Spider diversity over time at Hogarth Plantation using pitfall traps

Abstract

Biodiversity assessments are conducted using various methods featuring diverse assemblages of biota and whose results have seemingly endless important applications. In this assessment pitfall traps were used to research diversity of spider families over time for a boreal forest ecosite in northwestern Ontario. Applications of the resulting data discussed include delineating ecoregions, evaluating sampling techniques, assessing sustainability of forest management practices, and furthering taxonomic and systematic research. Lab identification methodologies were used to catalogue individual spiders collected during the study period into their associated families. The resulting family compositions were analyzed and compared to knowledge on the families biology to assess the significance of the data. From which, conclusions were formed on the study sites.