Purpose: Measure the biodiversity of arthropods collected in leaf litters.

Materials: Leaf strainer, bag, light source, 2-liter bottle, small chicken wire, large collecting beaker (1000 ml),
ethyl alcohol, arthropod key, Petri dish, stereoscope, and scissors. (A leaf litter collection kit will be available
from Ward’s for under $100 by spring of ’00)

Procedure:
1. Construct apparatus
    a. A leaf strainer may be contstucted using a pillow case connected to two coat hanger hoops. The second coat
    hanger hoop contains a small chickenwire screen. To use, simple scoop up leaf litter and shake down the smaller
    constituents leaving the larger leaves behind. This will be funneled in the 2-little bottle later.
    b. An arthropod funnel may be constructed with a 2-liter bottle, chickenwire screen, and a light source. Cut
    the bottom section out of the 2-liter bottle so it resembles a funnel with the opening facing downward. Then
    cut out a circular piece of chickenwire and place inside the 2-liter bottle. This will act as a screen. Pour enough
    ethyl alcohol into a large collecting beaker to a height of  2 cm. Place the 2-liter bottle inside the collecting beaker.
    Set up the light source on one side of the 2-liter bottle toward the top. Animals do not like light so they will travel
    toward the funnel opening.

2. Collect leaf litter by scooping and filtering.

3. Place leaf litter in arthropod funnel.

4. Let sit overnight.

5. Key species by taking an alcohol sample in a small Petri dish and viewing them under the stereoscope.

6. Collect class data and calculate biodiversity index using Simpson’s formula.
 
 

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