

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

collecting is impacted by the season and time of day. Using visual evidence from various arthropod species, this approach will enable us to respond to our study question on arthropod diversity. We were able to accurately count various arthropods, and it will provide us with a sampling of the arthropods that live in the trees. Using Shannon and Simpson Index, we will calculate arthropod species richness and relative abundance across habitats and tree species. Field Sites Results Location V: Mesquite Blackbrush Guajillo Shannon Index: H' =1.44 H' max =1.61 Simpson Index: Ds =4.55 Ds max=7.22 Shannon Index: H' =1.41 H' max =1.61 Simpson Index: Ds =4.25 Ds max=6.67 Shannon Index: H' =1.31 H' max =1.39 Simpson Index: Ds =4.07 Ds max=4.8 Location L5: Mesquite Blackbrush Guajillo

Shannon Index: H' =1.40 H' max =1.61 Simpson Index: Ds =4.14 Ds max=6.82 Shannon Index: H' =1.27 H' max =1.61 Simpson Index: Ds =3.37 Ds max=5.8 Shannon Index: H' =1.34 H' max =1.61 Simpson Index: Ds =3.61 Ds max=6.18 Location B2: Mesquite Blackbrush Guajillo Shannon Index: H' =1.46 H' max =1.61 Simpson Index: Ds =4.67 Ds max=6.25 Shannon Index: H' =1.51 H' max =1.79 Simpson Index: Ds =4.36 Ds max=7.76 Shannon Index: H' =1.35 H' max =1.61 Simpson Index: Ds =3.57 Ds max=5.87 Across V and L5 locations, Mesquite tree had the highest species richness with an H' value of 1.44 and 1.40 respectively. Location B2 had Blackbrush with highest species richness with H' value of 1.51. Mesquite species richness across different habitats slightly differed, with Mesquite at B2 having the highest species richness (H' =1.46) and L5 being the lowest (H' =1.40). Blackbrush had the highest species richness at Location B2 (H' =1.51) and lowest at L5 (H' =1.27). Guajillo had highest species richness at B2 (H' =1.35) with lowest species richness at L5 (H' =1.34). Based on Simpson index, Guajillo at location V had the highest evenness (relative abundance) across species arthropod count due to lowest difference between ds and ds max (Ds =4.07 and Ds max=4.8). Blackbrush at location L5 had the highest evenness (Ds =3.37 and Ds max=5.8). Mesquite at location B2 had the highest evenness (Ds =4.67 and Ds max=6.25). Throughout habitats the range of species richness was 1.27-1.51, with more than half of data sets having identical taxa counts of 5 (H' max =1.61).

Discussion Based on the data, we can identify that species richness was mostly similar across tree species and habitats. This could be due to the fact that these plants share some common ecological characteristics, such as being drought-tolerant and adapted to arid environments. These characteristics could provide similar resources and environmental conditions that support similar arthropod communities. In addition, other factors that could contribute to similar arthropod diversity in different areas include the physical and chemical properties of soil, climate, and the availability of resources such as water and nutrients (Cornell et al., 1992). For example, since mesquite, blackbrush, and guajillo trees are all adapted to arid environments, they may have similar physiological characteristics such as deep roots that allow them to access groundwater. This may result in similar soil properties and microclimates in areas where these trees are present. Moreover, these trees may provide similar resources and habitat for arthropods, such as shelter from predators, protection from the sun, and a source of food. Additionally, arthropods have the ability to disperse over long distances, and some species have a wide geographic range. This could result in similar arthropod communities across different areas with similar habitat conditions. Furthermore, the beating sheet method is known to capture a wide range of arthropod species, thus, the similarity in arthropod diversity observed could also be attributed to the method's ability to capture a broad range of species, regardless of plant species (Gotelli et al., 2001). Overall, the similarity in arthropod diversity among mesquite, blackbrush, and guajillo trees in different areas could be attributed to their shared ecological characteristics and the broad range of arthropod species captured by the beating sheet method.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Literature Cited Anthony, W. E., & Barbour, J. D. (2018). Arthropod diversity and abundance in urban and suburban riparian zones. Journal of Urban Ecology, 4(1), juy019. https://doi.org/10.1093/jue/juy019 Cornell, H. V., & Lawton, J. H. (1992). Species interactions, local and regional processes, and limits to the richness of ecological communities: a theoretical perspective. Journal of Animal Ecology, 61(1), 1-12. Gotelli, N. J., & Colwell, R. K. (2001). Quantifying biodiversity: procedures and pitfalls in the measurement and comparison of species richness. Ecology Letters, 4(4), 379-391. Magurran, A. E. (2004). Measuring biological diversity. Blackwell Publishing. Stork, N. E., McBroom, J., Gely, C., Hamilton, A. J., & Hammond, P. M. (2015). Approaches to sampling and data analysis in biodiversity conservation. In N. E. Stork, & S. E. Turton (Eds.), Living in a dynamic tropical forest landscape (pp. 109-122). Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Related Documents

Evolution and Selection Teacher Guide.pdf

Evolution and Selection Teacher Guide2.pdf

Evolution and Selection Teacher Guide6.pdf

lab 5.pdf

annotated-Lab%20Exercise%20U1_Part%204%20Blood%20Typing%20%26%20Pedigrees.pdf

Problem Set 4 Spring 2024.docx

Ex3_4_ComparativeProteomics_SP24.docx

GRQ-1_Intro.docx

211L Assignment 2 Template.docx

Feb 7 Assignment 2 Answers.docx

PopGen_II_ProtocolandDatasheet_.docx

Lab5Worksheet_BIO120Fall2021-topost.docx

Recommended textbooks for you

Aquaculture Science

Biology

ISBN:9781133558347

Author:Parker

Publisher:Cengage

Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life (MindTap...

Biology

ISBN:9781337408332

Author:Cecie Starr, Ralph Taggart, Christine Evers, Lisa Starr

Publisher:Cengage Learning

Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life (MindTap...

Biology

ISBN:9781305073951

Author:Cecie Starr, Ralph Taggart, Christine Evers, Lisa Starr

Publisher:Cengage Learning

Biology Today and Tomorrow without Physiology (Mi...

Biology

ISBN:9781305117396

Author:Cecie Starr, Christine Evers, Lisa Starr

Publisher:Cengage Learning

Biology 2e

Biology

ISBN:9781947172517

Author:Matthew Douglas, Jung Choi, Mary Ann Clark

Publisher:OpenStax

Biology: The Dynamic Science (MindTap Course List)

Biology

ISBN:9781305389892

Author:Peter J. Russell, Paul E. Hertz, Beverly McMillan

Publisher:Cengage Learning

SEE MORE TEXTBOOKS

Recommended textbooks for you

Aquaculture Science
Biology
ISBN:9781133558347
Author:Parker
Publisher:Cengage
Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life (MindTap...
Biology
ISBN:9781337408332
Author:Cecie Starr, Ralph Taggart, Christine Evers, Lisa Starr
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life (MindTap...
Biology
ISBN:9781305073951
Author:Cecie Starr, Ralph Taggart, Christine Evers, Lisa Starr
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Biology Today and Tomorrow without Physiology (Mi...
Biology
ISBN:9781305117396
Author:Cecie Starr, Christine Evers, Lisa Starr
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Biology 2e
Biology
ISBN:9781947172517
Author:Matthew Douglas, Jung Choi, Mary Ann Clark
Publisher:OpenStax
Biology: The Dynamic Science (MindTap Course List)
Biology
ISBN:9781305389892
Author:Peter J. Russell, Paul E. Hertz, Beverly McMillan
Publisher:Cengage Learning