As Indicators of Forest Biodiversity and Available Resources in Kitchener, Ontario
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Exploring the Importance of Saproxylic Beetles (Coleoptera) as Indicators of Forest Biodiversity and Available Resources in Kitchener, Ontario by Emily E. Trendos A thesis presented to the University of Waterloo in fulfilment of the thesis requirement for the degree of Master of Environmental Studies in Environment and Resource Studies Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2017 © Emily Trendos 2017 Author’s Declaration I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. ii Abstract Across North America insects have generally taken a backseat to more conspicuous animals (e.g. birds, mammals) and are not regularly monitored by ecosystem managers. They commonly enter the spotlight when an insect is an invasive pest species causing significant damage, whereas less attention is given to studying the population dynamics of native species. This type of monitoring can be difficult for municipalities or conservation authorities due to economical limitations, time needed for sampling, and required taxonomic knowledge. However, this type of research needs to be incorporated into management plans in order to effectively facilitate sustainable ecosystems. Trees and forests provide unique ecosystem services and an important component of their health lies with saproxylic beetles. Relentless urban sprawl and other anthropogenic influences continue to pressure these ecosystems into new stable states, altering their function and composition. Invasive species like the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) and the resulting management practices put into place by managers may have effects on resident insect species that remain unknown if insect monitoring initiatives are not put into place. My study catalogues saproxylic beetles within three parks in Kitchener, Ontario for the first time to create a baseline inventory for future research and identify potential indicators of biodiversity and resources. Based on correlation analysis, cerambycidae and curculionidae (scolytinae) were identified as possible indicators of biodiversity and deadwood. Only one site was found to contain a significantly different assemblage which may be attributed to management and tree composition. Additionally, it is suggested that the high abundance of scolytines in two sites may be related to dead ash trees and woody debris resulting from EAB infestation and management, but this study did not delve further into this issue and more research is necessary. Creating a method of sharing insect sampling information between the public, managers, and researchers needs to become a reality if successful ecosystem management is expected to be achieved not only in Kitchener, but across the province. iii Acknowledgments First off, thank you to Stephen Murphy for taking me on as a student. Your support, encouragement, and positive feedback were important components of my success. Thanks also to Sandy Smith, whose valuable insight and suggestions were greatly appreciated. Patricia Huynh, thank you for lugging those heavy bottles of ethanol to the lab every month and helping me with field work. Also for preventing me from becoming completely isolated from the human race while on campus sorting through seemingly endless insects. Thank you to Josh Shea who provided me with all City of Kitchener data that helped me jumpstart my project, and to Justin Gaudon who sat down with me during the development stage and helped brainstorm ideas. Thank you to Madison Wikston who braved the cold summer rain and swarms of mosquitos to help me collect my insect samples. To David Wakarchuk from Synergy Semiochemicals, thank you for the advice regarding traps and lures. Although we are not acquainted, thank you to Tim Urban whose blog helped me understand and personify the aspects of my procrastination in weird and wonderful ways. I managed to stave it off long enough to complete this project. To all friends and family who relentlessly questioned my progress, thank you for motivating me to finish this so I could finally say I was done. A special thank you to Matthew Hutton for getting me through all of the self-doubt and my frequent decisions to quit, and for helping with field work nearly every sampling day. Without you, there would have been no one to boost my confidence and working through this experience would have seemed impossible. A final thank you to Michael Crichton, whose written works always allow me to put things into perspective. I admire and enjoy his books despite the feeling of insignificance they often induce. “The planet has survived everything, in its time. It will certainly survive us.” -Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park iv Table of Contents Author’s Declaration ..................................................................................................................................... ii Abstract ........................................................................................................................................................ iii Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................................... iv List of Figures ............................................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ................................................................................................................................................ vii Chapter 1.0 .................................................................................................................................................... 1 Thesis Overview ............................................................................................................................... 1 Saproxylic Organisms at a Glance .................................................................................................... 3 Ecological Requirements: The Importance of Deadwood ............................................................... 5 Comparing Diversity Between Old Growth Forests and Tree Plantations ....................................... 7 Managing for Sustainable Ecosystems via Saproxylic Communities ............................................... 7 Invasive Species and Resource Pulses ........................................................................................... 11 Using Saproxylic Beetles as Indicators of Ecological Integrity ....................................................... 13 The Importance of Monitoring Insect Populations ........................................................................ 15 Chapter 2.0 .................................................................................................................................................. 17 Methodology .................................................................................................................................. 17 Study Sites ......................................................................................................................... 17 Insect Sampling ................................................................................................................. 25 Statistical Analyses ............................................................................................................ 27 Results ............................................................................................................................................ 32 Chapter 3.0 .................................................................................................................................................. 44 Insight Into Saproxylic Beetle Communities in Kitchener, ON ....................................................... 44 Comparing Biodiversity between Study Sites ................................................................................ 44 Families of Interest Due to Ecological Importance and Indicators of Forest Integrity .................. 46 Functional Groups .......................................................................................................................... 50 Recommendations and Conclusions .............................................................................................. 51 References .................................................................................................................................................. 58 Appendix ..................................................................................................................................................... 70 v List of Figures Figure 2.1: City of Kitchener map outlining all three sampling sites within the region ............................. 18 Figure 2.2: All ecosystem types present in Breithaupt Park based on surveys completed by the City of Kitchener ........................................................................................................................................ 19 Figure 2.3: A map of Breithaupt Park outlining the sampling area where transects were placed ............. 20 Figure 2.4: All ecosystem types present in Laurentian Wetland based on surveys completed by the City of Kitchener .................................................................................................................................... 21 Figure 2.5: A map of Laurentian Wetland outlining