Summer abundance and activity monitoring of arthropods on Akimiski Island, Nunavut

We are monitoring the variations in arthropods abundance and activity throughout the summer. Modified Malaise traps (pitfall trap with vertical mesh screen and bottle trap attached above to increase capture of flying insects) are used to capture surface active and low-flying arthropods. Two transects of 5 traps each (20m between each trap) are deployed in 2 wetland habitats (1) supratidal habitat (dominated by red fescue (Festuca rubra), and baltic rush (Juncus balticus)) and intertidal habitat (dominated by alkali grass (Puccinellia phryganodes)). Traps are visited and emptied every 48 hours. Samples are preserved in ethanol for subsequent analysis (sorting of species or species-form, identification, length measurement and biomass calculations). In addition, we are estimating abundance and diversity with a variety of other trapping methods. ** If data are downloaded and used for analyses, it would greatly be appreciated that the principal investigator be informed.