Invertebrates
Arthropod Biodiversity Related to Plant Biodiversity in the Morgan Arboretum
INTRODUCTION Biodiversity is the measure of variation within living organisms at a population, community and ecosystem level. Biodiversity in a given area can be measured by calculating species richness, the number of different species within a given area, and species relative abundance, the evenness of individuals within a community. As the largest phylum in the […]
The Effect of Aboveground Vegetation on Earthworm Population Density
Background Information on Earthworm Density in Different Vegetation Earthworms are invertebrates that greatly impact the quality of the soil (Xu, Johnson-Maynard & Prather, 2003). They benefit soil structure, breakdown organic matter, and cycle nutrients which is essential to good soil health (Xu et al., 2003). Worms aerate the soil and create ample pore space to […]
Arthropod Diversity vs. Forest Type
Nature has developed with a system in which every species all involves an essential part in it, so does invertebrates. Invertebrates are defined as animals without a backbone or bony skeleton. “When people think of invertebrates, they tend to think of garden ‘pests’, or agricultural ‘pests’ which eat crops and flowers”(“Why are Invertebrates Important?,”n.d.), but […]
Earthworms and Sugar Maple Saplings
Who would have thought that something so small would have such an impact on ecosystems? Lumbricus terrestris – the common earthworm – may not be as friendly as one might think. This species plays a major role in most ecosystems; in gardens and agricultural lands they are typically beneficial, but are they harming the iconic […]
Invasive Earthworms Posing Possible Threat to Yellow Birch Tree Population
The decline in tree populations around the world has become an alarming issue, as they play an important role in ecosystems, as well as in the economy. In the Saint Lawrence Lowlands, Yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis), a uniquely golden yellow barked tree with a wintergreen essence, is an especially interesting species. Commercially, the yellow birch […]
The St. Lawrence Lowlands 