Entomological Society of Canada Student Member Information Form

Name: Anita Stjernberg

University: University of Manitoba

Address:
Department of Entomology
Faculty of Agricultural & Food Sciences
University of Manitoba - Winnipeg, MB, Canada - R3T 2N2

E-mail Address: umstjera@cc.umanitoba.ca

Advisor: Dr. R.E. Roughley

Thesis Title: The Impact of Rotational Seasonal Grazing on the Invertebrates of Mixed-Grass Prairie, Using Ground Beetles (Carabidae) and Spiders (Araneae) as Bioindicators

Research Summary:

The 2080 acres (842 ha) of Yellow Quill Prairie, owned by the Nature Conservancy of Canada, are located 20 km southeast of Brandon, and 2 km north of the junction of the Assiniboine and Souris Rivers. Mixed-grass prairie is threatened by four major factors: cultivation, Trembling Aspen encroachment, exotic species invasion, and inappropriate grazing management. The current management strategy involves twice-over rotational cattle grazing through several pastures on the site. My research will attempt to answer the question: how much grazing and at what times of the season is appropriate without damaging the biodiversity of the habitat? I chose to use carabid beetles and spiders as bioindicators because of their high abundance and diversity, common usage in ecological studies, ease of identification, sensitivity to habitat and environmental changes, and variety of feeding modes. Some spider families in particular are sensitive to the architectural changes in their environment caused by the removal of 3-dimensional grasses since these are used for web-building and prey capture.

Keywords: Spiders, Carabids, Grazing, Biodiversity, Mixed-Grass Prairie

Degree Sought: MSc

Expected Year of Completion: 2007