Coleoptera of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, U.S.A.

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Documenting regional species diversity is an urgent task because theextinction crisis has become more acute and more apparent to the collectiveconscience of society. The insect order Coleoptera (beetles) is an obviousstarting point for this endeavor because it is the largest order of insectsand constitutes over 25% of total animal diversity worldwide. Likewise,Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) is an obvious place to beginbecause it is a national treasure constituting one of the most biologicallydiverse and unique landscapes in North America and is located in one of themost densely populated parts of the U.S. This project will be conducted by ateam of 44 cooperating scientists engaging in an ambitious effort tocompletely document beetle diversity in GSMNP. Methods will includefieldwork by scientists, students and volunteers, morphological andmolecular analyses, and computer databasing. The project is fully integratedwith other teams of researchers conducting biotic surveys as part of the AllTaxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) in GSMNP, including data and specimenexchange, joint collecting events ("bioblitzes"), and networking at theannual ATBI Conference. Products from the Coleoptera project of the ATBIwill include computer generated identification guides, internet speciesprofiles, and research publications. Project scientists have estimated that3000 species will be recorded, representing 105 different beetle families.Previous work has already documented 25 species new to science and thisnumber is expected to double during the four-year project. Ultimately, thebeetle fauna of GSMNP will be the best documented in the entire world. Theproject is coordinated with Discover Life in America, Inc (DLIA), anorganization devoted to documenting life in U.S. national parks that servesas a liaison between our team and participating units in the National ParksService, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and National Biological InformationInfrastructure (NBII).The Coleoptera project is a significant part of a larger endeavor to assistnational parks and other conservation areas in the development of inventorymethods to compile data about biological diversity. This work is beingconducted under the broad umbrella of the GSMNP ATBI to document all specieswithin the park. Already, other national parks are implementing thesynergistic model established at GSMNP. Completion of the beetle surveywill serve these broader goals by demonstrating that the single most diversegroup of animals can be successfully documented. Beyond this, parks andreserves in China and Nepal are closely monitoring this survey in developinginitiatives to save habitats and preserve biodiversity there. The educationcomponents of this project will transfer basic knowledge of the importanceof all living things using beetles as examples to the youth of Americathrough the classroom and positive interactions with scientists in thefield. Products that will be available through the web have the potentialto teach millions of people about biodiversity and the importance of knowingand understanding the organisms that share this world with us.