Investigating the Effects of Prescribed Fire on Freshwater Wetland Macroinvertebrate Communities
Photo by Brynn Fricke
Project Information
PI
Coleson Wrege
Institution
University of Florida
Reisinger Lab
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Duration of Involvement
May 2024 - November 2024
Research Focus
Coleson Wrege is collecting samples from wetlands around Alachua and surrounding counties to determine the effects of prescribed burns on the emergence of aquatic insects, primarily from the family Chironomidae. In the field, we set emergence traps and collect invertebrates from these traps and from wetland cores. In the lab, we identify organisms from the cores and traps. Also in the lab, Coleson runs an emergence experiment with light and dark treatments on the chironomid midges.
Project Responsibilities
As a research technician, I am responsible for picking invertebrates from the wetland core samples under a microscope and identifying them to the order and family level using a dichotomous key. In the field, I help set and collect the emergence traps.