Zebra Jumping Spider (Salticus scenicus)
Image by Savannah Burroughs
While some baseline data has been collected on the lands for some of the flora and fauna (e.g., birds, some amphibians and reptiles, some plants and trees) most of the biodiversity found at Creek 53 remains unknown. Having additional baseline information particularly about arthropod biodiversity on the land will be important and foundational to a conservation plan, and also helps better understand the importance of the watershed more generally.
This spring Creek 53 will welcome Savannah Burroughs to the area. Savannah is a McGill student who will be surveying key arthropod groups in the dominant habitat types found in Creek 53 (forests, meadows, wetlands).
Red Milkweed Beetle (Tetraopes tetrophthalmus)
Image by Savannah Burroughs
Arthropods (insects, spiders, and their relatives) are of critical importance to ecosystems, whether for their contributions to ecosystem function (e.g., pollination, decomposition, as predators of key pests), but also because they are the most diverse animals on the planet, and they are intrinsically and aesthetically valuable. Documenting their biodiversity is foundational to good conservation science.
The project will provide a baseline biodiversity assessment of arthropods at Creek. The data will be connected to the conservation plan, and the data will be integrated into future documents, education, and research to be done in the future. Arthropods are critically important to all ecosystems, and it is of immense value to include them when discovering the biodiversity of the Creek 53 watershed.
European Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus)
Image by Savannah Burroughs
This summer Savannah will be out in the field using a combination of structured and opportunistic collection methods to survey key arthropod groups. The work will extend into Fall 2023 and Winter 2024 as the samples are sorted, processed and identified to species. Most of this work will be done in laboratory facilities at McGill and will form the basis of Savannah’s honours thesis.
We look forward to sharing with you the results of Savannah’s work in 2024.