Soil Macroinvertebrate Inventory at Congaree National Park 2022-2024 - Open Format Dataset
National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Division. 2026. Soil Macroinvertebrate Inventory at Congaree National Park 2022-2024 - Open Format Dataset. National Park Service. Fort Collins CO https://doi.org/10.57830/2317349
Soil macroinvertebrates were inventoried across bottomland, bluff, and upland habitats in Congaree National Park. From 2022 to 2024, a total of 39 sites were sampled using standardized soil pits and systematic litter searches to document the distribution and diversity of invertebrates ≥2 mm. Field collections were paired with environmental measurements, including soil and litter temperatures, moisture, and organic content. All specimens were photographed, preserved, and identified using COI DNA barcoding, resulting in a 70% success rate for taxonomic assignment. In total, 766 individuals were collected, with litter samples yielding both higher abundance and significantly greater Shannon diversity than soil samples. Bottomland habitats supported the highest overall diversity across the park. The inventory documented multiple invasive species—including several Amynthas earthworms, Solenopsis invicta, and Brachyponera chinensis—highlighting ongoing risks to soil function and native biodiversity. Eight Photuris firefly larvae were identified from litter and opportunistic sites, providing rare baseline data on larval distributions within the park. This study establishes a foundational dataset for monitoring belowground biodiversity, detecting environmental change, and informing future management actions related to invasive species, habitat integrity, and conservation of sensitive taxa.
- Type
- Data Package
- Authors
- National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Division
- Date of Issue
- 2026-07-16
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- DOI
- 10.57830/2317349
- Units
- CONG
- Keywords
- CONG, Congaree National Park, Fireflies, IMD, National Park Service, NPS, NPS Inventory and Assessment Program, NPS Inventory and Monitoring Division, Open-format, Species Inventory
- License
- Public Domain