Conclusion

Our project showed a noticeable relationship between plant density and arthropod biodiversity. Across the different sites we studied, we observed that areas with higher plant density tended to support a greater number and variety of arthropods. This suggests that the amount of plant matter in an area plays a critical role in shaping the habitat available to insects and other invertebrates.

In addition to plant density, other environmental features such as the presence of rocks, dead logs, and ground moisture seemed to influence the types of arthropods collected, especially those caught in pitfall traps. These abiotic features often enhance habitat complexity and provide important resources for ground-dwelling species. Our use of both sweep nets and pitfall traps allowed us to capture insects across different layers of the environment, providing a more complete picture of how plant density affects arthropod communities.

Overall, our results highlight the ecological importance of dense plant coverage in supporting diverse and abundant arthropod populations. This has implications for land management, urban green space planning, and restoration projects, where increasing or maintaining plant density could help sustain local biodiversity. Future projects could expand this research by examining seasonal changes, different habitat types, or even comparing native versus non-native plant growth in relation to insect life.