Terrestrial invertebrates as bio indicators: Selecting the best Orders and the best methods | ||
| Catrina: The International Journal of Environmental Sciences | ||
| Article 13, Volume 7, Issue 1, 2012, Pages 107-114 PDF (309.34 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| Author | ||
| Gamal Orabi* | ||
| Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia | ||
| Abstract | ||
| The present study investigated the utility of soil, litter and arboreal invertebrates for monitoring the progress of restoration. Three different techniques were used for sampling various invertebrate orders; pitfall trap, vacuuming and litter sampling (Tullgren funnels). This study provides data to determine the most proper method for sampling different arthropods orders and the best order to use as a bio indicator. A total of 79,183 arthropods were sampled from the study area by the three sampling methods. The majority was from pitfall traps followed by vacuuming samples and litter ones. Comparisons between the three sampling methods indicated that pitfall traps most often captured taxa considered active at ground level, such as ants, carabids and spiders. Most of the arboreal invertebrates were collected by vacuuming and litter sampling most frequently succeeded in collecting certain groups of arthropods associated with moisture and sheltered areas, including beetles larvae and litter isopods. The pitfall trap method appeared ideal for quantitative estimates, while the suction method is ideal for qualitative estimates. Certain groups of invertebrates, notably hemipterans, beetles, ants and spiders are cost-effective to survey and potentially high in information content. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Bioindicators; terrestrial invertebrates; Restoration; pitfall traps; vacuuming; litter sampling | ||
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