Charge to Collecting Team
Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 15:06:18 -0500
From: Chuck_Parker@nps.gov (Chuck Parker)
Subject: ATBI Collecting Working Group
To: cover@oeb.harvard.edu, Dietrich@denr1.igis.uiuc.edu,
foster.mercedes@nmnh.si.edu, moth@ra.msstate.edu,
reid.janet@nmnh.si.edu, sjames@mum.edu
Cc: Keith_Langdon@nps.gov (Keith Langdon), pick@pick.uga.edu
Greetings,
At the All-Taxa Biodiversity Inventory workshop in Gatlinburg, in December 1997,
you indicated an interest in working on the Collecting Working Group for the
ATBI. I have been asked to organize the Working Group, and, accordingly, this
note is about that effort. Below, I will describe the working goals of the
Collecting Working Group as I see it at present, solicit your comments and
suggestions, ask for names of other potential Collecting Working Group
participants, and provide you with an update on the activities relating to the
ATBI. I also need to determine your continuing interest in and availability for
working on the Collecting Working Group. IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE SO,
PLEASE VISIT THE ATBI WEB SITE AT www.discoverlife.org AND REGISTER YOURSELF AS
AN ATBI PARTICIPANT (your names are there already, but not necessarily with
complete and up-to-date information).
In order to understand the need for a Collecting Working Group, you need to
understand the concepts being developed by the Design Working Group for the
implementation of the ATBI. This effort is being led by Peter White of the
University of North Carolina. At this time, a draft is being prepared for
presentation at the December 1998 ATBI meeting (more about that later). In
general terms, however, the concept being developed is as follows. In an effort
to maximize the information that can be useful to Park Service managers,
accurate data are required on the distribution, relative abundance, and
ecological associations of as many species as possible for which such
information can be obtained. The minimum information, therefore, becomes
species name, precise location, abundance ranking (e.g., rare, common,
abundant), and associated species/ecological communities/habitat parameters.
Traditional collecting by systematists always provides the first element,
normally the second, and occasionally the third, but the fourth element
is usually lacking, or seriously deficient. Concentrated effort in selected
localities (plots) can overcome this limitation for many groups of organisms.
Therefore, the plan is to select a series of Landscape Reference Areas (LRAs),
perhaps 25-50 of them, in areas that are representative of the Park landscape as
defined by topography, geology, vegetation, and disturbance history. In each
LRA, one to several plots will be established for intensive floral and faunal
inventorying. By using identical, or, at least, similar methods in each LRA, it
will be possible to make statistically valid comparisons within and among plots
and LRAs. Thus, reliable estimates of species richness and abundance,
correlations among taxa and habitats, and community associations will be
possible. For some groups, it may be possible to produce models of potential
distribution from these data. THE DATA FROM THE LRAs WILL SUPPLEMENT, NOT
REPLACE, THE DATA COLLECTED THROUGH TRADITIONAL MEANS.
- THE PURPOSE AND GOALS OF THE COLLECTING WORKING GROUP.
The purpose of the Collecting Working Group is to coordinate inventory
activity on the LRAs. In order to do this, we need to establish
standardized approaches to collecting that can be used in multiple sites in
such a manner as to facilitate comparisons within and among taxa at different
sites throughout the seasons and years. We need to coordinate closely with
the Taxonomic Working Groups (TWIGS) to determine what approaches work with
which groups. It may be that some techniques interfere with other
techniques. For example, a light trap may be the best method to collect
specimens for group A, and a Malaise trap the method for group X. But,
operating a light trap in the vicinity of a Malaise trap may result in biased
samples in the Malaise trap. Or, perhaps the disturbance involved in putting
in pitfall traps would seriously affect small mammal traps operating in the
same plot. Are some methods incompatible with others, and therefore, should
we avoid using certain methods in the same plots? We need to find common
ground among systematists who use similar, but not quite identical
approaches. Is 70% ETOH acceptable to everybody who wants specimens
collected by Malaise trap, or do some have to have 95% ETOH? And some
workers may want dry Malaise trap collections. One statewide program is
using pitfall traps made from the bottom end of 5-gallon buckets, while some
people use Dixie-cup-sized pitfall traps. Is there a common ground everyone
will accept? How large does a litter sample need to be for a Tulgren funnel?
How frequently do traps need to be visited? Do traps operate year round?
Other important tasks of the Collecting Working Group include making the
inventory process as efficient as possible. Members of the Working Group
will not be involved in setting up, maintaining, and emptying traps.
But, we will need to determine what the human resource requirements will
be. How many technicians, temporary employees, and volunteers will be
needed if there are 25 LRAs? If there are 50 LRAs? What level of
training will be required? Is there a plot researcher/technician
"carrying capacity" above which the disturbance to the plot becomes
unacceptable? How do we assess that?
Some of these issues can only be worked out as the ATBI progresses. The
current plan is to begin field work in March or April, 1999, on a small number
of LRAs. This will allow us to begin evaluation of different configurations
of plots, traps, preservatives, etc.
Please give us some feedback. Is this sort of what you had in mind for the
Collecting Working Group? Were you envisioning something grander? Am I
totally off base? On target? Did I forget the most obvious thing of all?
When you respond, please respond to the group, not just to me.
- OPERATIONS OF THE COLLECTING WORKING GROUP.
The operation of the Collecting Working Group will be governed by the by-laws
of Discover Life In America, the non-profit organization that has been
established to conduct the ATBI. These will be presented at the December
meeting. I was asked by the Chairman of DLIA, John Pickering, to form the
Collecting Working Group, and will copy him on all correspondence. One of the
goals of DLIA is to be as democratic an organization as possible. If you want
to be the Collecting Working Group facilitator, or if you know someone who
would be perfect for the job, please let me and Pick know. Also, any
suggestions, ideas, thoughts, complaints, contacts, etc., that you have that
are relevant to the working group should be freely communicated with everyone
else.
Mainly, we will operate by E-mail, with conference calls as needed, especially
when issues require voice-to-voice discussion. Face-to-face meetings can be
held in conjunction with the ATBI annual meetings, but at present there is no
funding mechanism in place to get everyone together. We will coordinate with
TWIGs through the TWIG leaders, again, mainly by E-mail, and at the annual
meetings. We will work closely with the Sorting Working Group. This working
group will be responsible for figuring out the most efficient way in which to
process and distribute the material that we collect.
It seems to me that the size of the active Working Group should probably be
around 10-15, but you may have other ideas. If each of you remains involved,
then we have good representation for aquatic insects, leafhoppers, and
Lepidoptera, as well as, soil fauna (earthworms and ants), and meiofauna. We
need at least another 2-7 active participants. Any suggestions?
- DO YOU REMAIN INTERESTED IN AND ARE YOU ABLE TO ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN THE
ATBI COLLECTING WORKING GROUP?
Please let me know as soon as possible, one way or the other. I do not want
to pester you with E-mail and other communications if you are unable to
participate at this time. If you do not have the time just now, but wish to
stay informed of our activities, please let me know that, as well.
- ATBI ACTIVITIES AS OF OCTOBER 1998.
I will recap events since the December 1997 meeting. You should have received
much of this information already.
Keith Langdon, Don Defoe, John Pickering, and I went to Costa Rica in January
1998, to visit the site of the original planned ATBI, Guanacaste. We spent
several days discussing the organization and implementation of the Smokies
ATBI with Dan Janzen. We also visited the conservation area in la Osa,
INBio headquarters, and the OTS field station at la Selva.
A briefing was given to the Office of Science and Technology Policy at the
White House in February.
A database meeting was held at the USGS Biological Resources Division
headquarters in Reston, VA, in April.
An official kickoff for the ATBI was held in April at GRSM, featuring NPS
Deputy Director Denny Galvin, representatives from the offices of TN Senator
Fred Thompson, and the unveiling of the first ATBI Demonstration Plot.
An organizational meeting was held at Western Carolina University in July to
establish the outlines for Discover Life in America. Basic purpose,
organization, and initial officers were determined. John Pickering was
selected as Chairman, and Mary Johnson Williams was selected as President.
Tom Kiernan of the National Parks Conservation Association presented draft
by-laws. The first board meeting was held in Sevierville in July. A second
board meeting was held at the University of Tennessee in September. Revised
draft by-laws were approved for presentation at the December meeting.
A Discover Life In America web site has been established. PLEASE VISIT IT AT
www.discoverlife.org, AND REGISTER YOURSELF AS AN ATBI PARTICIPANT.
A pamphlet describing the ATBI has been produced. If you have not received
one, let me know.
A second ATBI workshop has been scheduled for December 14-17, 1998, in
Gatlinburg. This meeting will feature the presentation of the draft by-laws
of Discover Life in America, initial board membership, and other matters for
discussion, modification, and possible approval. The Design Working Group
will present a draft concept of the LRAs and their function along the lines
of what I presented above. This, too, will be discussed, debated, modified,
and hopefully approved. We are negotiating reduced rates at a local motel,
but, as at the last meeting, we will be unable to cover transportation or
other expenses.
This message is getting somewhat lengthy, so I will end here. Please respond as
soon as possible regarding your willingness and ability to participate in the
Collecting Working Team, and provide any suggestions, comments, ideas, whatever,
to the entire group.
Thanks,
Chuck Parker
(423) 436-1704
| Discover Life in America | Science | Collecting Plan | Parker 28 October, 1998 |