Potential Effects of the Loss of Native Grasses on Grassland Invertebrate Diversity in Southeastern Australia

Table 2

Average morphospecies richness^a for each sampling area for three combinations of sampling periods, values, and listing of averages that were significantly different. (a) Combined captures of both methods^b. (b) Captures from pitfalls only. (c) Captures from sweep-netting only.

(a) Combined captures of both methods^b

Sampling periods	EP	EA	WP	WA	value and probability^c
All four periods	93.0	73.5	96.5	87.0	5.9 < 0.02
Three periods in 2007	96.0	77.7	99.3	91.3	2.7 > 0.10
Differences^d EP & WP > EA (0.01); WA > EA (0.05)
Both summer periods	86.0	61.0	95.0	75.0	22.2 < 0.015
Differences^d WP > EA (0.01); WP > WA (0.05); EP > EA (0.05)

(b) Captures from pitfalls only

Sampling periods	EP	EA	WP	WA	value and probability^c
All four periods	67.5	51.5	63.5	60.0	2.5 > 0.10
Three periods in 2007	69.7	53.0	63.3	61.7	1.3 > 0.35
Both summer periods	66.5	45.5	69.5	55.5	9.5 < 0.05
Differences^d EP & WP > EA (0.05)

(c) Captures from sweep-netting only

Sampling periods	EP	EA	WP	WA	value and probability^c
All four periods	30.5	25.3	37.0	29.3	15.9 < 0.001
Differences^d WP > EA & WA (0.01); EP & WA > EA (0.05)
Three periods in 2007	32.3	28.3	40.3	32.7	13.2 < 0.01
Differences^d WP > EP, EA & WA (0.01)
Both summer periods	21.0	17.0	27.0	21.0	2.5 > 0.20

Richness values are averages over the specified periods. Known introduced species have been excluded.
^bIf a species was captured by both methods in the same sampling area and period, it was only counted once.
values and probabilities associated with “sampling areas mean square.”
^dDetermined by LSD (least significant difference) with the probabilities shown.