Arthropods and Fire Within the Biologically Diverse Longleaf Pine Ecosystem

Abstract

The longleaf pine Pinus palustris Miller (Pinales: Pinaceae) ecosystem once covered as many as 37 million hectares across the southeastern United States. Through fire suppression, development, and conversion to other plantation pines, this coverage has dwindled to fewer than 2 million hectares. A recent focus on the restoration of this ecosystem has revealed its complex and biologically diverse nature. Arthropods of the longleaf pine ecosystem are incredibly numerous and diverse—functionally and taxonomically. To provide clarity on what is known about the species and their functional roles in longleaf pine forests, we thoroughly searched the literature and found nearly 500 references. In the end, we tabulated 51 orders 477 families, 1,949 genera, and 3,032 arthropod species as having been stated in the scientific literature to occur in longleaf pine ecosystems. The body of research we drew from is rich and varied but far from comprehensive. Most work deals with land management objective associated taxa such as pests of pine, pests of—and food for—wildlife (red-cockaded woodpecker, northern bobwhite quail, gopher tortoise, pocket gopher, etc.), and pollinators of the diverse plant understory associated with longleaf pine. We explored the complex role frequent fire (critical in longleaf pine management) plays in determining the arthropod community in longleaf pine, including its importance to rare and threatened species. We examined known patterns of abundance and occurrence of key functional groups of longleaf pine-associated arthropods. Finally, we identified some critical gaps in knowledge and provide suggestions for future research into this incredibly diverse ecosystem.

Assessing the Reproductive Ecology of a Rare Mint, Macbridea alba, an Endangered Species Act Protected Species

“…During site visits in 2019–2020, pollinators and their visits were rarely observed (Sara Johnson and Brenda Molano-Flores, personal observations). A recent review by Sheehan and Klepzig (2022, and citations therein, [ 25 ]) highlighted the resilience of the bee communities in the longleaf pine ecosystem and the benefits of habitat management for pollinators. With 73% of plants in the longleaf pine savanna relying on insects for pollination [ 26 ], additional observations are needed to better quantify pollinator visitation rates and reproductive output within the context of habitat management for M. alba and other rare plants.…”

The Robber Flies (Diptera: Asilidae) of Longleaf Pine Habitats on Fort Stewart, Georgia

“…As emphasized by Sheehan and Klepzig (2022), the arthropods of Longleaf Pine ecosystems are a diverse and understudied group. In particular, the occurrence and natural history of asilids in these habitats is not well known.…”

“…Folkerts et al (1993) stated that robber flies are conspicuous in xeric Longleaf Pine habitats but only mentioned a single species, Machmus polyphemi Bullington and Beck . Based on a comprehensive literature review, Sheehan and Klepzip (2022) listed 6 robber fly genera ( Asilus , Efferia , Holopogon , Leptogaster , Machimus , Stichopogon ), and M . polyphemi , from Longleaf Pine habitats.…”

Plant and Arthropod Community Responses to Fire in a Glade-Forest Landscape Matrix

“…Fires affect arthropod communities, and the interactions among plants and communities of herbivorous arthropods, both directly and indirectly (Sheehan and Klepzig 2021; Fettig et al 2022). Arthropod communities respond negatively to fire initially and take a minimum of two-years from a burn date for arthropod abundances to reach pre-burn levels, but the communities still maintain higher abundance and diversity than unburned landscapes (Swengel 2001; Coleman and Rieske 2006; Elia et al 2012; Moylett et al 2020).…”