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The Indiana Forest Alliance (IFA) sponsored an extended biodiversity survey (i.e., Ecoblitz) between 2014 and 2018 within the Back-Country Area of Morgan Monroe and Yellowwood State Forest in Indiana. Teams of scientists, self-trained specialists, and volunteers reported 3077 species of mammals, birds, herpetofauna, fish, aquatic macroinvertebrates, spiders, bees, wasps, butterflies, moths, singing insects, beetles, flies, true bugs, fungi, lichens, non-vascular plants, and vascular plants to date: insect analysis is ongoing. Forty of these are included as federal or state-listed species with one federally-endangered species and nine state-endangered species. The extensive lists of species also resulted in numerous state and county records. The Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) of the plant community shows that this forest has very high remnant natural value. Besides species lists, valuable ecological data were collected concerning habitat distributions (i.e., lichens, plants, herpetofauna, and spiders), reproductive success (endangered species and forest birds), and forest use by native bees. The results of this study contribute to the knowledge needed for the conservation mission of stale forest land. Lists of species are available on the IFA web site (https://indianaforestalliance.org/ecoblitz/). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Red-Tail Land Conservancy (RLC), the Indiana Academy of Science (IAS), the Robert Cooper Audubon Society, and the Oakwood Retreat Center hosted a biodiversity survey or bioblitz in eastcentral Indiana on the 10lh and 11th June 2017. The event was held on two properties owned or maintained by RLC; i.e.. White River Woods, a 47.4 ha preserved located 9 km southeast of Muncie, Indiana in Delaware County, and McVey Memorial Forest, a 100.4 ha forest located 11 km north of Farmland, Indiana in Randolph County. Over 75 scientists, naturalists, students, and other volunteers on 19 different taxonomic teams observed and reported 1086 taxa during the event. The nineteen taxonomic teams included ants, aquatic macroinvertebrates, bats, bees, beetles, birds, butterflies, odonates, fish, freshwater mussels, herpetofauna, small mammals, moths, mushrooms/fungi and slime molds, non-vascular plants (mosses), singing and non-singing insects, snail-killing flies, spiders, and vascular plants. State endangered species included the northern long-eared bat (Mvotis septentrionalis; also federally threatened), the Indiana bat {My otis socialist; also federally endangered), the cerulean warbler (Setophaga cent lea), the osprey (Pandion haliaetus), and warty spurge (Euphorbia obtuscita). In addition shell material of the federal and state endangered Northern Rifflcshell (Epioblasma torulosa remgiana), Clubshell (Pleurobema clava), and Rayed Bean (Villosa fabalis) was found but none are still known live on either property. The spider team recorded six state records: Emblyna hentzi (meshweaver), Gladicosa bellamyi (wolf spider), Pirata triens (pirate wolf spider), Schizocosa mccooki (wolf spider), Oxyopes scalaris (western lynx spider), and Xystieus fervidus (ground crab spider). In addition many Delaware County and Randolph County records were reported. This manuscript presents both a brief history of the bioblitz sites and a summary overview of the results. Detailed results are available on the IAS website. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presented here are the results of a biodiversity survey held on July 16-18, 2011 at the Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, in Greene County, southwestern Indiana. Fifteen teams (14 taxonomic teams and a biogeochemistry team) surveyed the flora and fauna of ponds, marshes, fields and forest of the ~8,000 acre site and reported 896 taxa: 862 species [20 amphibians and reptiles, 37 bees, 73 beetles, 122 birds, 48 butterflies, nine damselflies, 21 dragonflies, 39 species offish, four freshwater mussels, five fungi and allies, 27 mammals, 74 moths, four snail-killing flies, 379 vascular plants), 16 families of aquatic macroinvertebrates, and 18 genera of plankton. A total of 215 new county records and numerous state-listed species were recorded. The baseline information provided by the survey will inform future management decisions and indicates that the restoration is maturing rapidly and successfully capturing the biological diversity of this portion of southwestern Indiana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]