Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

An Inordinate Fondness For Beetles: A Study Of Insect Species Diversity And Abundance In Mazumbai Forest Reserve Versus Nearby Agricultural Areas, Emma Weisner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study investigates how human disturbance of ecosystems alters insect diversity and abundance, specifically exploring how insect communities inside Mazumbai Forest Reserve in Tanzania differ from insect communities in agricultural areas near the reserve. Following methods of previous studies on the effect of disturbance on insect populations (Bellamy et al. 2018; McLaughlin & Mineau 1995; Perry et al. 2016), this research utilizes pitfall traps and yellow bowl traps in multiple locations throughout the two study areas to catch insects, which are then identified to their specific order. The collected data support the hypothesis that insect order diversity and abundance vary …