Michael Ferro, spongymesophyll@gmail.com, Louisiana State University, Department of Entomology, Baton Rouge, LA, Christopher Carlton, ccarlt@lsu.edu, Louisiana State University, Louisiana State Arthropod Museum, Department of Entomology, 402 Life Sciences Bldg, Baton Rouge, LA, and Kier D. Klepzig, kklepzig@fs.fed.us, USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, 2500 Shreveport Hwy, Pineville, LA.
Course Woody Debris (CWD) is considered an important ecological component and provides such services as nutrient cycling, wildlife habitat, erosion control, and maintenance of biodiversity. Removal of CWD in accordance with managed forest health practices has been
correlated with reduction of beetle diversity. To test this, pitfall traps were placed within plots with added Loblolly Pine CWD (ca. 1m length, 30-35cm diameter) and within control plots with no added CWD. A total of 24 plots were established in North Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. Traps were placed in May 1998 and sampled twice monthly until October 1999. Beetles were preserved and sorted to morphospecies by a technician. Beetle species diversity was significantly higher in plots with added CWD. Information concerning total and saproxylic species richness among states, collecting dates, and treatment, as well as efficiency of morphospecies sorting are presented.
Keywords: Biodiversity, Coarse woody debris
Poster (.pdf format, 367.0 kb)
