Characterizing Movement of Ground-Dwelling Arthropods with a Novel Mark-Capture Method Using Fluorescent Powder

Perry, Kayla I.; Wallin, Kimberly F.; Wenzel, John W.; Herms, Daniel A.

Characterizing Movement of Ground-Dwelling Arthropods with a Novel Mark-Capture Method Using Fluorescent Powder

2017

Perry, Kayla I. | Wallin, Kimberly F. | Wenzel, John W. | Herms, Daniel A.

A major knowledge gap exists in understanding dispersal potential of ground-dwelling arthropods, especially in forest ecosystems. Movement of the ground-dwelling arthropod community was quantified using a novel mark-capture technique in which three different colored fluorescent powders in two separate mixtures were applied to the floor of a deciduous forest in concentric bands 3, 8, and 15 m from the center of 30 × 30 m experimental plots. The majority (67.1%) of ground-dwelling arthropods did not cross a colored band when fluorescents were mixed with protein powder in 2014. However, when mixed with sand in 2015, 77.3% of captured arthropods were marked with fluorescent powder, with the majority of individuals crossing one band (41.2%), suggesting limited dispersal by most individuals in the community. Only 2.8% and 15.0% of arthropods crossed all three bands in 2014 and 2015, respectively, which further indicates that individuals have limited dispersal. Responses were taxon-specific, and a high proportion of some arthropods such as millipedes and harvestmen crossed two or three bands. Limited dispersal by most individuals may have important implications for the structure and distribution of ground-dwelling arthropod communities, as well as their responses to natural or anthropogenic disturbances. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of this novel technique for self-marking and capturing individuals in the field to investigate dispersal of ground-dwelling arthropods.

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