Donald G. Ruch, Daryl R. Karns, Paul McMurray, Jean Moore-Palm, William Murphy,Scott A. Namestnik and Kirk Roth7<\/p>\n
Keywords: BioBlitz, diversity, Indiana<\/p>\n
The term \u2018\u2018BioBlitz\u2019\u2019 was coined by Susan\u00a0Rudy, a U.S. National Park Service naturalist,\u00a0while helping to organize the first BioBlitz held\u00a0at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Washington\u00a0D.C. from May 31 to June 1, 1996 (BioBlitz\u00a0Center 2009, Post 2003). A BioBlitz (also\u00a0written bioblitz), short for biodiversity blitz, is\u00a0a rapid assessment of the flora and fauna living\u00a0in a particular area at a given point in time\u00a0(Field Museum 2007). It is essentially a\u00a0\u2018\u2018snapshot in time\u2019\u2019 of the living organisms of\u00a0a particular site. A full BioBlitz must take place\u00a0over a full 24-hour period since different\u00a0organisms will be found at different times of\u00a0the day. Additionally, it should be noted that\u00a0since the species pool changes throughout the
\nyear, a one day BioBlitz will not produce a\u00a0complete inventory of the biodiversity of the\u00a0site. Lastly, the success of the event is based\u00a0primarily on two factors, i.e., the organization\u00a0of the event and the team of dedicated\u00a0scientists, naturalists, and volunteers conducting\u00a0the surveys.
\nOn 19\u201320 June 2009, a 24-hour BioBlitz was\u00a0held at the Loblolly Marsh Wetland Preserve\u00a0(part of the Limberlost Swamp) in Jay County,\u00a0Indiana. The event was held to honor the onehundredth\u00a0year anniversary of the publication\u00a0of A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene StrattonPorter,\u00a0an Indiana native whose concern\u00a0regarding the ecological consequences of deforestation\u00a0and wetland drainage foreshadowed\u00a0the environmental movement of today (Library\u00a0of Congress 2009). The event was organized by\u00a0Jamie Faller, Program Developer, Limberlost\u00a0State Historic Site and Anne Fairchild, Eastern\u00a0Region Program Manager, Indiana State Museum\u00a0and Historic Sites in collaboration with a\u00a0number of partners (see Acknowledgments).
\nThe results of the BioBlitz (Tables 1\u20138) are\u00a0presented on the Indiana Academy of Science\u00a0Website at indianaacademyofscience.org. The\u00a0results of two previous BioBlitz events (Otter\u00a0Creek, Vigo County from 2005 and Wesselman\u00a0Woods, Evansville, Indiana from 2008) are\u00a0also available. Once on the website click on\u00a0Events\/Meetings, then click on BioBlitz Information;\u00a0the lists are indicated by year, 2009,\u00a02008, or 2005). The Loblolly BioBlitz recorded\u00a0a total of 545 species, including two bees, 55\u00a0birds, 24 butterflies and moths, 29 dragonflies\u00a0and damselflies, one fish, 25 fungi, 15 reptiles\u00a0and amphibians, two insects (miscellaneous),\u00a0five mammals, 376 plants, and 11 sciomyzid\u00a0flies.<\/p>\n
Amphibians & reptiles<\/strong>.\u2014A total of nine\u00a0amphibians (two salamanders and seven frogs)\u00a0and six reptile species (two turtles, one lizard,\u00a0and three snakes) was recorded. Of special\u00a0interest was the abundance of Acris crepitans\u00a0(Northern Cricket Frog) and Rana pipiens\u00a0(Northern Leopard Frog) at the Loblolly site.\u00a0These two species have been the center of\u00a0attention in northern Indiana in recent years\u00a0due to apparent dramatic declines in populations.\u00a0Rana pipiens was the most frequently\u00a0encountered amphibian; dozens of juveniles\u00a0would scatter across the water as the herpetology\u00a0team waded into wetland areas. After dark,\u00a0the newly transformed juveniles literally covered the main road through the preserve. Acris\u00a0crepitans was also abundant and could be heard\u00a0chorusing from all of the major wetlands,\u00a0suggesting that the preserve serves as a refuge\u00a0for amphibians and is potentially an important\u00a0source population for these two species, and\u00a0possibly others, that are declining elsewhere.\u00a0Photo-vouchers were taken for all specimens\u00a0and are maintained by Daryl Karns at Hanover\u00a0College.<\/p>\n Odonates (dragonflies & damselflies).<\/strong>\u2014A\u00a0total of 29 odonate species was collected or\u00a0observed, including 17 new Jay County records\u00a0(Abbott 2007; Curry 2001). In addition, the\u00a0flight season of one species, Sympetrum vicinum\u00a0Hagen [Autumn Meadowhawk], was extended\u00a0by nearly two weeks, and Tramea onusta Hagen\u00a0[Red Saddlebags], listed as \u2018\u2018uncommon,\u2019\u2019 and\u00a0Sympetrum corruptum (Hagen) [Variegated\u00a0Meadowhawk], listed as \u2018\u2018rare\u2019\u2019 for Indiana by\u00a0Curry (2001), were collected. Vouchers specimens\u00a0have been placed in the Franklin College\u00a0Indiana Odonata collection.<\/p>\n Sciomyzid flies.<\/strong>\u2014Eleven species of Sciomyzidae\u00a0(snail-killing flies) were found, all new for\u00a0Jay County: Dictya expansa Steyskal 1=; D.\u00a0pictipes (Loew) 1=; D. sabroskyi Steyskal 1=;\u00a0Ditaeniella parallela (Walker) 40= 41R; D.\u00a0trivitatta \u00a0Cresson) 1= 1R; Limnia boscii (Robineau-Desvoidy)\u00a01=; Pherbellia nana nana\u00a0(Falle\u00b4n) 1R; P. seticoxa Steyskal 10= 8R;\u00a0Sepedon armipes Loew 6= 5R; S. fuscipennis\u00a0Loew 1= 2R; Tetanocera loewi Steyskal 3= 1R.\u00a0The number of species was average, whereas\u00a0the numbers of D. parallela set a new national\u00a0high. This species oviposits on dying or\u00a0decaying snails. A 1 m2 circle of dead Planorbella\u00a0trivolvis (Say) snails in the center of a\u00a0dried pool hosted about 200 D. parallela. Also Birds.<\/strong>\u2014The 55 species reported at the\u00a0BioBlitz represent a list of common birds of\u00a0field and woodland. It is augmented by a\u00a0number of marsh and wetland birds, most\u00a0notable were Porzana carolina (Sora) and\u00a0Nycticorax nycticorax (Black-crowned Night\u00a0Heron). Special birds of open areas were\u00a0Dolichonyx oryzivorus (Bobolink) and Spiza\u00a0americana (Dickcissel). Raptors were lacking\u00a0except for Falco sparverius (American Kestrel).<\/p>\n Butterflies and moths.<\/strong>\u2014The list of 24 species\u00a0focused mostly on larger butterflies; skippers\u00a0and moths were generally not recorded. Notable\u00a0species included Satyrium liparops (Striped\u00a0Hairstreak) and Euphydryas gilletti (Baltimore\u00a0Checkerspot).<\/p>\n Plants.<\/strong>\u2014Of the 376 plant species recorded,\u00a0306 (81.4%) were native and 70 (18.6%) were\u00a0exotics. The native plants included 61 woody\u00a0species (33 trees, 20 shrubs, and 8 vines), 175\u00a0forbs, 5 herbaceous vines, 27 grasses, 37 sedges, Fungi.<\/strong>\u2014Although it rained the Thursday\u00a0before the BioBlitz, it had been very dry the six\u00a0to eight weeks prior. As a result, 23 of the 25\u00a0fungi recorded were typical \u2018\u2018wood-rot\u2019\u2019 fungi.\u00a0Twenty-three of the fungi were basidiomycetes,\u00a0including Puccinia podophylli [May Apple Rust]\u00a0and Rhodotus palmatus [Netted Rhodotus], and 2\u00a0fungi were ascomycetes, including Sarcoscypha\u00a0coccinea [Scarlet Cup] and Galiella rufa [Hairy\u00a0Rubber Cup]. No voucher specimens were taken.<\/p>\n ACKNOWLEDGMENTS<\/strong> BioBlitz Center. 2009. History of the BioBlitz. At\u00a0http:\/\/www.bioblitzcenter.com\/about\/history.html.<\/p>\n Curry, J.R. 2001. Dragonflies of Indiana. Indiana\u00a0Academy of Science, Indianapolis, Indiana. 259 pp.<\/p>\n Division of Nature Preserves, Indiana Department of\u00a0Natural Resources. 2007. Endangered, Threatened,\u00a0and Rare Vascular Plants of Indiana. At\u00a0http:\/\/www.in.gov\/dnr\/naturepr\/.<\/p>\n The Field Museum. 2007. Calumet Bioblitz. At\u00a0http:\/\/www.fieldmuseum.org\/bioblitz\/.\u00a0Library of Congress. 2009. Limberlost\u2019s Nature Day.\u00a0At http:\/\/lcweb2.loc.gov\/diglib\/legacies\/IN\/200003011.html.<\/p>\n Post, S.L. 2003. Biodiversity Blitz: A Day in the Life\u00a0of\u2026 The Illinois Steward 12(1):1\u20138.<\/p>\n Rothrock, P.E. 2004. Floristic quality assessment in\u00a0Indiana: The concept, use and development of\u00a0coefficients of conservatism. Final Report for\u00a0ARN A305-4-53, EPA Wetland Program Development\u00a0Grant CD975586-01. 96 p. At \u00a0http:\/\/www.in.gov\/idem\/water\/planbr\/401\/publications.html.<\/p>\n
\nnoteworthy were numbers of P. seticoxa,\u00a0normally found singly or in pairs, and the lone\u00a0D. trivatatta, only the fourth individual from\u00a0Indiana of a species first discovered in the state\u00a0one month prior to the BioBlitz.<\/p>\n
\nand 1 fern. The exotic plants included 6 woody\u00a0species (3 trees, 3 shrubs), 50 forbs, and 14\u00a0grasses. The floristic quality index (Rothrock\u00a02004) for the native species was 61.1 and for all\u00a0species was 55.1; the native mean C was 3.5 and\u00a0the mean C for all species was 2.9. These\u00a0numbers suggest that the site has some remnant\u00a0natural quality, but the exotics are having a\u00a0negative impact. Lastly, three species are state\u00a0listed. Carex leptonervia (Few-Nerved Wood\u00a0Sedge)[endangered]; Hydrastis canadensis\u00a0(Golden Seal) and Tripsacum dactyloides (Eastern\u00a0Gama Grass) [watch list] (Division of\u00a0Nature Preserves 2007). Tripsacum dactyloides,\u00a0which occurred in a restored prairie, was\u00a0probably introduced. A limited number of\u00a0vouchers were collected for identification of\u00a0unknown species and were deposited at the Ball\u00a0State University Herbarium (BSUH).<\/p>\n
\nWe wish to thank the Indiana State Museum\u00a0and Historic Sites, Limberlost State Historic\u00a0Site, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources,\u00a0and Ken Brunswick, Northeastern\u00a0Indiana Regional Ecologist, Indiana Department\u00a0of Natural Resources, for sponsoring the\u00a0BioBlitz held at Loblolly Marsh Wetland\u00a0Preserve. Additional sponsors include the Jay\u00a0County Soil & Water Conservation District, Jay\u00a0County REMC, Adams County Community\u00a0Foundation, Friends of the Limberlost, the\u00a0Rivers Institute at Hanover College, and the\u00a0Biodiversity and Natural Areas Committee of\u00a0the Indiana Academy of Sciences. We also\u00a0extend our sincere appreciation to the staff,\u00a0scientists, naturalists, and volunteers conducting
\nthe surveys; the list of these individuals is on the\u00a0IAS website at www.indianaacademyofscience.org.
\nLITERATURE CITED<\/strong>
\nAbbott, J.C. 2007. OdonataCentral: An online\u00a0resource for the distribution and identification of\u00a0Odonata. Texas Natural Science Center, The\u00a0University of Texas at Austin. Available at\u00a0http:\/\/www.odonatacentral.org. (Accessed: October\u00a002, 2009).<\/p>\n