Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods)
Volume 25 No. 1, Spring 2006
Project
Update: Symposia and Workshops organized by the Biological Survey of
Canada
Hugh Danks
Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods), Canadian Museum of
Nature,
P.O. Box 3443, Station D, Ottawa, ON K1 6P4
hdanks@mus-nature.ca
The BSC organizes workshops or symposia from time to time in
support of particular scientific initiatives. Many lead to subsequent
publications about the fauna. For example, two BSC symposia took place at
the recent meeting in Alberta of the entomological societies [see meeting
account on page 2].
Spatial and temporal changes in
the Canadian insect fauna
A symposium with this title, organized by J.A. Downes on behalf of the
Scientific Committee, took place at the Entomological Society of Canada
meetings held in Ottawa in 1978. The papers were assembled for a single
issue of the Canadian Entomologist and published in 1981. They sampled a
wide range of processes that had contributed to the function of the
present-day insect fauna of Canada.
Symposium. 1978. Temporal and spatial changes in the
Canadian insect fauna. Entomological Society of Canada Joint Annual
Meeting, Ottawa, ON.
Downes, J.A. (ed.) 1981. Temporal and spatial changes in
the Canadian insect fauna. Can. Ent. 112 (11): 1089-1238. [1980]
Arthropod fauna of Canadian
grasslands
Given the key interest and relevance of the fauna of the centre of the
continent (including the origin and setting of the faunas of present day
agricultural lands), the Survey initiated a project for the
"Prairies" in 1979, and interest was generated by a special
interest group organized by J.R. Spence and G. Pritchard at the 1981
entomological societies’ meeting. The project, supported especially by an
intermittent newsletter but with continuing field activities, underwent a
long period of development while many cooperators were engaged in other
projects, notably on the insects of the Yukon. More recently, focussed
activities include an informal conference (2000) and a symposium (2002),
both organized by T.A. Wheeler, which serve to underpin the preparation of a
book on grassland habitats currently in preparation.
Interest Group Meeting. 1981. Arthropods of the Prairies.
Entomological Society of Canada Joint Annual Meeting, Banff, AB.
Workshop. 1995. Grasslands sampling procedures (with the
SAGE project). Ottawa, ON.
Contributions in A.T. Finnamore (ed.) 1996. The SAGE
project. A workshop report on terrrestrial arthropod sampling protocols for
graminoid ecosystems. http://www.cciw.ca/eman-temp/reports/publications/sage/intro.html
Informal conference. 2000. Arthropods of grasslands:
Current status and future directions. Annual Meeting of the Entomological
Societies of Canada, America and Quebec, Montreal, QC
Symposium. 2002. Arthropods of Canadian grasslands:
ecology and interactions in grassland habitats. Entomological Society of
Canada Joint Annual Meeting, Winnipeg, MB.
Wheeler, T.A. et al. (eds.) in prep. Arthropods of
Canadian grasslands: ecology and interactions in grassland habitats.
Origins of the North American
insect fauna
Continuing the themes addressed in the earlier symposium, J.A. Downes
organized a symposium at the entomological societies’ meeting held in
Toronto in 1982. These papers, many of them substantially expanded from
their original form, were collected into a memoir that was published in
1988. They document a complex history and diverse origins for the North
American insect fauna.
Symposium. 1982. Origins of the North American insect
fauna. Entomological Societies of Canada, Ontario and America Joint Annual
Meeting, Toronto, ON.
Downes, J.A., and D.H. Kavanaugh (eds.) 1988. Origins of
the North American insect fauna. Mem. ent. Soc. Can. 144. 168 pp.
Arthropod fauna of Canadian
soils
Publication in 1982 of a Survey brief that emphasized the ecological roles
of the arthropod fauna of the soil and the current state of knowledge of
Canadian soil arthropods, with other activities, helped to stimulate an
international conference held in 1984. The conference, organized by J.R.
Spence, established contact between pedologists and soil zoologists, and led
to plans for further relevant research. The conference proceedings were
published in 1986. The importance of soil arthropods was also emphasized in
a paper by V.M. Behan-Pelletier at the 1991 BSC symposium on systematics
(see below), published in 1993.
Conference. 1984. International conference on faunal
influences on soil structure. University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB.
Behan-Pelletier, V.M. 1993. Diversity of soil arthropods
in Canada: systematic and ecological problems. pp. 11-50 in Ball, G.E., and
H.V. Danks (eds.), Systematics and Entomology: diversity, distribution,
adaptation and application. Mem. ent. Soc. Can. 165.
Aquatic insects of freshwater
wetlands in Canada
To help focus a project on the relatively little known arthropod fauna of
the extensive and ecologically important habitat of peatlands, a conference
on the aquatic insects of bogs, fens and marshes, organized by D.M.
Rosenberg and H.V. Danks, was held at the St. Andrews ESC meeting in 1984,
and the proceedings published in 1987. Initiatives continued in a project
that included the terrestrial fauna of peatlands (see below).
Symposium. 1984. Aquatic insects of peatlands and marshes
in Canada. Entomological Society of Canada Joint Annual Meeting, St.
Andrews, NB.
Rosenberg, D.M., and H.V. Danks (eds.). 1987. Aquatic
insects of peatlands and marshes in Canada. Mem. ent. Soc. Can. 140. 174 pp.
Arthropod fauna of freshwater
springs in Canada
Following a number of activites and publications to point out the special
value and interest of spring habitats, a symposium organized by D.D.
Williams and H.V. Danks was held at the 1989 entomological societies’
meeting to focus the available information for arthropods. The proceedings
of that symposium were published with some additional papers in 1991.
Symposium. 1989. Arthropods of spring habitats.
Entomological Society of Canada Joint Annual Meeting. St. John’s, NL.
Williams, D.D., and H.V. Danks (eds.). 1991. Arthropods
of springs, with particular reference to Canada. Mem. ent. Soc. Can. 155.
217 pp.
Systematics and entomology
The Survey’s ongoing interests in the roles and value of systematics
included a workshop convened by the Survey with the Biosystematics Research
Centre and the Entomological Society of Canada in 1989, and a symposium,
organized by G.E. Ball and H.V. Danks, held at the Entomological Societies
meeting in 1990. The proceedings of the symposium were published in 1993.
Workshop. 1989. Workshop on systematics (joint workshop
with the Biosystematics Research Centre, Agriculture Canada, and the
Entomological Society of Canada), Ottawa, ON.
Symposium. 1990. Systematics and entomology: diversity,
distribution, adaptation and application. Entomological Society of Canada
Joint Annual Meeting, Banff, AB.
Ball, G.E. and H.V. Danks (eds). 1993. Systematics and
entomology: diversity, distribution, adaptation and application. Mem. ent.
Soc. Can. 165. 272 pp.
Insects of the arctic
A long-standing project on insects of the arctic, which help to define the
Canadian fauna and its adaptations, has produced a major book and other
attempts to increase work and profile for arctic invertebrate biology,
including a workshop led by R.A. Ring and H.V. Danks in 1990. More recently,
an active project on insects of the northern mainland included a 2003
symposium on the Canadian arctic, organized by D.J. Giberson and D.C.
Currie, which treated especially results from recent expeditions to the
Horton River, the Northwest Territories and the Thelon River.
Workshop. 1990. BSC Workshop on Arctic Invertebrate
Biology. Entomological Society of Canada Joint Annual Meeting, Banff, AB.
Symposium. 2004. Insects of the Canadian Arctic Central
Barrens. Entomological Society of Canada Joint Annual Meeting,
Charlottetown, PE.
Arthropods of peatlands
Following a project on the aquatic insects, and recognizing the extent and
importance of peatlands, their distinctive fauna and a lack of knowledge,
several specialists agreed to contribute toward a symposium. This symposium
on peatland arthropods organized by S.A. Marshall, with a variety of
contributors, took place in 1991, and the proceedings were published in
1994.
Symposium. 1991. Terrestrial arthropods of peatlands.
Entomological Society of Canada Joint Annual Meeting, Montreal, QC.
Finnamore, A.T. and S.A. Marshall (eds). 1994.
Terrestrial arthropods of peatlands, with particular reference to Canada.
Mem. ent. Soc. Can. 169. 289 pp.
Invasions and reductions
Early on the Survey recognized the importance of the topic of introduced
insects, and an extensive workshop (with 11 presentations), organized by
S.A. Marshall, took place in 1993. Although no focussed project emerged
from these examinations, a specific project on lady beetles was
established in 2002. The Survey also recognized the need for wider
consideration of invasions and reductions in the fauna, including a
symposium that would aim at some scientific synthesis. Such a symposium is
being organized by D.W. Langor for 2006.
Workshop. 1993. Invasions and reductions in the
Canadian insect fauna. Entomological Society of Canada Joint Annual
Meeting, Sault Ste Marie, ON.
Symposium. 2006. [Invasive species.] Planned for
November in Montreal.
Arthropods of Canadian forests
The Survey has been interested for many years in developing a project on
boreal arthropods, and has published synthetic information in this area.
More recently a newslettter was established and other initiatives
undertaken, including a 2005 symposium on the maintenance of forest
bidiversity, organized by D.W. Langor and J.R. Spence. Papers from that
symposium are being prepared for publication.
Symposium. 2005. Maintaining arthropods in northern
forest ecosystems. Entomological Society of Canada Joint Annual Meeting,
Canmore, AB.
Langor and Spence (eds). in prep. Maintaining arthropods
in northern forest ecosystems.
Arthropods and fire
Given the great importance of fire in the boreal forest, in grasslands, and
in other Canadian habitats, the Survey held a symposium, organized by R.E.
Roughley, at the entomological societies’ meeting in 2005. The possibility
of publishing some of these papers, supplemented by other synthetic material
about the effects of fire on arthropods, are being investigated.
Symposium. 2005. Arthropods and fire. Entomological
Society of Canada Joint Annual Meeting, Canmore, AB.
Other workshops
The BSC has also been involved in organizing workshops on other topics in
conjunction with or on behalf of other organizations. These include a
workshop on beetle identification, organized chiefly by R.S. Anderson, and a
workshop for EMAN (Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network) on
biodiversity procedures, organized by the Survey Secretariat and others.
Workshop. 1995. Adult beetle identification workshop
(joint workshop with the Canadian Museum of Nature, Agriculture Canada, and
the Canacoll Foundation), Ottawa, ON.
Workshop. 1999. Procedures for monitoring biodiversity
(with the Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network, Environment Canada),
Ottawa, ON.