Most forests, either public or private, are under tremendous pressures to be harvested. The scale, frequency and intensity of the logging regime determines the structure of the forest stand, and in turn, the overall landscape. Yet, little is known about how different logging practices (i.e., even and uneven-aged management) affect arthropod communities. We studied leaf litter arthropod communities in a select harvest management regime in an Ozark forest. Our main objective was to determine if uneven-aged spot logging practices are concurrent with diversity conservation goals of the Òconservation with a chainsawÓ theory which emphasizes sustainable resource use while preserving biodiversity. One hundred squared meter plots were established around stumps of trees that were harvested in 1995, 1997, 1999, and 2000. Three stumps per year were chosen and leaf litter was collected 2 meters from the stumpÕs center and surrounding forested areas (10m from center). Arthropods were identified to morphospecies and diversity between inner and outer quadrats within each plot (a), between plots within sites (b), and between years across the landscape (g) was determined. Abiotic parameters (relative humidity, temperature, and canopy cover) as well as biotic parameters (vegetation cover, foliar volume, etc) were measured, and used for community and landscape level analyses. The relationship between a, b and g diversity (additive versus multiplicative) in select harvest sites will shed information about conservation management goals.
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA