Leaf litter invertebrates and soil organisms are among the most important components of a forest ecosystem. They play a major role in processes such as decomposition, nutrient cycling, and maintenance of soil fertility. Despite their importance, many of these animals represent the least well-known taxa in the world, even here in the eastern United States. Improved knowledge of these organisms and their ecological roles is critical to biodiversity conservation and management, particularly the restoration of forest ecosystems.
During the summer of 1997, the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, in collaboration with the Museum's Invertebrate Division and the Central Park Conservancy, initiated a survey of the leaf litter invertebrates of Central Park's woodlands. The goals of the project included:
Elizabeth Johnson and Kefyn Catley wrote the content and designed the leaf litter website. Ruth Lowell was the web programmer. This website provides an overview of preliminary results from the invertebrate survey. We are continuing to analyze data, so please check back for future updates to the site.
Acknowledgements
We thank the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation for providing support for this project, and David Grimaldi, Tam Nguyen, Jessica Zimmer, Alison Shapiro, and Achille Raselimanana for help with specimen collecting.
We also thank the following for providing taxonomic determinations:
© 2006, American Museum of Natural History