http://www.oocities.org/~fransjanssens/projects/alberta.htm
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Last updated on
1997.11.21
by Frans Janssens
Checklist of the Collembola : Species list Alberta, Canada
Collembola of the Canadian grasslands
There has been conisiderable interest here in getting a
cooperative ecological study going to examine the role of Collembola in
grassland soil - the species list is be the first step towards that work.
This document is .
History
- 1997.05.27. Dr Dan L. Johnson of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Centre
of Lethbridge, Canada
offers me to join a collaborative research project on Collembola
of the Canadian grasslands. This project would include any of the following
topics : ecology, diversity, activity, comparisons via DNA analysis.
- 1997.06.12 : objectives defined.
- 1997.06.13 : Berlese funnels ordered and literature compiled.
- 1997.10.17 : improved grass pasture sample from Lethbridge sent.
- 1997.11.10 : 2 native grassland samples sent by courier.
- 1997.11.17 : 2 native grassland samples arrived.
Objectives
Comparison of the Collembola of typical ecosystems in the following environments:
- native undisturbed grassland;
- modified grassland, with modern grasses sown in and grazed;
- broken and conventially tilled grassland;
- "conservation tillage", minimum tillage, and continous cropping systems.
Objectives of the scientific paper :
- comparison of taxa among several grassland ecoregions;
- practical key.
Material
The first soil extractions contain around 30 specimens of Collembola.
Using a dissecting microscope, there are some nice
green Isotomids, Entomobryids, more Hypogastrura ripperi,
other Hypogasturids, a Neanurid, and others.
The starter sample (6 vials) is from improved grass
pasture and roadside near the H. ripperi site.
The extraction results have been combined because they are not meant to be
quantitative. The six vials do not represent 6 samples.
The other samples (2 vials) are from native
grassland, but this will give some diversity. Each is the result of one soil
extraction. The soil quantity, etc. has been recorded.
The specimens are well conserved (shape and colour).
The samples were extracted in
two large Berlese funnels at very low heat (off for the first few days).
At first, no rigourous quantitative measures are performed, since at
this point we are most interested in assembling a species list.
The specimens count is just rated according to the following scale:
- most common species in sample
- frequentl in sample, > roughly 50%
- common in sample, > 10-50%
- rare in sample, < roughly 10%
- only one specimen in sample
Currently, 8 more large funnels are extracting other grassland collections.
Sample 1997.07.20:
Dry mixed rangeland
Stipa, Boutelloua, Koleria
Barnwell, Alberta, Canada
July 20, 1997
D.L. Johnson, col
This sample contains just 20 specimens : some colourfull Entomobryins
(not so typical soil dwellers), small pale Lepidocyrtins,
dark furca-less Neanurids and some very small white Sminthurids.
Sample 1997.09.01:
Improved grass pasture
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
September 1, 1997
D.L. Johnson, col
(Sample has not arrived yet...)
Sample 1997.11.04:
Wet muck pasture soil
Poa, Carex, bryophytes
Purple Springs, Alberta, Canada
Nov 4, 1997
D.L. Johnson, col
This sample contains a lot of specimens of a very small
Isotomid (100's of them). Some metalically looking Lepidocyrtins
and a few Hypogastrurids are counted. The sample also contains a lot of other
Arthropods : Acari, Staphilinid beetles and other ( and larvae), Diptera,
Formicidae, etc.
Bibliography