Presentation Year

2016

Depreciated Participant

Yuliana RoweWildlifeUndergraduate Student

College or Department

Short Description of your Research or Creative Project (700 characters or less)

Climatic changes affect the intensity and frequency of forest disturbances (e.g. fire, droughts, and insect outbreaks). During the summer of 2016, we used an experimental forest at the University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) to observe spider responses to a simulated insect outbreak. We collected spiders from plots with different disturbance severities via pitfall traps and identified them to the lowest taxonomic level possible in order to compare Shannon-Weiner diversity indices. Our hypothesis that spider diversity would be lower in more disturbed plots was supported. Leaf area index, potential prey abundances, and down woody debris were also found to affect spider assemblages.

Permission to Publish Work

Yes

Node ID

155

Page Classification