Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Alternative Title

Estratificación vertical de las comunidades de artrópodos que habitan en el musgo en el bosque enano de Monteverde, Costa Rica

Creator

Joe Northrup

Files

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Publication Date

December 2003

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the community composition, S, H, E, N, and Smarg of arthropods living in epiphytic moss mats on vertical gradients, in the elfin forest of Monteverde, Costa Rica. Past studies have shown that moss mats alter biotic factors of the surrounding environment by increasing moisture and decreasing temperature variation. Moss samples were collected from 1 m, 7 m, and 15 m from nine trees between 1725 m and 1800 m and dried using Berlese funnels. Arthropods were separated by order and morphospecies. N was highest at 15 m, Smarg and S were highest at 1m, and H1 and E were highest at 7 m. High abundance of arthropods at 1m and 15m, stems from the presence of one morphospecies of arthropod found in high numbers at each height but in patchy distributions. These results point to variable resource distribution at 1m and 15m rather than height as the main factor behind moss-dwelling arthropod community makeup.

Resumen

El propósito de este estudio debía determinar la composición de la comunidad, S, H', E, N, y Smarg de artrópodos que viven en esteras de musgo de epifitas en declives verticales, en el bosque mágico de Monteverde, Costa Rica. Los estudios del pasado han mostrado esas esteras de musgo alteran los factores no bióticos del ambiente circundante aumentando la humedad y la variación disminuyente de la temperatura. Las muestras del musgo se reunieron de 1M, de 7 M, y de 15 M de nueve arboles entre 1725 M y 1800 M y secaron utilizando los embudos de Berlese. Los artrópodos fueron separados por la orden y morphospecies. N era más alta en 15 M, Smarg y S eran más altos en 1 M, y H1 y E eran más altos en 7 M. La abundancia alta de artrópodos en 1 M y 1 5 M, proviene de la presencia de un morphospecies de artrópodo encontró en números altos en cada altura pero en distribuciones desiguales. Estos resultados señalan a la distribución variable del recurso en 1 M y 15 M antes que la altura como el factor principal detrás de constitución de comunidad de artrópodo de morada de musgo.

Keywords

Species diversity, Diversidad de especies, Forest canopies, Doseles forestales, CIEE Fall 2003, CIEE Otoño 2003

Extent

11 pages

Geographic Location

Monteverde (Puntarenas, Costa Rica)

Holding Location

Monteverde Institute

Language

English; Spanish

Media Type

Articles

Format

Digital Only

Identifier

M39-00154

Type

Book

Vertical stratification of moss-dwelling arthropod communities in the elfin forest of Monteverde, Costa Rica, December 2003

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