Final Thoughts

The goal of the Pulse is to get a snapshot of the forest.  The resource-intensive Pulse is unnecessary, and sampling over a longer time frame can accomplish this same goal.  Since sampling all sites in one day can require large amounts of resources at one time, it makes sense to collect the same data over a longer, but still reasonable, time scale to lessen logistical issues.  However, the effect of day-to-day variations in weather on insect activity is still not fully understood.  So, measurements taken on days that experience drastically different weather may not be statistically equal.

                Furthermore, the data collected for both the Pulse and high-frequency method contains far too many zeros for significant and fully accurate statistical analysis.  One way to reduce the number of zeros is to focus solely on ACCI, as they returned the highest insect counts for both methods, and may lead to more significant data analysis.  However, this would reduce the scope of the “snapshot.”

                Developing a scale to rate the level of insect herbivory on plants could also reduce the number of zeros in data.  Furthermore, investigating another variable may also make statistical analysis more interesting, as many of the variables used in this project were unable to explain the variation in insect abundance.  Oftentimes, insects themselves are not found, but it is obvious that they are present through signs of herbivory.  So, researchers could make a note of the level of herbivory on plants, and data from this rating system could be used in further analysis of data.  This scale could also be used as a proxy for insect abundance in the future.