SGER: Bioinventory of the Mobile/Tensaw Delta Before and After Hurricane Katrina

飓风不仅对人类社区造成可怕的破坏，还可能对自然生态系统造成严重破坏。由于飓风在时间和空间上都是不可预测的，因此很少有用来衡量其对自然生态系统影响的重要的扰动前数据。 这是一个在亚拉巴马沿海地区做昆虫比较的项目，在最近的一系列飓风之前和之后。使这项研究成为可能--也是独一无二的--是在最近一系列飓风袭击墨西哥湾之前收集的五年数据。昆虫是这项研究的理想对象，因为它们：1）丰富; 2）对环境变化反应迅速; 3）食物链的关键组成部分; 4）生物多样性的良好指标; 5）许多物种传播人类疾病的病原体（例如西尼罗河）。地球正处于一个变暖的周期，这很可能会导致飓风活动的增加。风暴破坏生态系统的最佳管理做法需要对飓风袭击前后的生态群落有一个清晰的了解。此外，关于像卡特里娜这样的飓风如何影响蚊子数量，从而将疾病传播给人类，也有不同的观点。 因此，这项工作对于风暴干扰生态系统的最佳管理做法以及公共卫生和病媒管理问题都具有重要意义。

Hurricanes not only unleash horrible destruction on human communities, they also may reek havoc on natural ecosystems. As hurricanes are unpredictable in time and space the critical pre-disturbance data needed to measure their effects on natural ecosystems rarely exist. This is a project to do a comparative inventory of insects in the coastal area of Alabama, before and after the recent series of hurricanes. What makes this study possible - and unique - is five years of data collected before the recent suite of hurricanes struck the Gulf of Mexico. Insects are ideal subjects for this study because they are; 1) abundant; 2) respond quickly to environmental changes; 3) critical components of the food chain; 4) excellent indicators of biodiversity; and 5) numerous species transmit the agents of human disease (e.g. West Nile). The earth is in a warming cycle which in all likelihood will result in increased hurricane activity. Best management practices of storm damaged ecosystems requires a clear picture of the ecological community before and after hurricanes strike. In addition, there are disparate opinions about how hurricanes like Katrina can effect mosquito populations and thus the transmission of diseases to human. Accordingly, this work has vital significance for both best management practices of storm disturbed ecosystems as well as public health and vector management concerns.