scholarly journals Fire frequency, state change and hysteresis in tallgrass prairie

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott L. Collins ◽  
Jesse B. Nippert ◽  
John M. Blair ◽  
John M. Briggs ◽  
Pamela Blackmore ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tallgrass Prairie ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
State Change ◽  
Frequency State

The influence of fire on Spartina pectinata wetland communities in a northeastern Kansas tallgrass prairie

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen R. Johnson ◽  
Alan K. Knapp
Keyword(s):  
Tallgrass Prairie ◽  
Light Availability ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Plant Species Composition ◽  
Prairie Wetlands ◽  
Asclepias Syriaca ◽  
Spartina Pectinata ◽  
Galium Aparine ◽  
Reduced Light ◽  
Diverse Plant

Wetlands dominated by the C4 grass Spartina pectinata were investigated to quantify differences in plant species composition and diversity in response to fire frequency. The study site was a tallgrass prairie in northeastern Kansas that included Spartina wetlands subjected to spring fires at 1-, 2-, 4-, 10-, and 20-year intervals. Because C3 forbs in these wetlands responded strongly to different fire frequencies, the light environment and gas exchange responses of the ubiquitous forb Asclepias syriaca were also assessed. In general, species diversity was lower in annually burned wetlands because of lower forb diversity. Maximum H′ in annually burned sites was 1.64 versus 2.77 in 10- and 20-year burned sites. However, individual forb responses varied. Asclepias increased and Solidago canadensis and Galium aparine decreased in importance with increasing fire frequency. Canopy sunlight interception was greater in annually burned wetlands than in wetlands with lower burn frequencies. Despite reduced light availability, midseason photosynthetic rates of Asclepias were higher in annually burned sites. The results suggest that frequent fire in tallgrass prairie wetlands results in less diverse plant communities, similar to responses of upland prairie, and that the timing of fire, relative to life history and phenology of the subordinate species, strongly influences responses of individual forbs. Key words: wetlands, tallgrass prairie, Spartina pectinata communities, fire.

Grasshopper (Insecta: Orthoptera: Acrididae) assemblages of tallgrass prairie: influences of fire frequency, topography, and vegetation

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (7) ◽  
pp. 1495-1501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward W. Evans
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Tallgrass Prairie ◽  
Detrended Correspondence Analysis ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Local Species Richness ◽  
Principal Axes ◽  
Local Plant ◽  
Local Species

Grasshopper assemblages were sampled by sweep net in native tallgrass prairie at Konza Prairie, Kansas, in 1982 – 1986 to assess the influences of fire, topography, and vegetation on local species composition. Species composition at 38 sites was analysed by ordination (detrended correspondence analysis). Frequency of fire and topographic location were reflected along the first two principal axes, respectively. Grass-feeding grasshoppers were more numerous than forb- and mixed-feeding grasshoppers throughout the prairie, but forb and mixed feeders became relatively more frequent as fire frequency decreased. Local species richness of grasshoppers was greater on sites burned infrequently than on sites burned annually or biennially, and on upland than on lowland sites. Local species richness was positively correlated with local plant species richness and diversity, reflecting in part that local relative abundance of forb-feeding grasshoppers was positively correlated with local relative abundance of forbs. Collectively these results are consistent in suggesting that through their effects on local plant communities, fire frequency and topography are major factors influencing the composition of local grasshopper assemblages in tallgrass prairie.

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