TOFG-all

Soil Biology & Ecology

Unit 2.3 | Part 2 – 115

Demonstration 4: Soil Arthropods

for the instructor

OVERVIEW

This demonstration introduces

students to techniques for sampling

soil arthropods and familiarizes

them with their functional roles.

For this short demonstration, both

of these exercises provide a hands-

on, show-and-tell of soil arthropods.

You should have identification keys

available, and some familiarity with

what kinds of animals students are

likely to find.

A pitfall trap is buried so the top sits

flush with the soil surface, allowing

surface-dwelling arthropods to fall

in. Preserving liquid can be used in

the bottom of the trap to keep the

arthropods there for easy removal

and identification. A Tullgren

funnel uses light to dry out a soil

or compost sample, driving out

organisms so they can be collected

and identified.

MATERIALS

PITFALL TRAPPING

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Õ«ÃÊ­i°}°]ÊxääʜÀÊ£äääʓÊ«>Ã̈VÊ`Àˆ˜ŽÊVÕ«ÃÆʣʫiÀÊÌÀ>«ÊˆvÊ

one-time installation, or 2 per trap if you wish to repeat the

ÌÀ>««ˆ˜}®

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glycol, especially for demonstrations that will run several

`>ÞÃʜÀʓœÀiÊvÀœ“ÊÃÌ>ÀÌÊ̜Êw˜ˆÃ…°Ê9œÕʘii`Êi˜œÕ}…ÊvœÀÊ

x‡£äÊV“ʈ˜Ê̅iÊLœÌ̜“ÊœvÊi>V…ÊÌÀ>«°Ê

TULLGREN FUNNELS

Ê UÊ ՘˜iÃÊ­£ÊvœÀÊi>V…Ê/Տ}Ài˜Êv՘˜iÊÃi̇ի®†

Ê UÊ ˆ}…ÌÊÜÕÀViÊ­{Ê̜Ê{äÊÜ>ÌÌÊpÇÊÜ>ÌÌʺ

…ÀˆÃ̓>ûÊÃÌޏiÊ

ˆ}…ÌÃÊܜÀŽÊÜiÆÊi>V…Êv՘˜iÊ˜ii`ÃʈÌÃʜܘʏˆ}…ÌÊÜÕÀVi®

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Õ“ˆ˜Õ“ÊvœˆÊ­ˆvʏˆ}…ÌÊÜÕÀViÊ`œiÃʘœÌʅ>ÛiÊ>ÊÅ>`iÊvœÀÊ

vœVÕȘ}Ê̅iʅi>Ìʜ˜Ê̅iÊÃ>“«i®

Ê UÊ -VÀii˜Ê­£Ê«ˆiViÊ«iÀÊv՘˜i®‡

Ê UÊ >ÀÃÊ­£Ê«iÀÊv՘˜i®

Ê UÊ 

̅>˜œÊœÀÊ«Àœ«Þi˜iÊ}ÞVœ°Ê9œÕʘii`Êi˜œÕ}…ÊvœÀÊ£äqÓäÊ

cm in the jar below the funnel.

†Ê -Ìii«‡Ãˆ`i`Êv՘˜iÃÊ܈̅ʘœÊÃi>“ÃÊܜÀŽÊÜiÆʈ˜ÛiÀÌi`ÊÜ`>Ê

bottles work, and inverted polypropylene Erlenmeyer flasks

܈̅ÊLœÌ̜“ÃÊÀi“œÛi`Ê>ÀiÊiÝVii˜Ì°Ê1ÃiÊxääʓÊy>ÎÃÊvœÀÊ

5 xÊxÊV“Ê܈ÊVœÀiÃ]Ê>˜`ÊÓäääʓÊy>ÎÃÊvœÀÊVœ“«œÃÌʜÀÊ

litter samples.

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Ý>“«iÃÊvœÀÊÃVÀii˜Ê“>ÌiÀˆ>Ê>ÀiÊw˜iʅ>À`Ü>ÀiÊVœÌ…ÊœÀÊ

«>Ã̈Vʘii`iܜÀŽÊL>VŽˆ˜}pˆÌÊŜՏ`ÊLiÊw˜iÊi˜œÕ}…Ê̜Ê

>œÜÊÓ>ÊœÀ}>˜ˆÃ“ÃÊ̜ʫ>ÃÃÊ̅ÀœÕ}…Ê­i°}°]ʏiÃÃÊ̅>˜Ê£‡V“Ê

œ«i˜ˆ˜}î°Ê/…iÊÃVÀii˜ÊŜՏ`ÊLiÊÌÀˆ““i`Ê̜ÊwÌÊ>VÀœÃÃÊ̅iÊ

mouth of or in the middle the funnel, as its role is to hold

the sample in place in the funnel while it dries out.

FOR BOTH METHODS

Ê UÊ ˆÃÃiV̈œ˜Ê“ˆVÀœÃVœ«iÃʜÀʅ>˜`ʏi˜ÃiÃ

Ê UÊ `i˜ÌˆwV>̈œ˜Ê}Ո`i]Êi°}°]Ê

http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent525/soil/soilpix/index.html

Ê UÊ -œˆÊ
À̅Àœ«œ`Ê>Ì>Ê-…iiÌÊ­
««i˜`ˆÝÊÈ®

Instructor’s Demonstration 4 Outline