Grasshopper food habits within a shrub-steppe community

Sheldon, Joseph K.; Rogers, L.E.

doi:10.1007/bf00344692

Cited by 25 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…During the 5-year study, grasshopper density increased and then declined. High grasshopper densities are typical for Palouse prairie (12,13). At this site, mammalian herbivores, ranging in size from Bison bison (636 kg) to Microtus pennsylvanicus (3.5 ϫ 10 Ϫ2 kg), were abundant (Ϸ2.5 g͞m 2 ), densities similar to those reported by early explorers of the Great Plains (5-9 g͞m 2 ) (14, 15).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 52%

Insect herbivory accelerates nutrient cycling and increases plant production

Belovsky

Slade

2000

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

355

315

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Ecologists hold two views about the role of herbivory in ecosystem dynamics. First, from a food web perspective in population͞community ecology, consumption by herbivores reduces plant abundance. Second, from a nutrient cycling perspective in ecosystem ecology, herbivory sometimes slows down cycling, which decreases plant abundance, but at other times speeds up cycling, which possibly increases plant abundance. The nutrient cycling perspective on herbivory has been experimentally addressed more thoroughly in aquatic systems than in terrestrial systems. We experimentally examined how grasshoppers influence nutrient cycling and, thereby, plant abundance and plant species composition over a period of 5 years. We examined how grasshoppers influence nutrient (nitrogen) cycling (i) by their excrement, (ii) by changing the abundance of and the decomposition rate of plant litter, and (iii) by both. Grasshoppers may speed up nitrogen cycling by changing the abundance and decomposition rate of plant litter, which increases total plant abundance (up to 32.9 g͞m 2 or 18%), especially, the abundance of plants that are better competitors when nitrogen is more available. However, whether grasshoppers enhance plant abundance depends on how much they consume. Consequently, ecosystems and food web perspectives are not mutually exclusive. Finally, under some conditions, grasshoppers may decrease nutrient cycling and plant abundance.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 52%

Insect herbivory accelerates nutrient cycling and increases plant production

Belovsky

Slade

2000

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

355

315

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“…3.12) (Allred 1941;Graham and others 1995;Sheldon and Rogers 1978). Sheldon and Rogers (1978), studying the food habits of eight species of grasshoppers, found that seven of the eight consumed some big sagebrush, but Melanoplus cinereus was the champion big sagebrush eater (61 percent of its diet). Sheldon and Roger (1978) Sheldon and Rogers (1978, p. 89-90) further observed:…”

Section: Crickets Grasshoppers and Katydidsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Big sagebrush: A sea fragmented into lakes, ponds, and puddles

Welch¹

2005

107

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Pioneers traveling along the Oregon Trail from western Nebraska, through Wyoming and southern Idaho and into eastern Oregon, referred to their travel as an 800 mile journey through a sea of sagebrush, mainly big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata). Today approximately 50 percent of the sagebrush sea has given way to agriculture, cities and towns, and other human developments. What remains is further fragmented by range management practices, creeping expansion of woodlands, alien weed species, and the historic view that big sagebrush is a worthless plant. Two ideas are promoted in this report: (1) big sagebrush is a nursing mother to a host of organisms that range from microscopic fungi to large mammals, and (2) many range management practices applied to big sagebrush ecosystems are not science based.

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“…The information on the type of food utilized by the ground grasshoppers could not be gathered in this study. Shelton & Rogers (1978) and Pfadt & Lavigne (1982) have reported that some grasshoppers feed on algae, fungi, detritus matter, humus and moss found on ground. Braker (1989) has reported that most of the grasshoppers, particularly the members of the superfamily Acridoidea lay eggs in soil.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%