Effects of lakeshore vegetation on dragonfly oviposition site-selection behavior.

The influence of plant structure on distributions of non-phytophagous animals has been rarely tested. Two field seasons of pilot data, plus other published studies, indicate that many Odonate species (dragonflies and damselflies) select aquatic oviposition sites with tall riparian plants rather than sites with shorelines cleared for development. I designed an experiment to compare effects of vegetation height, appearance, and structural complexity on Odonate habitat selection behavior, territoriality, diversity, foraging success, and predation risk as plausible mechanisms to explain site selection. On one northern Wisconsin lake, I will establish four types of shoreline structural treatments: erected sticks, artificial plants, live plants, and no structure. I will use Multiple Analysis of Covariance to compare Odonate diversity, behavior, prey abundance, and predator activity in response to each treatment (n = 20). Observations of oviposition at sites with each riparian treatment will enable me to link adult behavior to larval distribution data. This behavioral experiment to explain observed site selection by Odonates can strengthen the case for their utility as bioindicator species for the land-water ecotone. My proposed study also provides a critical link between animal behavior and habitat restoration.