Author(s): Emmy Spencer, Davette Serrano
Mentor(s): Matt Ogburn, Rachel Bolus
Institution SUU
Specifying the classification of organisms aids in more accurate data to help strengthen future research. In this study, we are investigating the biodiversity of arthropod specimens collected by the SUU ecology course at Brian Head, Utah after the 2017 fire. In 2017 and 2018 specimens were collected from various random locations across a range of burn intensities. Other data such as live plants in plot, seed germination success, and soil type were also recorded. The specimens were classified to the order level by the 2017-2018 ecology students. We have since taken these specimens and are classifying them to the family and subfamily level. We will then use this information to make a family accumulation curve, generating a finer-grained taxonomic estimate to evaluate the effects of the 2017 fire on arthropod biodiversity.