El Dorado Nature Center has been working on a project to restore an area with a California grassland community. This habitat consists of wildflowers, grasses, and other herbaceous plants including California Poppy, Baby Blue Eyes, Arroyo Lupine, and Yarrow, to name just a few. It is bordered by trails and forested areas.
Other areas of the Nature Center are still covered with established habitat of mostly non-native species such as black mustard and horehound.
We compared the insect diversity of the restored habitat to the non-native habitat.
Objectives
The objectives of the program are
· To create an inventory of species present
· To determine a comparative diversity level between the habitats
Methodology
Sites of equal size were established in each of the two areas to be surveyed. We surveyed for 2 hours a month for three months in each site and we set and reviewed contents of pitfall traps from each site each month.
Collecting methods are used with the emphasis on non-invasive. These include visual identification in the field and photography. Pitfall traps were set in the evening and collected the next morning. All insects collected are observed, recorded, and then released.
Other areas of the Nature Center are still covered with established habitat of mostly non-native species such as black mustard and horehound.
We compared the insect diversity of the restored habitat to the non-native habitat.
Objectives
The objectives of the program are
· To create an inventory of species present
· To determine a comparative diversity level between the habitats
Methodology
Sites of equal size were established in each of the two areas to be surveyed. We surveyed for 2 hours a month for three months in each site and we set and reviewed contents of pitfall traps from each site each month.
Collecting methods are used with the emphasis on non-invasive. These include visual identification in the field and photography. Pitfall traps were set in the evening and collected the next morning. All insects collected are observed, recorded, and then released.
Restored Grassland 2014
154 photos
Non-Native Habitat 2014
75 photos
Restored Grassland 2015
156 photos
Non-Native Habitat 2015
84 photos
All images © Kim Moore (contact for use)