D3309: The effects of urbanization on tardigrade diversity

Tardigrades are cosmopolitan panarthropods that can withstand extreme conditions, but little is known about their ecological preferences. This study explored how urbanization in the Southern Appalachian Mountains effects the population density and diversity of tardigrades. Lichen was collected from the forest floor and canopy at 18 plots along an urbanization gradient. Tardigrades were then extracted from the lichen. As species level identifications require genetic analysis, tardigrade diversity was determined to the genus level. The factors of urbanization included artificial light at night, human population density and airborne pollution. Landscape characteristics, relative humidity, temperature, and canopy density were also collected at each plot as general ecological data. Unlike previous studies, tardigrades were pulled from a single substrate and comprehensive microclimate and microhabitat data were collected. As human development continues to expand, it is increasingly important to understand how organisms are responding to that change in ecosystem. If disturbances in an ecosystem can be more clearly understood at the level of resilient micro-fauna, then the scientific community may get a head start in preparing to protect larger, more sensitive organisms.