Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Richardson, William
• Stringham, Tamzen K.
• Nuss, Andrew B.
• Morra, Brian
• Snyder, Keirith A.

Titel

Shifts in sage-grouse arthropod food sources across grazing and environmental gradients in upland meadow communities

Ist Teil von

• Journal of environmental management, 2023-12, Vol.348, p.119261-119261, Article 119261

Ort / Verlag

Elsevier Ltd

Erscheinungsjahr

2023

Quelle

Alma/SFX Local Collection

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Groundwater dependent systems are extremely important habitats for a wide variety of taxa in the Great Basin of North America. The impacts of grazing on these habitats cause shifts in resources and subsequent change in species composition. The Greater sage-grouse, a keystone species of Great Basin ecosystems, rear offspring in these areas during spring and summer months using forbs and arthropods. To examine the impact of grazing on arthropod abundance in these ecosystems, seven meadows, each made up of three unique vegetative communities, were grazed at three intensities across two years (2019–2020) and monitored for environmental variables and abundance of arthropods during peak sage-grouse utilization periods. Additionally, the relationship of field measurements and near-surface digital cameras (phenocams) was examined to better understand how remote sensing technologies can be used to monitor these insect abundance shifts on larger scales. Arthropod taxa abundance responded differently to grazing management and environmental variables. Coleoptera abundance during peak sage-grouse usage periods increased roughly 50% in some meadows with increased grazing intensity. For year-to-year environmental variability in precipitation, Lepidoptera abundance was 114% higher in the drier year, while Coleoptera was 39% lower. Near-surface cameras had varied success with predicting peak insect abundance levels. Lepidoptera and Coleoptera capture rates had strong correlations with phenological indices derived from phenocams, while Formicidae had much weaker relationships. •Coleoptera abundance in high-elevation meadows increased with increased grazing.•Lepidoptera abundance was greater in the drier year, while Coleoptera was smaller.•Near-surface cameras had varied success with predicting peak insect abundance levels.