Design for ground beetle abundance and diversity sampling within the National Ecological Observatory Network

• DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1744
• Publication Date: 2017-04-05T17:05:17Z
• Authors: David Hoekman; Katherine E. LeVan; Cara Gibson; George E. Ball; Robert A. Browne; Robert L. Davidson; Terry L. Erwin; C. Barry Knisley; James R. LaBonte; Jonathan Lundgren; David R. Maddison; Wendy Moore; Jari Niemelä; Karen A. Ober; David L. Pearson; John R. Spence; Kipling Will; Timothy Work
• Keywords: INDICATORS; 0106 biological sciences; LAND; Special Feature: NEON Design; 01 natural sciences; diversity; HETEROGENEITY; COLEOPTERA CARABIDAE; ASSEMBLAGES; CATCHES; climate; global change; QH540-549.5; PITFALL TRAPS; abundance; NORTH; Ecology; long-term monitoring; 15. Life on land; DNA BARCODES; CAPTURE; Environmental sciences; Ecology, evolutionary biology; Carabidae; ground beetles

AbstractThe National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) will monitor ground beetle populations across a network of broadly distributed sites because beetles are prevalent in food webs, are sensitive to abiotic factors, and have an established role as indicator species of habitat and climatic shifts. We describe the design of ground beetle population sampling in the context ofNEON's long‐term, continental‐scale monitoring program, emphasizing the sampling design, priorities, and collection methods. Freely availableNEONground beetle data and associated field and laboratory samples will increase scientific understanding of how biological communities are responding to land‐use and climate change.