Lepidoptera are a conspicuous, diverse group of forest insects that are responsive to land management and perturbation. Nocturnal Lepidoptera and other insects were surveyed using blacklight traps during June and July of 1997 at Robinson Forest, a large experimental forest located in the Appalachians of eastern Kentucky. Though the capture of Lepidoptera and other common insect orders varied little between sampling locations, a seasonal trend was detected; fewer Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, and total insects in general were captured in June versus July. Lepidoptera ≥20 mm in wingspan were further identified and enumerated. A total of 664 Lepidoptera of ≥100 species and 13 families were tabulated. Species turnover, particularly for the most abundant species, was commonplace between June and July. The food habits of abundant species were varied, suggesting the assemblage of Lepidoptera at Robinson Forest is not only taxonomically rich, but is functionally rich as well.

Understanding species distributions is important for determining whether conservation efforts are necessary. In central Kentucky, an area of potential range overlap occurs between northern leopard frogs (Lithobates pipiens), which is a species of special concern, and southern leopard frogs (L. sphenocephalus). Their distributions are not completely delineated because of their low abundance in central Kentucky and similarity in morphology. Thus, use of genetic markers is necessary for identification. We surveyed for new, and sampled known, populations with a focus on the area of overlap in central Kentucky. We sequenced a portion of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene for 55 individuals from 16 populations. Maximum parsimony analysis separated individuals into two completely unresolved lineages representing the two species. Species were distributed as predicted, and no areas of fine-scale overlap were detected, although we did find a population of southern leopard frogs 10 km north-northwest of a northern leopard frog population. It was difficult to find L. pipiens at historically recorded populations, but we documented them in two counties where identification was previously unknown because morphology was intermediate between the species. Although genetic data reliably distinguished the species, they were inconclusive about whether hybridization occurs; future work is necessary to address this question.

The grassland area of freeway rights-of-way in Kentucky was estimated to determine its potential to produce switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) for bioenergy feedstock. Kentucky's freeways include 9.2×10³ ha of mowed grassland within their rights-of-way. This area could produce approximately 64×10³ t/yr of switchgrass, sufficient to make 21×10⁶ L of cellulosic ethanol, or generate 64 GWh of electricity annually. Switchgrass grown on freeway rights-of-way could offset about 0.5% of fossil fuel currently used on Kentucky freeways if converted to ethanol, or 0.8% if converted to electricity for vehicle propulsion. Future changes in vehicle efficiency and traffic volume will have much greater impact on the volume of fossil fuel used on Kentucky freeways than conversion of freeway-grown switchgrass to alternative fuel. Kentucky's state government's projection of a 42% increase in traffic volume by 2025 contrasts with this study's projection of 28% decline derived from extrapolation of linear trends observed since 1983. If such a decline is realized in combination with federally mandated vehicle efficiency improvements then freeway-grown switchgrass used for electric vehicle propulsion could offset up to 2% of freeway fossil fuel use in Kentucky by 2025. The contrast between the implications of these estimates reflects considerable uncertainty, but emphasize the importance of conservation in conjunction with alternative fuel production.

Although Kentucky has an active Lepidoptera community, there are still several regions of the state with very sparsely documented butterfly faunas. While conducting surveys and obtaining personal collection materials for Lepidoptera throughout Kentucky, we documented new county distribution records for 16 butterfly species between Bath, Martin, and Rowan Counties in eastern Kentucky. In addition, we documented the second recorded multiple occurrence of Parrhasius m-album in Kentucky and a new earliest sighting date for Anthocharis midea in Kentucky.

Zooplankton collection methods can differ substantially in the information produced; therefore, determining the best method or methods for a particular ecosystem is essential in understanding limnological processes. We compared results of two sampling methods, Wisconsin net vertical tows and Schindler-Patalas traps, that have been used in a long-term monitoring program in a large, shallow reservoir, Kentucky Lake, USA. Although there were differences in net mesh size and volume of water sampled, statistically similar cladoceran and copepod communities were captured by both methods. Population densities and the number of taxa collected did differ between methods, with many smaller rotifer taxa being found only in the vertical tows, but there were higher densities of larger taxa in the traps. Annual patterns were similar for most larger taxa, except that Wisconsin net tows revealed an autumn density peak for Bosmina longirostris not well-detected in the trap samples. Given the biases of each method, the Schindler-Patalas trap appears to be more efficient overall in long-term monitoring studies, particularly in shallow systems where multiple samples are taken frequently at a number of sites.