Pan Trap Dataset

Pan traps is a method used to measure the abundance and species diversity of different types of insects. In this experiment, 9 pans of different colors (3 yellow, 3 blue, 3 white) were distributed two meter apart from each other while alternating the different colors in the grassland site and 9 pans of the same colors as mentioned above were distributed in the same manner in the woodlot site. The use of different colored pans is to attract different types of insects. The pans then were filled halfway with soapy water which is used to break the surface tension of the water, so the insects will fall through. The total area covered in both sites was approximately 16m². The pan traps were left for 2 hours and a half and then the species and their richness was recorded for each pan. Limitation of the experiment that could lead to a misleading estimation of the actual species abundance in the two sites are: variation in size of insects and the relative likelihood of falling in a trap as well as the likelihood of escaping before drowning in the soapy water. Also another factor could be time, if the pan traps were left for a longer time more insects would have been collected which would have provided us with a better estimate of the real species richness and abundance parameters in these particular sites.