Invertebrate diversity as a function of forest age at the University of Michigan Biological Station.

Abstract

As forests begin to recover from a major disturbance and undergo various stages of succession, changes in the species composition of trees and other vegetation become apparent. As vegetative succession occurs, it is likely that other components of the forest community will also change. This study was conducted to determine if, as forests undergo various successional stages, the diversity and abundance of leaf-litter invertebrates change as well. Leaf-litter samples were taken from three forest plots of various ages located at the University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS). These plots were as a result of controlled burns in 1911, 1948, and 1998. We found that the abundance and species richness of these invertebrates increased with forest age. There was a significant increase in diversity between both the 1911 and 1998 and the 1948 and 1998 plots, but the difference between the 1911 and 1948 plots was less significant. These differences may be a function of the different amounts of time the invertebrate community has been changing after establishment, and the different canopy cover types available. Soil was also sampled in each of the plots to test if the concentration of nitrogen or phosphorus could be correlated to invertebrate presence. Soil analysis reported no significant difference between any of the three plots.