Variation in Grasshopper (Acrididae) Densities in Response to Fire Frequency and Bison Grazing in Tallgrass Prairie
By Anthony Joern. 2004
83 citations recorded by the source corpus.
Abstract While weather can contribute significantly to grasshopper population dynamics in North American grasslands, local environmental conditions resulting from land use practices may be equally important. In this study, significant differences in grasshopper density were detected among adjacent watersheds from Kansas Flint Hills tallgrass prairie that differed in fire frequency and especially bison grazing treatments. Grasshopper densities were ≈2.5 times greater in grazed watersheds compared with ungrazed ones. Grasshopper densities also varied somewhat in response to fire frequency, mostly in species-specific ways. No treatment interactions on overall grasshopper density were detected. The effects of fire frequency and bison grazing were implemented in part through their combined effect on the structural heterogeneity of vegetation, and other habitat characteristics. Individual grasshopper species responded uniquely to combinations of fire frequency and bison grazing. Grazing resulted in significant increases in density for seven of the nine most abundant species; fire frequency affected two species; and one species did not respond to either fire or grazing. Understanding effects of habitat on grasshopper densities provides opportunities to manage these populations for economic or conservation needs.
Subfields: Ecology, Global and Planetary Change, Nature and Landscape Conservation
View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/c032fd1ebf801f07985e62e748183df729512f38
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Citations in the corpus
- The Biomechanics of Chewing and Plant Fracture: Mechanisms and Implications (2007, background): “It is known that vegetation patterns affect acridid population densities (Joern, 2004) and although the reasons for this are likely to be complex, nutrition may be a partial explanation.”
- The effects of grassland management and aspect on Orthoptera diversity and abundance: site conditions are as important as management (2013, background): “The main reason for the higher suitability of pastures compared to meadows is probably due to the greater environmental heterogeneity (vegetation structure) caused by grazing (Joern 2004; Stoner and Joern 2004; Adler et al. 2001; Parsons and Dumont 2003).”
- DISTURBANCE BY FIRE FREQUENCY AND BISON GRAZING MODULATE GRASSHOPPER ASSEMBLAGES IN TALLGRASS PRAIRIE (2005, background): “Bison grazing treatments at Konza Prairie result in higher grasshopper abundance overall with positive consequences to almost all species (Joern 2004).”