Digital Data in Biodiversity Research Conference

As important bioindicators, ground beetles (Carabidae) remain one of the most widely studied families of insects. However, aside from their general morphology, little else is known about a significant portion of less studied species. Their inclusion as one of two targeted insect groups collected by the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) has the potential to greatly expand our collective understanding of their community composition, diversity, and species abundance.

In this presentation, we will explore ground beetle population and community dynamics in relation to environmental variables including precipitation, temperature, and humidity. We will focus on emergence patterns observed at the Santa Rita Experimental Range (SRER). Finally, issues and solutions concerning the quality and overall ease of use of specific data products will be examined.