Poster Details
INFLUENCE OF RIPARIAN HABITAT ON TERRESTRIAL INVERTEBRATE INPUT INTO A SUB-ANTARCTIC MAGELLANIC REGION STREAM
The Sub-Antarctic Magellanic ecoregion is recognized as one of the 24 wilderness areas remaining in the world. This under-studied region is being increasingly threatened by nonnative salmon farming industry. Terrestrial insect input into streams provides important energy subsidies for fish. Terrestrial input of insects into the Robolo river in Puerto, Williams Chile was studied using floating pan traps. At ten transects, three pan traps containing water and surfactant were placed at the left bank, right bank, and center stream and left out for three days. At each pan trap, the overhanging vegetation species, densiometer reading, and the bank angle were recorded. The relationship between insect composition in the pan traps and these factors will be evaluated. In 2017, terrestrial insects in the riparian zone of this river were studied using pit fall traps placed at five, ten, and fifteen meters away from the stream. These methods for studying riparian insects will be compared to assess which method is best for understanding terrestrial input in this region. This data will help increase understanding of the food webs of native and invasive fish in this region and their impact on the ecosystem.
Katherine Cline (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of North Texas, katherinecline@my.unt.edu;
Tamara Contador (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Universidad de Magallanes, tamara.contador@umag.cl;
James Kennedy (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of North Texas, james.kennedy@unt.edu;
Sabrina Moore (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of North Texas, sabrinamoore2@my.unt.edu;
Taylor Gillum (Primary Presenter/Author), University of North Texas, taylorgillum@my.unt.edu;