Fire Frequency and Mosaic Burning Effects on a Tallgrass Prairie Ground Beetle Assemblage

Cook, William M.; Holt, Robert D.

doi:10.1007/s10531-004-8227-3

Cited by 41 publications

(32 citation statements)

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“…Intact habitat patches within the boundaries of large fires may provide essential resources to facilitate species survival until the surrounding landscape can be successfully recolonized (Stuart-Smith et al 2002, Bradstock et al 2005, Cook and Holt 2006, Castro et al 2010. The importance of refuges in facilitating survival will vary between species and is dependent on whether refuges provide critical resources that are absent from the surrounding landscape (Robinson et al 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying the location of fire refuges in wet forest ecosystems

Berry

Driscoll

Stein

et al. 2015

Ecological Applications

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The increasing frequency of large, high-severity fires threatens the survival of old-growth specialist fauna in fire-prone forests. Within topographically diverse montane forests, areas which experience less severe or fewer fires compared with those prevailing in the landscape may present unique resource opportunities enabling old-growth specialist fauna to survive. Statistical landscape models which identify the extent and distribution of potential fire refuges may assist land managers to incorporate these areas into relevant biodiversity conservation strategies. We used a case study in an Australian wet montane forest to establish how predictive fire simulation models can be interpreted as management tools to identify potential fire refuges. We examined the relationship between the probability of fire refuge occurrence as predicted by an existing fire refuge model and fire severity experienced during a large wildfire. We also examined the extent to which local fire severity was influenced by fire severity in the surrounding landscape. We used a combination of statistical approaches including generalised linear modelling, variogram analysis and receiver operating characteristics and area under the curve analysis (ROC AUC). We found that the amount of unburnt habitat and the factors influencing the retention and location of fire refuges varied with fire conditions. Under extreme fire conditions, the distribution of fire refuges was limited to only extremely sheltered, fire-resistant regions of the landscape. During extreme fire conditions, fire severity patterns were largely determined by stochastic factors that could not be predicted by the model. When fire conditions were moderate, physical landscape properties appeared to mediate fire severity distribution. Our study demonstrates that land managers can employ predictive landscape fire models to identify the broader climatic and spatial domain within which fire refuges are likely to be present. It is essential that within these envelopes, forest is protected from logging, roads and other developments so that the ecological processes related to the establishment and subsequent use of fire refuges are maintained. Abstract. The increasing frequency of large, high-severity fires threatens the survival of old-growth specialist fauna in fire-prone forests. Within topographically diverse montane forests, areas that experience less severe or fewer fires compared with those prevailing in the landscape may present unique resource opportunities enabling old-growth specialist fauna to survive. Statistical landscape models that identify the extent and distribution of potential fire refuges may assist land managers to incorporate these areas into relevant biodiversity conservation strategies. Disciplines Medicine and Health Sciences | Social and Behavioral SciencesEcological Applications, 25(8), 2015, pp. 2337-2348 Ó 2015 by the Ecological Society ofWe used a case study in an Australian wet montane forest to establish how predictive fire simulation models can be in...

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying the location of fire refuges in wet forest ecosystems

Berry

Driscoll

Stein

et al. 2015

Ecological Applications

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“…However, recent decades have seen an ongoing controversy concerning the effects of disturbance on grassland insects (Swengel 1996, Panzer and Schwartz 2000, Cook and Holt 2006, including ants (Hymenptera: Formicidae) (Underwood and Christian 2009). Ants play essential roles in nutrient cycling, soil aeration, and seed dispersal in grasslands (McClaran and Van Devender 1995).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of grassland management practices on ant functional groups in central North America

et al. 2013

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Tallgrass prairies of central North America have experienced disturbances including fire and grazing for millennia. Little is known about the effects of these disturbances on prairie ants, even though ants are thought to play major roles in ecosystem maintenance. We implemented three management treatments on remnant and restored grassland tracts in the central U.S., and compared the effects of treatment on abundance of ant functional groups. Management treatments were: (1) patch-burn graze-rotational burning of three spatially distinct patches within a fenced tract, and growing-season cattle grazing; (2) graze-and-burn-burning entire tract every 3 years, and growing-season cattle grazing, and (3) burn-only-burning entire tract every 3 years, but no cattle grazing. Ant species were classified into one of four functional groups. Opportunist ants and the dominant ant species, Formica montana, were more abundant in burn-only tracts than tracts managed with either of the grazing treatments. Generalists were more abundant in graze-and-burn tracts than in burn-only tracts. Abundance of F. montana was negatively associated with pre-treatment time since fire, whereas generalist ant abundance was positively associated. F. montanawere more abundant in restored tracts than remnants, whereas the opposite was true for subdominants and opportunists. In summary, abundance of the dominant F. montana increased in response to intense disturbances that were followed by quick recovery of plant biomass. Generalist ant abundance decreased in response to those disturbances, which we attribute to the effects of competitive dominance of F. montana upon the generalists. Abstract. Tallgrass prairies of central North America have experienced disturbances including fire and grazing for millennia. Little is known about the effects of these disturbances on prairie ants, even though ants are thought to play major roles in ecosystem maintenance. We implemented three management treatments on remnant and restored grassland tracts in the central U.S, and compared the effects of treatment on abundance of ant functional groups. Management treatments were: 1) patch-burn grazerotational burning of three spatially distinct patches within a fenced tract, and growing-season cattle grazing; 2) graze-and-burn -burning entire tract every 3 yrs, and growing-season cattle grazing, and 3) burn-only -burning entire tract every 3 yrs, but no cattle grazing. Ant species were classified into one of four functional groups. Opportunist ants and the dominant ant species, Formica montana, were moreThe final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10841-013-9554-z.2 abundant in burn-only tracts than tracts managed with either of the grazing treatments. Generalists were more abundant in graze-and-burn tracts than in burn-only tracts. Abundance of F. montana was negatively associated with pre-treatment time since fire, whereas generalist ant abundance was positively associated. Formica montana were more abundant in restored tracts than ...

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“…Carabidae is a group that has been frequently focused on in studies about habitat changes after disturbances (Hanula & Wade 2003, Magura et al 2003, Ulyshen et al 2006. Cook & Holt (2006) stated that fire might not have dramatic effects on ground beetles on prairies. They were represented in greater numbers in recently burned areas through colonization by opportunistic species (Fernández Fernández & Salgado Costas 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term changes in surface-active beetle communities in a post-fire successional gradient in Pinus brutia forests

Kaynaş¹

2017

iForest

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Fire is one of the most important ecological factors for many ecosystem types. Since prehistoric times, synergistic effects of fires and humans have led to changes in Eastern Mediterranean ecosystems. The effects of fire on different trophic levels, particularly regarding plants, have been examined intensively in fire-induced ecosystems. In this study, we aimed to study long-term changes in beetle community structure after fire in Pinus brutia Ten. forests. Five sites burned in different years and a control site unburned for at least 50 years were selected. Beetle sampling was conducted using four pit-fall traps in each of four transects in three replication plots at every successional site and in two plots at the control site. Microhabitat variables related to vegetation structure and litter layer were recorded and associated with abundances of beetles and feeding groups. The results showed that total, wood-eating, and predator beetles showed a decreasing trend of abundance along the successional gradient after fire. In contrast to these groups, herbivores tended to increase towards the late successional stages. Middle and late successional stages were important in terms of species richness, species diversity and evenness of beetle communities and feeding groups. The characteristics of vegetation and litter layer changed with successional gradient, playing a decisive role in the structure of beetle communities at successional sites. According to the data presented here, a mosaic structure consisting of different successional stages is very important to sustain high species diversity in beetle communities.

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Fire Frequency and Mosaic Burning Effects on a Tallgrass Prairie Ground Beetle Assemblage

Cited by 41 publications

References 42 publications

Identifying the location of fire refuges in wet forest ecosystems

Identifying the location of fire refuges in wet forest ecosystems

Effects of grassland management practices on ant functional groups in central North America

Long-term changes in surface-active beetle communities in a post-fire successional gradient in Pinus brutia forests

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