A preliminary examination of the insect biodiversity in the Headwaters Sanctuary

• In Event: Poster Presentation and Judging for: Anthropology; Botany; Conservation Ecology; Environmental Science; Freshwater Science; Geosciences; Mathematics & Computer Science; Neuroscience; Physics & Eng; Science Education; Terrestrial Ecology & Management.
  In Poster Session: Terrestrial Ecology Poster Session

Abstract

As the human footprint expands, and populations grow larger, habitats once occupied by plants and animals are being threatened or destroyed. As a result, we are losing critical habitat and the organisms that occupy those habitats. Therefore it is critical that we understand, and identify, the biodiversity in these areas before it is lost forever. The Headwaters is a 53-acre urban sanctuary adjacent to UIW in San Antonio, Texas. Two previous short-term studies, targeted at understanding the biodiversity of plant and animal species, had been conducted. These studies documented a variety of plants and animals, including several migratory bird species. However a critical component was not addressed – the biodiversity of insects. Insects are critical to ecosystem function in a variety of roles e.g., aerating the soil, pollination and pest control.To address this shortcoming, we began sampling insects in the summer of 2017 using multiple trapping methods. These efforts resulted in the collection of insects representing 7 Orders and 18 families. The most widely represented Orders were Coleoptera (7 families), Homoptera (4 families), and Hemiptera (3 families). In order to gain a better understanding of the insect biodiversity at this site, sampling efforts will continue through the summer of 2018.

Author

• David Starkey, University of the Incarnate Word