The gathering and application of invertebrate data
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The The gathering gathering and and application application of of invertebrat invertebrat e data e data Brian Nelson, National Museums Northern Brian Nelson, National Museums Northern Ireland Ireland
description
The gathering and application of invertebrate data. Brian Nelson, National Museums Northern Ireland. Gathering. Most recorders work in their spare time Majority of records gathered by a few recorders Increasing (?) number of naturalists, more inclined to record challenging groups - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of The gathering and application of invertebrate data
The The gathering gathering and and application application of of invertebrate invertebrate datadata
Brian Nelson, National Museums Northern Brian Nelson, National Museums Northern IrelandIreland
GatheringGathering
• Most recorders work in their spare time
• Majority of records gathered by a few recorders
• Increasing (?) number of naturalists, more inclined to record challenging groups
• Increased availability of keys and field guides, web-based resources
• Large datasets more easily stored and analysed on home computers
Gathering: often a solitary activity….Gathering: often a solitary activity….
…….. but can be communal.. but can be communal..
What to do with records?What to do with records?
• You could do nothing – but what is the point?
• Get them verified, become trusted
• Publish records yourself or contribute them to a recording scheme
• Today’s option - send to a records centre
• Leave critical vouchers in a museum – very important!!
ApplicationApplication
• Production of atlases
• Site protection
• Species protection
• Red data lists
• Monitoring
• Enthusing
• Analysis of trends e.g. response to climate and habitat change
DragonflyIreland - the mapping of Ireland in DragonflyIreland - the mapping of Ireland in four yearsfour years
AimsAims
• Map the distribution of all Irish species
• Compare with previous surveys• Document habitat, species
assemblages and important sites• Encourage recording• End product - atlas and handbook
CoverageCoveragePre 1970
1970-1999
2000-2003
A M J J A S O N 0 1 23
0
500
1000
1500
2000N
o o
f re
cord
s
Month Year
Recording effortRecording effort
2000-20032000-2003
Jul - Dec only Jan - June only Both periods
1980-19991980-1999
232
919 899 734 729
5807
3633
2517
1853
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Year
No o
f re
cord
sRecording effortRecording effort
Publishing and dissemination of Publishing and dissemination of recordsrecords
• Long tradition of atlases of Britain and Ireland
• Ireland often poorly covered in maps and text
• Trend for Ireland-only atlases being produced
• Online access with full data – NBN and NBDC
Distribution map of Irish Bluet Distribution map of Irish Bluet Coenagrion lunulatumCoenagrion lunulatum on NBDC site on NBDC site
Training
Water beetles of IrelandWater beetles of Ireland
0
5000
10000
15000
1830
1840
1850
1860
1870
1880
1890
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
Progress: number of water beetle records per decadeProgress: number of water beetle records per decade
Water beetle threat Water beetle threat categoriescategories
Regionally ExtinctRegionally Extinct 99
Critically EndangeredCritically Endangered 1010
EndangeredEndangered 88
VulnerableVulnerable 2222
Near ThreatenedNear Threatened 2424
least concern/data-least concern/data-deficientdeficient
184184
Dragonfly species richnessDragonfly species richness
Nationally (l) and regionally (r) Nationally (l) and regionally (r) important dragonfly sitesimportant dragonfly sites
100
120
140
160
180
200
220
Day (
1st
Jan=
1)
Emergence pattern
Ireland-only InsectsIreland-only Insects
• 1 Odonata - damselfly • 2 Hymenoptera - bee/ant/wasp • 3 Trichoptera - caddisfly • 5 Hemiptera - bugs/aphids/froghoppers • 5 Lepidoptera - butterflies/moths • 11 Coleoptera - beetles• 21 Diptera - two-winged flies
Irish Bluet Coenagrion lunulatum• Main distribution Ireland,
Netherlands, Finland, probably Russia, Mongolia
• Northern temperate species mesotrophic ponds
Sigara fallenoideaSigara fallenoidea• A water boatman. Large Irish lakes.• Relict species in Northern Hemisphere
Sigara fallenoideaSigara fallenoidea
Sigara fallenoideaSigara fallenoidea PohjanpikkumalluainenPohjanpikkumalluainen
0
30N
60N
150W 120W 90W 60W 30W 0 30E 60E
Limnoporus rufoscutellatusLimnoporus rufoscutellatus
• A large pondskater. Widespread in central and northern Europe
• Occurs at very low densites, 1000 other gerrids to 1 of this species.
Gyrinus natatorGyrinus natatorThe Shady WhirligigThe Shady Whirligig
• the commonest whirligig?• last record in GB 1921• shady peat cuttings and
lake edges• presumably at threat from
sites becoming overgrown as in Cumbria
