ARTHROPOD RESPONSE TO PRESCRIBED SEASONAL BURNS ASHLEY 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 longicollis Lanelater sp. Tenebrionidae Phyllophaga sp. Arenivaga sp. Edrotes sp. Curculionidae Araeoschizus sp. Scyphophorus sp. Gerstaeckeria Pasimachus sp. Histeridae Omurgus scutellaris Amblycheila cyclindriformes Harpalini sp. Agryphus sp. Diplotaxis sp. Cremastocheilus sp. Melanotus sp. Phengodidae Ophrayastes sp. Brochymena sp. Geolycosa sp. Drassyllus sp. Gnaphosa sp. Neoanagraphis sp. Steatoda sp. Psilochorus imitatus Mecaphesa 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 sp Latrodectus Hesperus Order Psuedoscorpionides Parabacillus coloradus Scolopendra polymorpha Trombidium Beetles Grasshoppers Spiders Scorpions Psuedoscorpions Wind scorpions True Bugs Velvet Ants Mites Walking stick Centipedes

Abundance per Treatment ANOVA P=

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= Control F= Fall SP= Spring SU= Summer 1= 6/16/08 2= 6/30/08 3= 7/14/08 4= 7/28/08

Total Abundance P= P= P= P= O OO O C=Control J= June (Summer) M= March (Spring) O= October (Fall) P from ANOVA

Beetle Abundance P= P= P= O O O O C=Control J= June (June) M= March (Spring) O= October (Fall) P from ANOVA P=

O Total Richness P= P= P= P= O O O C=Control J= June (Summer) M= March (Spring) O= October (Fall) P from ANOVA

O O Beetle Richness P= P= P= P= O O C=Control J= 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!