Aquatic Beetle Inventory

Tiny little puddles and wet places in the Smokies can harbor an amazing diversity of creatures, including a variety of aquatic beetles. As a part of the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI), we are assisting with an inventory of aquatic beetles in the park. The protocols involve finding puddles and pools of water and using nets to collect any beetles observed. Beetles found can be sorted to family and then passed along to experts for further identification. Students are involved in watching for the right habitats, marking the location with a GPS unit, and finding and collecting the beetles.

Results from 2004-2005

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