| Jenna Jacobs |
M.Sc. Environmental Biology and Ecology, University of Alberta B.Sc. Honours Environmental Biology, University of Alberta Defended Thesis: Current Position: Department: Primary Research Topic: |
Project Description:
Saproxylic insects, a functional group dominated by beetles, are dependent on dead or moribund trees. Although there are few studies of saproxylic insects in Canada, European studies demonstrate that forest harvest is responsible for a biologically significant decrease in saproxylic beetle diversity. Flight intercept traps were established on naturally dead and girdled trees along an undisturbed mixedwood forest successional gradient, in conifer dominated stands thinned to 5 levels of retention and a burned stand. Quality of coarse woody debris (CWD) was the most important factor affecting saproxylic beetle assemblages. In every study girdled trees had a different assemblage of beetles than those that died naturally. Furthermore, the species and amount of surrounding CWD had a large influence on the saproxylic beetle assemblages within stands. It is clear that management of CWD should be a top priority of forest managers to conserve saproxylic beetles, and the forest processes that they are part of.
Publications
Jacobs, J., J. R. Spence, D. W. Langor, (2007) Influence of boreal forest succession and dead wood qualities on saproxylic beetles. Agricultural and Forest Entomology 9: 2-15.
Jacobs, J., J. R. Spence, D. W. Langor, (2007) Variable Retention Harvest of White Spruce Stands and Saproxylic Beetle Assemblages. Canadian Journal of Forest Research (accepted).
Langor, D. W., J. R. Spence, H. E. J. Hammond, J. Jacobs, and T. Cobb, (2006) Maintaining saproxylic insects in extensively managed boreal forests: the Canadian experience. In Insect biodiversity and dead wood: proceedings of a symposium for the 22nd International Congress of Entomology (Eds, Hanula, J. and Grove, S.). Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-93. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 109 p.
Koivula, M, T. Cobb, A. Dechene, J. Jacobs & J. Spence, (2006) Sericoda responses to fire severity, and post fire salvage logging. Entomologica Fennica 17: 315-324.
Cobb , T. P., J. L. Morissette, J. M. Jacobs, M. J. Koivula, J. R. Spence and D. W. Langor, (2007) Saproxylic beetles and postfire salvage logging: the synergistic effects of wildfire and forest harvesting. Conservation Biology (submitted).