Dataset

Database Code

SA015

Title

Spatial and temporal distribution and abundance of moths in the Andrews Experimental Forest, 1994 to 2008

Abstract

The distribution and abundance of macromoth species is strongly influenced by geographical (region-neighboring plots) scale, elevation, aspect, plant community, management regime, and time of year. Noctural macromoths have been observed at a total of 263 sample sites throughout the Andrews Forest watershed since 1994. Only a limited subset of these sites is sampled each year. From 2004 to 2008, 20 sites were sampled consistently using a hierarchical sampling design stratified by elevation and vegetation type. Moths are sampled using blacklight traps deployed for one night every two weeks at each site from April through October. A total of 503 species have been observed, and approximately 300 species may be observed in any given year. The watershed can be divided into 13 distinct zones. The northwest ridge above the Andrews headquarters has the highest number of species (n = 321) and the lowest number of species occurred at upper Lookout Creek (n = 239). Each of 13 zones is missing ca. 200 of the 500 resident species, suggesting that heterogeneity in the landscape is important. A breakdown of the species into functional groups based on larval feeding habits: conifers, hardwood, herb, mix, unknown shows that 43% of Andrews species rely on a hardwoods and 63% rely on hardwoods and herbaceous angiosperms. Conifer-feeders only represent 8% of moth species. However, moths associated with conifer hosts are the most abundant; for instance, in the zone representing the midlevel of Carpenter Mountain 67% of moth individuals are conifer feeders, but only 14% of the species feed on conifers. In contrast, within the zone represented by the Headquarters site, only 32% of the individual moths feed on conifers whereas 56% feed on hardwoods. Moth biogeographic zones correspond to elevation zones and to potential vegetation.

Keywords

populations; phenology; biodiversity; trophic structure; Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER); populations

Date begin

1994-01-02

Date end

2008-10-15

Principal Investigator

Julia A. Jones

Entities

1. SA01501
2. SA01502

1. SA01501 - Attribute list

2. SA01502 - Attribute list

Attribute definitions

DATE

Date of collection

DBCODE

Database Code (assigned by FSDB data manager)

ENTITY

Entity number (data table number)

HSTGRP

Host functional feeding group (catepillar food plant)

LEPFAMILY

Lepidoptera (moths) taxonomic family

LEPNAME

Lepidoptera (moths) scientific name; includes genus and species

NO_INDIV

Number of individuals

TRAPID

Trap Location (plot and subunit)

YEAR

Sampling year

Enumerated domains

Enumerated domain for attribute: DBCODE

Enumerated domain for attribute: LEPNAME

Enumerated domain for attribute: TRAPID

Enumerated domain for attribute: LEPFAMILY

Enumerated domain for attribute: HSTGRP