Progress 09/15/03 to 09/14/07
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Documented mayfly biodiversity by sampling nymphs and adults from upper and lower reaches of ravine streams located within several different major drainage basins and biogeographic regions in northern Florida. Specimens were identified to species level and abundance data were tabulated and then used to analyze mayfly community structure and environmental relationships. A cluster analysis of the sampling stations was performed using Unweighted Pair Group Mathematical Averaging (UPGMA) on a similarity matrix based on Spearman rank correlation coefficient. Thirty-nine species representing 25 genera and 11 families were recorded in the faunal survey. A total of 3,432 mayfly individuals were identified to species. Two new state records were recorded (Diphetor hageni and Ephemerella excrucians), both representing highly disjunct southern range-extensions. Also of note, a potential new species of Caenis was collected from steephead streams on Eglin Air Force Base, suggesting that
these systems may harbor narrow-range endemic mayfly species. Species richness differences among stations appear to be largely a function of stream size. Ravine-head reaches had far fewer species (3-7 species) than did lower-reach stations, many of which had approximately 20 species. Habrophlebiodes brunneipennis is a particularly abundant species in upper-ravine springruns and can be considered a signature species of ravines in the Florida panhandle. The cluster analysis bears out that mayfly community structure among stations is controlled by both regional biogeographic differences and habitat differences related to stream size and type.
PARTICIPANTS: Investigators: Manuel Pescador, Andrew Rasmussen, Barton Richard, Wills Flowers. Seton Bonney was trained by Andrew Rasmussen for water quality work on Eglin Air Force Base, one of the main study areas in this project.
PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: The original goal of developing indices to terrestrial invertebrates could not be met for this project. Preliminary sampling made it clear that the project budget and facilities at FAMU were inadequate for the extensive sampling that would be necessary to develop terrestrial indices. Changes in lodgistic at both Eglin AFB and within FAMU also made terrestrial sampling impractical. It was decided to concentrate on the aquatic sampling since this would lead to much more successful outcomes.
Impacts
The research conducted under this project has led to a better understanding of aquatic insect biodiversity in streams of northern Florida, particularly those on Eglin Air Force Base in the western Florida panhandle. As a result of our biotic survey, an inventory of aquatic insects is available as baseline data for biomonitoring activities being conducted by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel tasked with monitoring aquatic ecosystem health on the base. In fact, the data collected in this project has already been useful for the planning and implementation of an aquatic monitoring program on Eglin. Preliminary findings were shared with interested parties during a three-day biomonitoring workshop held at Eglin in March 2007. In October of 2007, a US Fish & Wildlife biologist (Mr. Seton Bonney) brought to our laboratory aquatic specimens he collected as part of stream bioassessment work being done on Eglin. During his week-long visit, he received instruction on
taxonomic identification of the aquatic insects in his samples. The training was enhanced by the fact that he was able to compare specimens in his samples with specimens collected under this project. As a result of the training he received, he is better able to accurately identify specimens to lowest possible taxonomic level, thereby improving efficacy of the stream bioassessments he is conducting. This project has served as a spring-board for a new two-year project titled: Biotic Inventory and Conservation Status of Ephemeroptera (Mayflies), Plecoptera (Stoneflies), and Trichoptera (Caddisflies) on Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. A grant proposal to fund this project was submitted (November 2007) to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission under the State Wildlife Grant Program funded through the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Our research efforts have documented distributional records for many species of aquatic insects which can be considered to be rare or threatened in
the state of Florida. These findings will continue to be of use in developing conservation plans to protect imperiled species and the habitats that support them.
Publications
- Pescador, M.L. and B.A. Richard. 2006. A new species of Caenis (Ephemeroptera: Caenidae) from Florida, USA. Zootaxa 1355: 61-68.
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Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06
Outputs
Due to the active hurricane season of 2005, two trips to Eglin Air Force Base for field sampling had to be cancelled. We resumed field work in 2006 and were able to collect aquatic insect samples at 14 stream monitoring stations during week-long sampling events in January, April, and October of 2006. In addition to benthic insect samples being collected, light trapping of adult Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera was also carried out during the April and October sampling periods. The majority of the monitoring stations chosen for this project have now been sampled on 5 separate occasions at different times of year. Having a temporal series of samples from each site will allow us to examine how the aquatic insect community structure at the sampling sites has changed throughout the course of the project. The repeated sampling also is necessary for developing a comprehensive taxonomic inventory. Specimen identifications are complete for all the benthic samples,
and a preliminary list of aquatic insect taxa has been compiled based on the benthic data. Identifications of specimens from light trap samples are ongoing.
Impacts
The research conducted under this project has led to a better understanding of aquatic insect biodiversity in streams of northern Florida, particularly those on Eglin Air Force Base in the western Florida panhandle. As a result of our biotic survey, an inventory of aquatic insects has been produced which will provide critical baseline data for future biomonitoring activities conducted by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel tasked with monitoring aquatic ecosystem health on the base. Our preliminary findings were shared with interested parties during a three-day biomonitoring workshop held at Eglin in March 2007. Our research efforts have documented distributional records for many species of aquatic insects which can be considered to be rare or threatened in the state of Florida. These findings will be useful for developing conservation plans to protect key habitats that support multiple species. Listed below are recent scientific presentations and publications
that were a direct outcome of this project.
Publications
- Pescador, M.L. and B.A. Richard. 2006. A new species of Caenis (Ephemeroptera: Caenidae) from Florida, USA. Zootaxa 1355:61-68.
- Rasmussen, A.K., M.L. Pescador, and B.A. Richard. 2006. Association of Research Directors, Inc. 14th Biennial Research Symposium, Atlanta, GA. Poster Presentation: Species Diversity and Community Structure of Ephemeroptera (Mayflies) in Northern Florida Ravine Ecosystems.
- Rasmussen, A.K. and S.C. Harris. 2006. The 54th Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America, Indianapolis, Indiana. Poster Presentation: Review of the genus Beraea (Trichoptera: Beraeidae) in North America.
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Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05
Outputs
For the aquatic component of the study, twelve sampling sites were established in streams that are associated with the various types of natural communities in the Eglin Air Force Base watershed. Benthic samples have been collected, and sampling is ongoing. Approximately six-man hours of benthic sampling are spent per collecting period. Standard aquatic dip net (D-Frame, 600 micron Nitex bag) and kick net/handscreen (meter, 600 micron mesh) are the method of choice to collect benthos sample for this study. These techniques allow us to qualitatively and to a certain quantitably sample a variety of habitats. Adults are mainly collected with portable light traps. Light trapping is useful for collecting not only a wide array of insect species but especially hard to-find species. Collected samples are currently being processed, sorted and identified. Identified taxa are entered in a database with GIS applications. Preliminary data indicate an interesting differences in the
species composition and richness of aquatic insects particularly the EPT fauna (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera) of the streams associated with the various identified natural communities in the watershed. Moreover, occurrence of rare and threatened species of aquatic insects appear more in streams associated with Steephead Ravine Systems than those in Depression Wetlands or Floodplains. Analysis of insect biodiversity relative to the degree of land use in the watershed is continuing. The terrestrial biomonitoring component of this project has fallen behind, due in part to hurricanes disrupting several trips to select sample sites, and in part to the lack of facilities and technical assistance in FAMU for processing the huge numbers of specimens that our original collecting plan would generate. We have accordingly scaled back the terrestrial component to concentrate on a flatwoods sandhill comparison with ants and Orthoptera as the principle focal groups. Recent publication of
identification keys to Floridas diverse and endemic grasshopper fauna, and the use of Orthoptera as indicator organisms in other grassland ecosystems make this a very appropriate group for North Floridas semisavanna habitats. We will also incorporate data from a previous invertebrate study of longleaf wiregrass flatwoods (many of these samples have not yet been sorted) from the Apalachicola National Forest which is 150 miles east of the Eglin area. This will give a broad regional dimension to our flatwoods data.
Impacts
The data from this project are a baseline of Florida Panhandle forest ecosystems, including associated aquatic ecosystems, in a relatively natural state, including a more or less natural fire regime. Natural ecosystems in this region outside of protected areas are under ever greater development pressure; at the same time there is increasing interest in managing both public and private lands to mimic as much as possible natural processes. Data on both terrestrial and aquatic invertebrate communities will be indispensable in detecting departures from natural processes and BMPs. Data on invertebrate communities will be extremely useful in evaluating impacts of climate change on Gulf Coast Ecosystems. The aquatic fauna in particular could be a sensitive indicator of climate change since the Florida Panhandle has a rich endemic fauna and many relict species living in geographically limited cool springs. The range and status of these species will change rapidly with
changing climatic conditions.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
For the aquatic component of the study, twelve sampling sites were established in streams that are associated with the various types of natural communities in the Eglin Air Force Base watershed. Benthic samples have been collected, and sampling is ongoing. Approximately three-man hours of benthic sampling are spent per collecting period. Standard aquatic dip net (D-Frame, 600 micron Nitex bag) and kick net/handscreen (meter, 600 micron mesh) are the method of choice to collect benthic samples for this study. These techniques allow us to qualitatively and to a certain extent quantitatively sample a wide variety of habitats. Adults are mainly collected with portable light traps. Light trapping is useful for collecting not only a wide array of insect species but especially hard to find species. Collected samples are currently being processed, sorted and identified. Identified taxa are being entered in a database with GIS applications. Preliminary data indicate an
interesting correlations in the species composition and richness of aquatic, insects particularly the EPT fauna (Ephemeroptera-Plecoptera-Trichoptera) associated with the various identified natural communities in the watershed. Moreover, occurrences of rare and threatened species of aquatic insects appear more in streams associated with steephead/ravine systems than those in depression wetlands or floodplains. Analysis of insect biodiversity relative to the degree of land use in the watershed is continuing.
Impacts
The information generated by this project will enable land managers to assess the ecosystem health of forested land in the Florida Panhandle, to quickly detect changes, and to apply corrective measures if needed.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
Budget clearance was received only last month (Nov. 2003). Field work will begin in the spring of 2004.
Impacts
None yet.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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