Understanding the effects of patch‐burn grazing management on aboveground grassland invertebrate biodiversity.
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| Title: | Understanding the effects of patch‐burn grazing management on aboveground grassland invertebrate biodiversity. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Bunch, Zachary L. T.1 (AUTHOR) zachbunch2002@gmail.com, Avolio, Meghan L.2 (AUTHOR), Koerner, Sally E.1 (AUTHOR), Wilcox, Kevin R.1 (AUTHOR), Zeglin, Lydia H.3 (AUTHOR), Komatsu, Kimberly J.1 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Oikos. Jul2026, Vol. 2026 Issue 7, p1-12. 12p. |
| Subjects: | Ecological heterogeneity, Insect communities, Grassland conservation, Ecological impact, Grasslands, Biodiversity |
| Abstract: | Landscape heterogeneity is widely recognized as a driver of biodiversity, yet its consequences for above‐ground, foliage‐dwelling insect communities under active grassland management remain underexplored. Patch‐burn grazing (PBG), which rotates fire across patches within a grazed landscape, is designed to promote spatial and temporal heterogeneity by creating a shifting mosaic of successional stages. In contrast, annual burning and grazing (ABG) imposes uniform disturbance. We tested how these contrasting strategies shape aboveground invertebrate communities across three years (2021–2023) in tallgrass prairie at the Konza Prairie Biological Station in Manhattan, Kansas. Using vacuum sampling, we quantified family‐level richness, evenness, abundance and functional composition of above‐ground, foliage‐associated insects; this method targets smaller, vegetation‐dwelling taxa. Contrary to expectations, PBG did not consistently enhance local (alpha) or beta‐diversity. Insect richness was higher in ABG in one year, while evenness was greater in PBG in another. Total abundances and functional group distributions were broadly similar, with only limited treatment differences. However, PBG significantly altered invertebrate community composition in two of three years, suggesting that heterogeneity influenced community structuring, even when richness was unchanged. Family composition differed between ABG and PBG in two of three years, driven primarily by higher and more variable Cicadellidae in PBG, with additional contributions from Acrididae, Formicidae, Curculionidae and Caliscelidae. Herbivory rates did not differ between treatments. Our findings reveal that using PBG to manage spatial heterogeneity leads to complex responses in insect communities, but may lead to distinct community compositions across the landscape. This decoupling of richness from composition highlights the importance of considering multiple biodiversity metrics when evaluating ecological outcomes. By fostering compositional variability without inflating herbivore pressure, PBG has potential as a heterogeneity‐based strategy for managing grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Oikos is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: egs DbLabel: Engineering Source An: 195039045 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Understanding the effects of patch‐burn grazing management on aboveground grassland invertebrate biodiversity. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bunch%2C+Zachary+L%2E+T%2E%22">Bunch, Zachary L. T.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> zachbunch2002@gmail.com</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Avolio%2C+Meghan+L%2E%22">Avolio, Meghan L.</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Koerner%2C+Sally+E%2E%22">Koerner, Sally E.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wilcox%2C+Kevin+R%2E%22">Wilcox, Kevin R.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zeglin%2C+Lydia+H%2E%22">Zeglin, Lydia H.</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Komatsu%2C+Kimberly+J%2E%22">Komatsu, Kimberly J.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Oikos%22">Oikos</searchLink>. Jul2026, Vol. 2026 Issue 7, p1-12. 12p. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ecological+heterogeneity%22">Ecological heterogeneity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Insect+communities%22">Insect communities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grassland+conservation%22">Grassland conservation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ecological+impact%22">Ecological impact</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grasslands%22">Grasslands</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Biodiversity%22">Biodiversity</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Landscape heterogeneity is widely recognized as a driver of biodiversity, yet its consequences for above‐ground, foliage‐dwelling insect communities under active grassland management remain underexplored. Patch‐burn grazing (PBG), which rotates fire across patches within a grazed landscape, is designed to promote spatial and temporal heterogeneity by creating a shifting mosaic of successional stages. In contrast, annual burning and grazing (ABG) imposes uniform disturbance. We tested how these contrasting strategies shape aboveground invertebrate communities across three years (2021–2023) in tallgrass prairie at the Konza Prairie Biological Station in Manhattan, Kansas. Using vacuum sampling, we quantified family‐level richness, evenness, abundance and functional composition of above‐ground, foliage‐associated insects; this method targets smaller, vegetation‐dwelling taxa. Contrary to expectations, PBG did not consistently enhance local (alpha) or beta‐diversity. Insect richness was higher in ABG in one year, while evenness was greater in PBG in another. Total abundances and functional group distributions were broadly similar, with only limited treatment differences. However, PBG significantly altered invertebrate community composition in two of three years, suggesting that heterogeneity influenced community structuring, even when richness was unchanged. Family composition differed between ABG and PBG in two of three years, driven primarily by higher and more variable Cicadellidae in PBG, with additional contributions from Acrididae, Formicidae, Curculionidae and Caliscelidae. Herbivory rates did not differ between treatments. Our findings reveal that using PBG to manage spatial heterogeneity leads to complex responses in insect communities, but may lead to distinct community compositions across the landscape. This decoupling of richness from composition highlights the importance of considering multiple biodiversity metrics when evaluating ecological outcomes. By fostering compositional variability without inflating herbivore pressure, PBG has potential as a heterogeneity‐based strategy for managing grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Oikos is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1002/oik.11935 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 12 StartPage: 1 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Ecological heterogeneity Type: general – SubjectFull: Insect communities Type: general – SubjectFull: Grassland conservation Type: general – SubjectFull: Ecological impact Type: general – SubjectFull: Grasslands Type: general – SubjectFull: Biodiversity Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Understanding the effects of patch‐burn grazing management on aboveground grassland invertebrate biodiversity. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Bunch, Zachary L. T. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Avolio, Meghan L. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Koerner, Sally E. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Wilcox, Kevin R. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Zeglin, Lydia H. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Komatsu, Kimberly J. IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 07 Text: Jul2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 00301299 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 2026 – Type: issue Value: 7 Titles: – TitleFull: Oikos Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
