Animal Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of A Nuclear Detonation On Arthropods At The Nevada Test Site, Dorald M. Allred

Brigham Young University Science Bulletin, Biological Series

Fifty-three arthropod species were studied in an area affected by an underground nuclear detonation. These were represented by 10 species of ants, 17 beetles, 5 orthopterans, 4 scorpions, 6 solpugids, and 11 spiders (Table 16). Relative populations were determined prior to the detonation and at three periods after the detonation–(1) one and two months after (August and September 1962), (2) 11 months after (June 1963), and (3) 13 months after (August 1963). One and two months after the detonation, the number of species was reduced from the expected by 48 percent, by 52 percent after 11 months, and by 66 …