| Stéphane Bourassa |
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Degree: BSc. University of Lethbridge Defended Thesis: Primary Research Topic: |
Project Description:
I am studying the agroecology of the ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) community in southern Alberta. My project has two objectives: (1) investigate the impact of different weed control practices on the ground beetle community and (2) see if there is a different response of the ground beetle community when sustainable or conventional farming practices are applied. I am focusing on ground beetles but I am also considering the Staphilinidae and the Aranae communities and soil microfauna abundance and biodiversity. I have two study sites in southern Alberta, one in Lethbridge looks at the impact of weed control and one in Vauxhall looks at sustainable vs. conventional farming impacts on the ground beetle community. I expect to be able to demonstrate which farming practices are favourable for the ground beetle community. The ground beetles represent an important component of sustainable farming because they prey on diverse insect pest. I am doing this project with the collaboration of Dr. Héctor Cárcamo, Dr. Francis Larney and Dr. Robert Blackshaw, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada - Lethbridge Research Centre.