RUI: Patterns of Biodiversity of Benthic Invertebrates in Chihuahuan Desert Springs

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Human activities threaten the integrity of desert ecosystems, many of which?like the springs in the northern Chihuahuan Desert of west Texas and southeastern New Mexico?probably contain large numbers of unique species. Unfortunately, little is known about the bottom-dwelling invertebrates of these systems. This project will survey six desert spring systems. Organisms from samples will be identified as known or undescribed. A web-accessible database of species lists with digitized images for each spring will be created. Genetic ?barcoding? using DNA sequencing will allow identification of cryptic species?those that appear identical but which are actually separate species. Geographic patterns in diversity also will be investigated. Because many of these species are likely limited to a single spring system, information generated by this project will be useful to agencies charged with conservation of threatened and endangered species. Researchers also will test the efficacy of genetic barcoding as a method for identifying cryptic species. This project has significant educational merit. Students from Miami University Hamilton (an open-admission, two-year campus) will gain invaluable research experience. The database will be accessible to the public and used in biology courses. Research results will be provided to conservation agencies and published in scientific journals.