DOI: 10.5061/dryad.7h44j1061
title: Plant and insect assemblages in mixedwood Boreal forest at the Zama silvicultural experiment site in northwestern Alberta, Canada

description: Data files are presented of plant and lichen survey data, pitfall trap
 catches of carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae), light trap catches of
 moths, and hand net catches of moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera) from a
 mature mixedwood Boreal forest in northwestern Alberta, Canada. Plant and
 lichen data are in an EXCEL file of species coverages in 32 10Ha
 compartments, at eight 5m x 5m plots per compartment, surveyed in 1997 and
 1998. Carabid data are in an EXCEL file of counts of males and females of
 each species, from six pitfall traps in each of 16 compartments. The
 pitfall traps were run continuously for 3.5 months in 1997, 1998, 1999,
 and 2002, and samples were removed from the traps for tabulation every two
 to three weeks. Lepidoptera data are in an EXCEL file listing catches from
 light traps run for one night, approximately every 7-21 days, in 16
 compartments, for 3.5 months in 1997, 1998, and 1999, augmented by
 incidental net catches of day-flying species.  A total of 7 tree
 species, 18 shrub species, 7 grasses, 41 forbs, 49 mosses, 19 lichen
 species, 26 carabid species, and 453 Lepidoptera species are reported.
description: In 1996, a silvicultural experiment was launched in northwestern
 Alberta, Canada, to test whether thinning of White Spruce (<em>Picea
 glauca</em> (Moensch) Voss) trees would improve the remaining trees’
 resistance to Spruce Budworm (<em>Choristoneura
 fumiferana</em> (Clemens)) outbreaks (Volney et al. 1999). The
 experiment was intended to run for 70 years, to assess the long-term
 effects of the thinning treatments on tree health, but due to budget
 constraints, it was terminated after a few years, and in 2012, the entire
 study area was burned by a wildfire. Here we present associated
 biodiversity datasets from the pre-treatment year (1997) and early
 post-treatment years (1998-2002). The location of the
 study is northeast of Zama City in extreme northwestern AB, at 59.44°N
 118.31°W, in mature mixedwood forest in the Lower Boreal Highlands natural
 subregion. Approximately 85% of the stems were White Spruce, with an
 average age of approximately 133 years at the time of first sampling. The
 experiment was set up with 32 plots of approximately 10ha each, comprising
 four randomly assigned replicates of seven silvicultural treatments and a
 control, for a total of 32 plots (Figure 1; Table 1).
 Figure 1. Zama experiment plot layout in northern Alberta
 (59.44°N 118.31°W). Figure 1 file: Zama expt plot
 layout.jpg Table 1. Compartment treatment
 assignments. 
   TREATMENT 
 Arthropod and vegetation sampled plots 
 Additional vegetation sampled plots
 A. 50% removal via
 clearcuts 7, 15
 11, 31 
 B. 25% removal via strip cutting
 22, 27 
 4, 14 
 C. 50% removal via strip cutting 
 8, 29 9, 16
 D. 25% removal via
 feathered-edge cutting 1,
 32 10, 19 
 E. 50% removal via
 feathered-edge cutting 12,
 30 3, 20 
 F. 100% removal via
 clearcut 6, 17
 25, 28 
 G. control 
 5, 18 24, 26
 H. 25% removal via
 clearcuts 2, 23
 13, 21 
 The forest thinning treatments were
 applied to the experiment via selective harvesting in the winter of
 1997-1998. In 1999, the cleared areas were prepared for planting by
 mounding topsoil into rows 1-2m high to expose mineral soil and create
 optimal conifer seedling growing conditions. A
 biodiversity component of the project included a vegetation (plants and
 lichens) survey at all 32 plots, as well as sampling of moths and
 butterflies (Lepidoptera) and ground-dwelling beetles (Coleoptera:
 Carabidae) at 16 plots (two randomly selected plots of each treatment).
 Here we present the baseline (pre-treatment) and early post-treatment
 vegetation and non-target arthropod datasets. For the
 vegetation survey, overstory trees were defined as plants with stems
 &gt; 5 cm diameter at breast height (dbh); smaller woody plants were
 defined as tall shrubs (&gt; 150 cm in height) or low shrubs (&lt;
 150 cm in height). To survey plants and lichens, eight permanent 2 x 50m
 tree assessment plots were established in each of the 32 compartments.
 Midway along the length of each tree assessment plot, a 5 x 5 m understory
 vegetation plot was established to determine the height and species of
 tall shrubs. A "low stature" vegetation 1 x 1 m subplot was
 nested within a corner of each understory plot to estimate cover of low
 shrubs, forbs, mosses, and lichens. Plant names follow the nomenclature of
 Moss (1983). Vegetation cover was assessed in 1997 and 1998.
 Moths were sampled via 12V battery-operated ultraviolet light
 traps, one in each plot, deployed regularly (approximately every 7 days in
 1997; every 14-21 days in 1998 and 1999) from May to September each year.
 Additionally, day-flying moths and butterflies were opportunistically
 collected by net to augment the Lepidoptera species list.
 Moths and butterflies were sorted and identified by CFS
 personnel. Identifications were made via taxonomic publications summarized
 in Pohl et al. (2018), and comparison to the research collection in the
 Northern Forestry Centre (CFS) insect collection. Lepidoptera names follow
 the nomenclature of Pohl & Nanz (editors) (2023). Vouchers are
 deposited at the CFS Edmonton insect collection. In
 1998 and 1999, only larger moths were identified. As well, larger
 intervals between trapping nights resulted in incomplete sampling in those
 years, so the resulting post-treatment datasets are not directly
 comparable to the pre-treatment 1997 data. Carabid
 beetles were sampled via pitfall traps, sunk with the rims at ground level
 to catch active insects (Spence and Niemelä 1994). Six traps were
 deployed, approximately 35m apart, in each compartment from 1997-1999; 12
 traps were deployed in each compartment in 2002. Traps were operated
 continuously from May to September, with samples removed every two to
 three weeks for sorting and identification. The resulting catches were
 sorted by CFS personnel. Identifications were made by CFS personnel and
 contractors, using Lindroth (1961-69). Carabid names follow the
 nomenclature of Bousquet et al. (2013). Vouchers are deposited at the
 Northern Forestry Centre (CFS) insect collection. The
 post-treatment pitfall trap samples in 1998 and 1999 were compromised by
 some misplaced traps. Additionally, the 1999 and 2002 samples were placed
 on a complex mosaic of ridges and furrows resulting from post-harvest soil
 treatments, rendering comparison to the 1997 data problematic.
description: # Plant and insect assemblages in mixedwood Boreal forest at the Zama
 silvicultural experiment site in northwestern Alberta, Canada Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.7h44j1061](10.5061/dryad.7h44j1061) ## Description of the
 data and file structure Vegetation, Carabid beetles, and Lepidoptera
 (moths and butterflies) were collected as an inventory of baseline
 conditions in northern Boreal forest plots in Alberta, Canada. ### Files
 and variables #### File: Zama\_lepidoptera\_DRYAD\_2025.xlsx
 **Description:** Lepidoptera light trap catches and hand net catches in
 sample plots.  ##### Variables * "P-Nos." are Pohl & Nanz
 (2023) species numbers. * "Species names" follow the
 nomenclature of Pohl & Nanz (2023). #### File:
 Zama\_vegetation\_DRYAD\_2025.xlsx **Description:** Plant and lichen
 coverage in sample plots. ##### Variables * "sppcov" is percent
 coverage * "acronym" is species abbreviation, defined in sheet
 "veg spp key" within the file. #### File:
 Zama\_carabidae\_DRYAD\_2025.xls **Description:** Carabid beetle pitfall
 trap catches in sample plots.  ##### Variables * "abbreviation"
 is the species name abbreviation, defined in the sheet "species
 list" within the file. * "compartment" is the plot number *
 "trap" is the trap number within the compartment * "M"
 and "F" refer to males and females of each species. *
 "SEXPOOL" is the pooled counts of males and females of each
 species. #### File: Zama\_report\_DRYAD\_2025.docx
 **Description:** Details of the experimental design, including trapping
 protocols and references cited. #### File: Zama\_expt\_plot\_layout.jpg
 **Description:** Map of plot layout. ## Code/software Microsoft EXCEL