ARTHROPOD RESPONSE TO PRESCRIBED SEASONAL

BURNSASHLEY SCHAFER

Mentor: Scott Collins

Wildfire in Southwest

Suppression Property protection Livestock grazing

Wildfire increases biodiversity

Southwest semi-arid grasslands Returns nutrients to soil Opens patches of land

Fire Ecology

Utilize prescribed fire to increase replenish biodiversity

Benefits associated with season (Ford 2007) Growing season – no long-term impact on

biodiversity Dormant season – increase biodiversity

Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge seasonal burn plots

Fall

dormant pre-growth

Spring

dormant post-growth

Summer

growing

Fire Impact on Arthropods

Researchers focusing on fire impact on arthropods (mainly insects) (Swengel 2001)

Why care about invertebrate response? Arthropods important food source for

vertebrates Pollinators Pests

Insect diversity increases after fire (Swengel 2001)

Research Questions:

How does fire impact arthropod diversity and abundance?

What is the most beneficial season (dormant pre-growth, dormant post-growth, and growing) to burn in order to increase arthropod diversity?

How does the monsoon season impact arthropod diversity and abundance?

Research Site

Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge

20 plots (60 m x 40 m) 5 control 5 fall (October) 5 spring (March) 5 summer (June)

Methods: The Field

200 pitfall traps Solitary, terrestrial insects Open 96 hours every two weeks- 4 total collections

Methods: The Lab

Sort and Identify

Solitary, Terrestrial Taxa

Eleodes longicollisLanelater sp.TenebrionidaePhyllophaga sp.Arenivaga sp.Edrotes sp.CurculionidaeAraeoschizus sp.Scyphophorus sp.GerstaeckeriaPasimachus sp.HisteridaeOmurgus scutellarisAmblycheila cyclindriformes

Harpalini sp.Agryphus sp.Diplotaxis sp.Cremastocheilus sp.Melanotus sp.PhengodidaeOphrayastes sp.

Brochymena sp.

Geolycosa sp.Drassyllus sp.Gnaphosa sp.Neoanagraphis sp.Steatoda sp.Psilochorus imitatusMecaphesa sp.Haplodrassus sp.Mimetus sp.Herpyllus sp.Habronattus sp.Euryopis sp.Oxypes sp.Micaria sp.Hphonopelma sp.

Ceuthophilus sp.Psoloessa sp.Cordillacris sp.Timerotropis sp.

Cicindela leminiscata Spheridae

Vaejovis sp.Eremobates sp.

Dasymutilla spLatrodectus HesperusOrder Psuedoscorpionides

Parabacillus coloradus Scolopendra polymorphaTrombidium

BeetlesGrasshoppersSpidersScorpionsPsuedoscorpionsWind scorpionsTrue BugsVelvet AntsMitesWalking stickCentipedes

Abundance per Treatment

ANOVAP= 0.9943

Burn Treatment Abundance and Richness Comparisons

Ordination

172 Species Not all terrestrial and

solitary Flies Bees Flying Ants Termites Moths

Not all Identified Sorted and counted

based on number system

DAC Detrended

Correspondence Analysis

Ordination- Burn Treatments Connected

Ordination- Collection Dates Connected

C= ControlF= FallSP= Spring SU= Summer

1= 6/16/082= 6/30/083= 7/14/084= 7/28/08

Total Abundance

P= 0.9142

P= 0.0164

P= 0.7182

P= 0.2220

O

O O

O

C=ControlJ= June (Summer)M= March (Spring)O= October (Fall)

P from ANOVA

Beetle Abundance

P= 0.8555 P= 0.1057

P= 0.1186

O

O

O

O

C=ControlJ= June (June)M= March (Spring)O= October (Fall)

P from ANOVA

P= 0.5696

O

Total Richness

P= 0.7551

P= 0.7476

P= 0.0517

P= 0.1211

OO

O

C=ControlJ= June (Summer)M= March (Spring)O= October (Fall)

P from ANOVA

O

O

Beetle Richness

P= 0.8152

P= 0.6111

P= 0.0612

P= 0.1879

O

O

C=ControlJ= June (Summer)M= March (Spring)O= October (Fall)

P from ANOVA

Monsoon Season

Conclusions- Abundance

How do different seasonal prescribed burn treatments impact arthropod abundance? Terrestrial, solitary arthropod abundance analysis

Specified taxa not significantly impacted by different burn treatments

Total arthropod abundance analysis: Overall arthropod abundance not significantly impacted by different

burn treatments. Beetle abundance analysis:

Most common insect (beetle) abundance not impacted by different burn treatments.

Collection Date Analysis Monsoons significantly impact arthropod abundance.

Conclusions- Richness

How do different seasonal prescribed burn treatments impact arthropod richness Total arthropod richness analysis:

Overall arthropod richness not significantly impacted by different treatments

Beetle richness analysis Beetle richness not significantly impacted by

different treatments Collection date analysis:

Monsoons significantly increase species richness

Discussion

Arthropod diversity and abundance increased after monsoons

Not impacted by prescribed fire treatments Short term (within one year of burn)

prescribed fire does not impact biodiversity negatively or positively

Burn season did not matter

Discussion

Future: Continuing to monitor pitfall

traps at the burn plots through the fall semester

Extend study to future years

Acknowledgements

National Science Foundation

Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge and LTER

2008 REU Program

University of New Mexico

Fish and Wildlife Service

Jennifer Johnson

Scott Collins

Arthropod Museum at UNM

Interns + REUS:

Scott Johnson

Ashley Melendez

Christine Waters

CJ Jewell

Questions?

Bye!