180 Symposium--Bugs and Dirt: Four Letter Words That Go Together (includes graduate student competition)

Oral Session
SSSA Division: Soil Mineralogy
Soils provide habitat and life resources for a wide array of invertebrates. Invertebrates interact with the soil to control, in part, the precipitation, dissolution, and distribution of soil minerals, and are a major source of soil bioturbation. This symposium focuses on how insects and other invertebrates directly and indirectly modify and control soil mineral formation and weathering, and affect other soil physical and chemical properties. Special emphasis will be given to the role that ants and bees have in soil mineral processes as well as mineralogical, entomological, and ichnological methods used to study this interaction.
Cosponsor(s):

Soil Mineralogy
Pedology
Soil Biology & Biochemistry

Tuesday, November 17, 2015: 7:55 AM-12:00 PM
Minneapolis Convention Center, M100 D

Organizers:
Randal J. Southard , Edwin Lewis , Daniel Hirmas and Isaacs Rufus
Moderators:
Randal J. Southard and Daniel Hirmas
7:55 AM
Introductory Remarks
8:00 AM
Soil Ecology and Soil Health.
Howard Ferris, University of California-Davis
9:30 AM
The Effect of Soil Disturbance and Cropping Pattern on a Specialist, Ground Nesting Bee.
Katharina Ullmann, Then Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation; Eric Lonsdorf, Franklin and Marshall College; Matthew Meisner, University of California, Davis; Matt Loiacono, Franklin and Marshall College; Neal M Williams, University of California, Davis
10:00 AM
Break
10:15 AM
Observations on Subsurface Behaviors and Mixing Patterns of Ants.
Alan F. Halfen, University of Kansas; Stephen T. Hasiotis, University of Kansas
10:45 AM
Making a Mountain out of an Anthill: Ancient Hymenopteran Influence on Calcrete Outcrop Expression, Neogene Ogallala Formation, Western Kansas, USA.
Brian F. Platt, University of Mississippi; Jon J. Smith, Kansas Geological Survey; Greg Ludvigson, Kansas Geological Survey; Joseph R. Thomasson, Fort Hays State University
11:15 AM
Plasticity of Soil-Dwelling Ant Nest Architecture and Effects on Soil Properties in Environments of Contrasting Soil Texture.
Kim Drager, University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign; Andrew Suarez, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
11:30 AM
Discussion
12:00 PM
Adjourn