D3146: Characteristics of farm ponds that promote dragonfly reproduction for biological control

Wetlands include a variety of habitats and provide many ecosystem services. Many natural wetlands are lost to agriculture, urbanization, and drainage/filling programs; farm ponds may act as a way to restore the lost services. While environmentally valuable, ponds on agricultural land are not usually installed or kept to support biodiversity but rather to provide social and economic benefits such as irrigation, stormwater management, and recreation. These ponds may offer additional services such as providing habitat for biological control agents, bridging the environmental and economic services. This study will focus on the order Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies). These insects are predatory as aquatic nymphs and terrestrial adults. After emergence, the adults will forage and in an agricultural setting this results in dragonflies acting as biological control agents. Factors including landscape conditions, water quality and function can influence an odonate’s reproductive success in farm ponds. To determine the influence of these factors we will sample 15 ponds located on agricultural land in Maryland. Water quality sampling will be recorded each month. Vegetation surveys will be done once a month through the summer to account for seasonal or managed variation. Macroinvertebrate samples will be done once a month to look at overall community structure and determine dragonfly composition. By analyzing each of these factors in an agricultural setting our goal is to determine characteristics that best support dragonflies of value for biological control.