I. Research framework for long-term measurement of insect spatio-temporal abundance in complex landscapes.

We have selected members of the insect community that inhabit the agricultural landscape to address the general questions associated with the LTER. Two conceptual frameworks were developed to quantify the above diversity-complexity issues associated with the Kellogg LTER. One framework is the temporal-spatial organization of insect-plant communities and other is the measurement system required to quantify the issues. Bio-complexity in agricultural landscapes is the result of ecological interactions occurring at different temporal and spatial scales. To address issues related to the structural and functional role of the insect community in agroecosystems, we have developed a framework that identifies the distinctive spatio-temporal scales operating in the landscape. We have identified three spatial scales (individual plant, field/plot, and landscape) and three temporal scales (daily, seasonal, and two or more years). Using this framework we have organized the major causes of bio-complexity such as plant architecture, plant phenology, cover cropping, intercropping, crop rotation, plant succession, and landscape fragmentation (multiple habitats) in a hierarchal fashion. To address this temporal-spatial hierarchy we designed a scalable data collection and information analysis framework that enabled us to quantify patterns of complexity. The basic observation element (grain) is the microhabitat (space) where measurement of species occurrence and abundance are made at weekly intervals (time) during the growing season. The spatial extent of our observation encompasses the entire LTER main site (42 ha) and the temporal extent currently encompasses 13 years. Our array of permanent geo-positioned sites allows us to scale our analysis from microhabitat to the landscape and from week to the duration of the project. The spatial-temporal hierarchical design of our insect measurement system has provided the ability to quantify several unanticipated events. These include quantification of biological regulation of brown aphids in Populus; response of coccinellids to aphids on Coniza canadensis in native succession after disturbance; cyclical populations of C. septempunctata; predator abundance change in response to plant biomass and architecture (Populus); the characterization of exotic predators in the agricultural landscape and their competitive role among coccinellid species; the consequences of including specific crops in the agricultural landscape on abundance of predators (wheat); and response of coccinellids to the spatial-temporal heterogeneity of the landscape.

Publications Colunga-Garcia, M. 1996. Interactions between landscape structure and ladybird beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in field crop agroecosystems. Ph.D. Thesis. Michigan State University Gage, S.H., S.A. Isard, and M. Colunga-Garcia. 1999. Ecological scaling of aerobiological dispersal processes. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 97: 249-261. Isard, S.A. and S.H. Gage. 2001. Flow of life in the atmosphere: An airscape approach to understanding invasive organisms. Michigan State Press. 240 pp. Maredia, K.M., S.H. Gage, D.A. Landis and T.M. Wirth. 1992c. Visual response of Coccinella septempunctata (L.), Hippodamia parenthesis (Say), (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), and Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens), (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) to colors. Biological Control 2: 253-256.

Posters Gage, S.H., M, Colunga-Garcia, and P.H. Ostrom. 1993. Flow of insects through a landscape. Long Term Ecological Research all Scientist Meeting. Estes Park, Colorado. Gage S.H. and M Colunga-G. 1996. Long term measurements of mobile organisms in diversified agroecosystems at the KBS LTER. Poster presentation at Eco-Informa ’96. Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Gage S.H. and M. Colunga-G. 2000. Ecological Management in Field Crop Ecosystems. Long Term Ecological Research all Scientist Meeting. Snowbird, Utah.