Resource Type
An insect survey of the Suncor dike showed that these animals were abundant. Representatives of 50 insect families were collected in sweep net samples, and additional families were observed to be present. Grasshoppers belonging to at least five different species were collected, as were herbivorous cicadellid and cercopid bugs, chloropid flies, and other herbivorous insects. The biomass ratio of carnivorous arthropods/potential prey insects (95% herbivores) in sweep samples was 0.11, indicating a heavy balance of herbivorous insects. Insect attacks were considered to be tolerable on most deciduous trees, but were more severe on conifer trees. Water stress appeared to be the greatest tree mortality factor.