Urban Ecology of Water Bears in Southwest Louisiana

Urban ecology of tardigrades in Southwest Louisiana is a research project aimed at determining the effect of commercial development on tardigrades. Tardigrades were collected from lichens, moss, tree fern, and leaf litter from 10 different sites located in rural Sam Houston Jones State Park (SHJSP) and urban areas of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Areas selected included developed and underdeveloped regions. Once collected, they were fixed for identification. Data indicated greater density in SHJSP and greater diversity in Lake Charles. Samples analyzed were 68% and 50% positive respectively for tardigrades. The most common species found was Minibiotis acadianus.