Termite Feeding on Aspen and Pine Stakes on a High Elevation Sagebrush-Steppe Rangeland in Southeastern Idaho

Prescribed Burning Alters Insects and Wood Decay in a Sagebrush-Steppe Rangeland in Southwestern Idaho, United States

“…Soil microorganisms are important for ecosystem function as they contribute to nutrient cycling (Gustine et al 2021) and OM decomposition (Dangi et al 2010), and termite foraging may also affect soil OM, soil nutrient cycling, and soil porosity (Elkins et al 1986; Nash and Whitford 1995; Myer and Forschler 2019) by redistributing C and OM during their excavation and tunneling activities (Kard et al 2022). In this study both microorganisms and termites contributed to wood stake mass loss (see Fig.…”

“…Overall, fall prescribed burning is an effective tool for removing sagebrush cover on rangeland sites to promote grasses and forbs (Beck et al 2009) and it can restore degraded ecosystems, including aboveground and belowground pollinator insects (Black et al 2011), termites (Kard et al 2022), and soil properties (Limb et al 2016). However, relatively few studies on rangeland sites have explored both surface and mineral soil decomposition, the contribution to wood decay by termites, and surface and flying insect populations.…”