Butterfly richness and abundance increase in restored ponderosa pine ecosystem (Arizona)
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Published source details
Waltz A.E.M. & Covington W.W. (1999) Butterfly richness and abundance increase in restored ponderosa pine ecosystem (Arizona). Ecological Restoration, 17, 244-246.
Published source details Waltz A.E.M. & Covington W.W. (1999) Butterfly richness and abundance increase in restored ponderosa pine ecosystem (Arizona). Ecological Restoration, 17, 244-246.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Thin trees within forests Action Link |
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Use prescribed fire to maintain or restore disturbance in forests Action Link |
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Thin trees within forests
A site comparison study in 1998 in two pine forests in Arizona, USA (Waltz & Covington 1999) found that a forest restored by thinning young trees and prescribed burning had a higher abundance and species richness of butterflies than an unrestored forest. Two years after thinning and burning, the restored forest had a higher abundance (6–46 individuals/visit) and species richness (3–11 species/visit) of butterflies than the unrestored forest (abundance: 0–7 individuals/visit; richness: 0–4 species/visit). One species, the checkered white Pieris protodice, was only found in the restored forest, but another, the California sister Limenitis bredowii, was only found in the unrestored forest. In 1996, a 40-acre ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa forest was thinned (pole-sized trees removed) and burned to reopen the dense understorey. An adjacent forest was not restored. From May–July 1998, butterflies were surveyed six times (every two weeks) along a single 450-m transect in each forest.
(Summarised by: Andrew Bladon)
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Use prescribed fire to maintain or restore disturbance in forests
A site comparison study in 1998 in two pine forests in Arizona, USA (Waltz & Covington 1999) found that a forest restored by prescribed burning and thinning young trees had a higher abundance and species richness of butterflies than an unrestored forest. Two years after burning and thinning, the restored forest had a higher abundance (6–46 individuals/visit) and species richness (3–11 species/visit) of butterflies than the unrestored forest (abundance: 0–7 individuals/visit; richness: 0–4 species/visit). One species, the checkered white Pieris protodice, was only found in the restored forest, but another, the California sister Limenitis bredowii, was only found in the unrestored forest. In 1996, a 40-acre ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa forest was burned and thinned (pole-sized trees removed) to reopen the dense understorey. An adjacent forest was not restored. From May–July 1998, butterflies were surveyed six times (every two weeks) along a single 450-m transect in each forest.
(Summarised by: Andrew Bladon)
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