Conservation of biodiversity: spatio-temporal dynamics of canopy microarthropods

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Factors that influence the organization, distribution, and diversity of species in communities are central issues of ecological studies. The temperate forest canopy of an ancient rainforest is defined as the sum of all tree crowns in a forest stand and provides an ideal study system to formulate explanations concerned with observed patterns of species richness and abundance in space and time.  In these forest ecosystems arthropods are the most diverse organisms and are integral components of many ecosystem processes.  While species-rich communities in tropical canopies continue to be explored,the diversity and faunal associations in the canopies of temperate ancient rainforests of British Columbia are virtually unknown and information concerning these communities is lacking.  These temperate coniferous forest ecosystems contain unique habitats that are hotspots of Canadian biodiversity. Summarizing empirical patterns of resident species diversity is highly desirable given the numerous conservation reasons that have been adopted for maintaining biodiversity.  Results from my canopy arthropod studies continue to add support to the observation that a unique ancient forest arthropod community exists, with many undescribed species that are specific to the microhabitats contained within these forest canopies.  This observation is most pronounced for the oribatid beetle mites that inhabit suspended soils some 60 metres from the ground.  In the high canopy there are several species associated with detritus-based food webs that have evolved to form a separate arboreal community. My canopy studies continue to be the only Canadian research in ancient coniferous forest canopies and results are being used to form an integral part of an international network on global canopy studies that are concerned with documenting the organisms that are associated with habitat features of the canopy such as suspended soils and lichen accumulations.  This research will move beyond simple descriptions of community diversity and test theories primarily concerned with predicting the pattern of changing species composition in separated patches of habitat as a function of the distance between patches.