Freshman Seminar

Fall 2006

Evaluating Water Quality:
What do Aquatic Insects Tell Us?

Instructor:Leonard C. Ferrington Jr.

2 Credits

Wednesday

3:30-5:20 PM

Hodson Hall, Room 480

Description:

Aquatic insects are often the most diverse group of organisms in freshwater ecosystems. Changes in water quality can have a direct influence on the types and abundances of aquatic insects in particular bodies of water. In this seminar we will discuss how we define an aquatic insect, learn about the different groups and life stages of aquatic insects and discuss their ecological requirements. A series of guest lectures will be presented by advanced graduate students whose thesis research focuses on pollution effects on aquatic insects. You will learn how their research questions were developed and what new and interesting results they are finding. In addition, you will have time to discuss potential opportunities for independent study related to these research projects. During other seminar periods we will discuss the effects that organic enrichment, heavy metals and acidification have on aquatic insect community structure and you will be introduced to new web-based software that we are developing to assist persons involved in Volunteer Stream Monitoring Programs in verifying identifications of stream insects. This seminar is appropriate for students interested in Environmental Science, Entomology, Water Quality, Aquatic Ecology or Conservation. It also will be of interest to those that have participated in Citizens Monitoring Programs or want to learn more about biological diversity.

Three sentence biography of faculty member teaching the seminar:

Leonard Ferrington is a Professor in the Department of Entomology with research interests dealing with biological monitoring and water quality assessments. His research is intended to develop models that relate the kinds and abundances of aquatic insects to specific environmental pollutants such as increased organic enrichment, presence of toxic heavy metals and/or acidification. The seminar will focus on results of his research projects have been based in the states of Minnesota, Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming and Pennsylvania, as well as in other countries such as Norway, Argentina, New Zealand, Tasmania, South Africa and, most recently, Mongolia.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT LAB WEB PAGE AT:

http://www.entomology.umn.edu/midge/biodiversity_projects.htm