PARENT SESSION
Poster Session 30: Invertebrate Ecology
Thursday, August 11, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM, Exhibit Hall 220 A-E, Level 2, Palais des congrès de Montréal

Impact of the brood X periodical cicada (Magicicada spp.) emergence on arthropod decomposer communities.

Goetsch, Melanie^{*,1, 2}, Steinly, Bruce², ¹ Augsburg College, Minneapolis, MN² Miami University, Oxford, OH

ABSTRACT- Brood X of the 17-year periodical cicada (Magicicada spp.) is composed of an estimated 5-10 trillion insects (Lockwood, unpublished) consisting of three species and representing a total biomass flux of over 2.5 billion kilograms (kg) from below ground to above ground. Previously, studies have reported the effects of cicada biomass flux on vertebrate communities (White et al., 1979; Whiles et al., 2001), but research on the decomposer communities is wanting. The hypothesis for this research was that adjustments of the densities of cicada carcasses would affect decomposer communities. The prediction was that higher densities of cicada carcasses would cause an increase in richness and abundance of decomposers. Results suggest that total abundance of decomposers was affected by density of cicada carcasses. When the density of cicada carcasses was 520 carcasses/1152 cm² as compared to carcass densities of 250 or 52 carcasses in an equal area, arthropod decomposers were more abundant. Also, the results suggest an approximate two-fold increase in total abundance of decomposers in soil samples taken one week after cicada carcass application.

Key words: magicicada spp., cicada, decomposer, arthropod