A survey of Orthoptera at Wilderness State Park.

Abstract

Understanding what organisms live in our state and national parks is essential to understanding the biology of these parks. Through research and understanding the life histories of these organisms, we can help to conserve and stop the loss of biodiversity on earth. This approach can then be applied to larger areas to help the global biodiversity. Students sampled the Orthoptera of Wilderness State Park to gaina better understanding of what species live there, and what types of habitats. A total of 263 Orthoptera were caught representing 17 different species from 4 different families. A total of 6 new county records were also recorded. These species records were compared to the records of UMBS lands. There were some similarities but also many differences. These were mainly seen at the beach and dune habitat. These results show that Wilderness State Park boasts an incredible wealth of diversity in the Orthoptera order which will likely surpass what is found at UMBS with more extensive sampling. Information like this survey can be used as a baseline for future research in the park.