SIGHTLINE
SIGHTLINE
WINTER/SPRING 2002
Vol. 3 No. 1
Crunching Numbers, Counting Bugs
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Editor: David Brill; Assistant Editor: Constance Griffith; Writers: Kris Christen, Lisa Byerley Gary, Elise LeQuire, Dennis McCarthy, and Becky Nichols. Graphic Designer: Lisa Byerley Gary.
SIGHTLINE is published on behalf of
Great Smoky Mountains National
Park
by the
Energy, Environment and Resources
Center (EERC)
at the
University of Tennessee.
EERC conducts research designed to promote real-world solutions to problems in the fields of energy, environment, technology, and economic development.
For additional information, write EERC, 311 Conference Center Building, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-4134, call 865-974-4251, or visit our Web site at http://eerc.ra.utk.edu.
SIGHTLINE is sponsored by:
and
Crunching Numbers, Counting Bugs
Now four years old, the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory continues to make significant progress in counting and identifying species in the Smokies.
BY BECKY NICHOLS
The All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park has accomplished much over its four years of operation. The project has achieved scientific as well as educational advancements, facilities have been or will be expanded, and volunteer involvement has significantly increased.
But even more important, the current tally of species new to science stands at 228, and the number of species new to the Park, called new records, is 1,613. The majority of species new to science are arthropods (such as insects, spiders, and crustaceans), although other groups also are represented, such as algae, fungi, slime molds, and worms.
Some of the more notable finds include a new species of leaf litter flea beetle, which is in a group of beetles never before seen in North America; a new species of moth that represents a new North American record for its genus and tribe (one taxonomic level above genus); and a new millipede species discovered in a Park cave. Also, one of the many new species of Collembola (springtails) discovered represents not only a new-to-science species, but a new-to-science genus.
The U.S. Geological Survey's Biological Resources Discipline (USGS-BRD) has funded a sub-project to determine the effectiveness of conducting an ATBI using passive invertebrate collecting devices within a plot system. We set traps in place and visit them every two weeks to collect the specimens. We have established plots in various vegetation zones in the Park, including cove hardwood, northern hardwood, spruce-fir, xeric oak, and a low-lying abandoned agricultural field in Cades Cove.
A full year of systematic sampling of invertebrates was completed late in 2001 at these 11 sites, and identification of organisms and analysis of data are in progress.
Through this project, we have gathered information about seasonality, relative abundance, and distribution of all species as well as diversity. This information helps determine the most efficient and lowest-impact method of taking samples and also is leading to the development of protocols that can be used for the remainder of the study in the Smokies. These protocols will be used in many other parks and reserves as well.
The Cades Cove plot in particular has proven to have a distinct insect fauna, as compared with other habitat types sampled. It has a diverse assemblage of butterflies, beetles, bees, and wasps. Other ATBI research projects in the Cove include investigations of dragonflies and damselflies, small mammals, cave invertebrates, mites, fungi, tree canopy organisms (slime molds, mosses, liverworts, lichens), amphibians, and aquatic insects in Abrams Creek.
Volunteers have contributed to many of the activities associated with the ATBI, and together with Discover Life in America (DLIA), the Park's partner in conducting this project, we've organized a number of Volunteer Training Days. These sessions, which have, to date, involved more than 150 participants, involve skills training and orientation for any citizens who are interested in participating in ATBI activities. Such activities include collecting and sorting samples, mapping distributions, photography, hosting scientists, and Web-page development.
ATBI products, such as distribution maps, are essential for proper decision making in environmental assessments and also provide powerful analysis tools that will be used to investigate basic ecological concepts, for example, the relationship between species and the various areas where they reside.
The new Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center, located in the Park at Purchase Knob in North Carolina, will facilitate science-education programs in the Smokies and other National Parks in the region. This facility is now open to accommodate ATBI staff and volunteers and other researchers who wish to conduct projects in the area.
In the last three years, DLIA has distributed $150,000 in grant funds for various ATBI-related projects throughout the Park, and there are plans for increasing this amount in the future to build on the work we have completed so far.
For more information, contact Becky Nichols, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 1314 Cherokee Orchard Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, call 865-436-1702, or email <becky_nichols@nps.gov>.