Impacts of land use and climate on Odonata Communities of California over time

The overall goal of this study is to determine how odonates have responded to landscape alteration and climatic changes in California. Specifically, our objectives are to: 1) determine whether odonate taxonomic diversity and composition at sites with historical collections have changed over time; 2) determine whether species distribution models can accurately predict suitable habitat for focal species; and 3) identify key landscape and climatic changes that are associated with distribution. We predict that habitat specialists, pollution-sensitive, and climate-sensitive odonates have experienced significant reductions or shifts in suitable habitat area over time.A primary aspect of this research involves re-surveying historical collection sites from C.H. Kennedy's survey of California Odonata in 1914-1915 (Kennedy 1917). From May to August 2011, we surveyed 35 of the original sites. During the summer and fall of 2012, we will survey approximately 20 of these sites again, as well as an additional 20 sites throughout California. Representative specimens of each species from each site will be collected and deposited into the Essig museum, and recorded into the museum's online specimen database. Using this information, we will examine changes in odonate diversity and community composition in relation to historical and current landscape conditions at each of these sites.