Evidence that it was cooler in the late glacial period than it is today is being uncovered from the river Trent by researchers studying caddis flies by using a colour image capture system
Syncroscopy reports that its AcQuis colour image capture system is helping researchers to speed up the accurate identification of environmental markers such as caddis fly species.
Researchers at the geography department of the University of Loughborough use AcQuis in conjunction with a stereo microscope and colour video camera (JVC KY-F55BE supplied by Syncroscopy) to capture accurate images of caddis fly fragments taken from old river channels of the River Trent.
The images are then compared to an insect reference collection to identify the species.
Malcolm Greenwood, lecturer in physical geography at the University of Loughborough, explained: "Caddis flies are a useful ecological marker because different species are only found at particular temperatures and in water with certain flow rates.
By building up a picture of the species in rivers, over time we can get an indication of what effect humans have on both the climate and hence, flow rate of rivers.
This can be used to produce predictive models of what will happen to rivers in the future." Greenwood continued: "Using AcQuis has helped us identify a species of caddis fly known as Micrasema setiferum which is not currently found in the UK but lives in the cooler climate of central Europe and Fennoscandia.
The parts of this insect were collected from a river channel that has been carbon dated as being from the late glacial period and provides indirect evidence that the climate in and around the River Trent has become warmer." Bob Town, Syncroscopy's general sales manager, commented: "We are delighted to see Syncroscopy's systems being used in such a valuable research programme.
As the Geography Department at the University of Loughborough is finding AcQuis so effective in helping to correctly identify caddis fly species, this indicates it could be applied to any entomological study where obtaining the best full-colour images of slide-mounted insect fragments is crucial.
