Inventory of Five Families of Beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera) in GSMNP

The funding requested by this proposal will provide partial support for an inventory of five families of aquatic Coleoptera (beetles) to contribute to the overall goals of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park , All Taxon Biodiversity Inventory (GSMNP, ATBI).   Funding will support field work, training, sorting and processing of samples, and identification associated with reporting research findings of GSMNP Coleoptera.

Objectives

1. Gather and identify accumulated water beetle material from other inventory projects.


2. Identify habitats and areas of the park which are under-inventoried.


3. Produce training materials and conduct inventory training classes for volunteers and students.   Standardized collecting protocols, data sheets, and identification aids will be developed and used throughout the project.


4. Process and identify specimens; provide data to Coleoptera TWIG coordinator and GSMNP.