Protocols

Controlled experiment manipulating predator presence by establishing artificial aphid colonies, protecting them from natural predators, then adding lygus bugs to treatment plants. Includes ant bridge ...

Standardized 2-hour baiting experiments using 5 different resource types arranged in pentagonal plots to sample ant communities and assess dominance patterns. Records ant abundance and identity at reg...

Field experiment comparing reproductive success of burying beetle species across habitat types using breeding pairs, mouse carcasses, and environmental monitoring. Measures burial success, development...

Choice feeding trials where individual grasshoppers are offered leaves from different plant treatments to measure relative herbivory rates. Herbivory is quantified by measuring leaf area consumed usin...

Experimental manipulation using physical barriers to exclude ants from aphid colonies while maintaining control colonies with ant access. Uses paired treatment design on same plants to test effects of...

Standardized metal can pitfall traps baited with chicken drumsticks, deployed along elevation gradients to monitor burying beetle abundance and species composition.

A controlled field experiment testing the effects of nitrogen addition and reduction on plant community composition over 8 years. Annual percent cover monitoring tracked responses of invasive and nati...

Field capture of wild bumblebees followed by temporary immobilization through cold-induced chill coma to enable precise measurement of tongue length and body size. Individuals are released unharmed af...

Field census method to quantify pollen receipt patterns in populations of gynodioecious plants with varying sex ratios and floral densities. Involves systematic counting of flowers by sex and measurem...

Collection of female halictid bees at nest sites using nets or vacuum devices, with individual storage and cryopreservation for chemical analysis. Includes morphological measurement and ovarian stage ...

Systematic weekly monitoring of plant phenology, insect abundance, and herbivore impacts on Osha plants along established transects. Includes detailed counts of aphids, ants, and other insects on flow...