| Consequences of prescribed fire and grazing on grassland ant communities. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 19389280 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Prescribed fire and livestock grazing are used for the management and restoration of native grasslands the world over; however, the effects of these management techniques on ant communities are unclear. We examined the response of ants to these disturbances in grasslands in northern California. Twenty-four 30 by 30 m plots were established across two sites that received one of four treatments: grazing, fire, grazing and fire, or no treatment. Ants were censused using 240 pitfall traps with one preburn and two postburn samples (14 d and 1 yr after burning). We analyzed ant abundance using broadly defined groups based on feeding habit and/or habitat use and detected no grazing effect but a significant fire effect that differed by group. Immediate postfire sampling showed an increase in cryptic species (particularly Brachymyrmex depilis). One year after the fire, no response was detected for cryptic species, but burned plots had greater abundance of seed harvesters. Analysis of vegetation showed burned plots had significantly greater forb cover, which might have provided greater food resources, and also lower biomass, which might have facilitated foraging. Understanding the effects of these management tools on ant abundance complements our understanding of their effect on vegetation and assists conservation practitioners effectively manage grassland ecosystems both in California and beyond. |
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Authors:
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Emma C Underwood; Caroline E Christian |
Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Environmental entomology Volume: 38 ISSN: 0046-225X ISO Abbreviation: Environ. Entomol. Publication Date: 2009 Apr |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2009-04-24 Completed Date: 2009-07-02 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 7502320 Medline TA: Environ Entomol Country: United States |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 325-32 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. eunderwoodrussell@ucdavis.edu |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Animals Ants / physiology* Behavior, Animal* Biodiversity California Conservation of Natural Resources / methods* Feeding Behavior Fires* Poaceae* Population Density Population Dynamics |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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