TY - JOUR T1 - Annual fire and mowing alter biomass, depth distribution, and C and N content of roots and soil in tallgrass prairie JF - Plant and Soil Y1 - 2009 A1 - Kitchen, D.J. A1 - John M. Blair A1 - Callaham, M.A. KW - fire KW - grassland KW - Mowing KW - Root biomass depth distribution KW - Soil C and N KW - tallgrass prairie AB -

Management practices, such as fire and mowing, can affect the distribution and quality of roots and soil C and N in grasslands. We examined long-term (13 years) effects of annual fire and mowing on fine (<2 mm) roots and soil C and N content in a native tallgrass prairie at Konza Prairie Biological Station in northeastern Kansas, USA. Using 90 cm deep soil cores, we determined that fire and mowing independently and interactively influenced the quantity and depth distribution of fine root biomass, root C and N concentration, and soil C and N content. Annual burning increased total fine root biomass by 48% and total C storage in roots by 47% compared to unburned unmowed plots, and resulted in a deeper distribution of roots. There was a significant interaction of fire and mowing, whereby mowing reduced root biomass and root C storage by ~30% in annually burned plots, but did not affect total root biomass in unburned plots. Mowing also resulted in shallower distribution of roots regardless of fire treatment. Root N concentration was reduced by 15–25% in plots that were burned, mowed, or both. Mowing effects on soil C and N were restricted to surface soils (0–10 cm), where mowing reduced soil C concentrations by ~20% and N concentrations by 17% regardless of burning treatment. In contrast, burning alone did not significantly influence soil C and N concentrations. In general, root biomass, root C and N mass, and soil C and N concentrations declined with depth, and most responses to burning and mowing exhibited significant interactions with depth. Different long-term fire and mowing regimes can significantly alter belowground root biomass and C and N dynamics in grasslands, and in particular at depths in the profile that are not typically sampled.

VL - 323 UR - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11104-009-9931-2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Integrating soil ecological knowledge into restoration management JF - Restoration Ecology Y1 - 2008 A1 - Heneghan, L. A1 - Miller, S. A1 - S.G. Baer A1 - Callaham, M.A. A1 - Montgomery, J. A1 - Rhoades, C.C. A1 - Richardson, S. A1 - Pauvo-Zuckerman, M. KW - ecosystem processes KW - feedbacks KW - Soil ecology AB -

The variability in the type of ecosystem degradation and the specificity of restoration goals can challenge restorationists’ ability to generalize about approaches that lead to restoration success. The discipline of soil ecology, which emphasizes both soil organisms and ecosystem processes, has generated a body of knowledge that can be generally useful in improving the outcomes of restoration despite this variability. Here, we propose that the usefulness of this soil ecological knowledge (SEK) for restoration is best considered in the context of the severity of the original perturbation, the goals of the project, and the resilience of the ecosystem to disturbance. A straightforward manipulation of single physical, chemical, or biological components of the soil system can be useful in the restoration of a site, especially when the restoration goal is loosely defined in terms of the species and processes that management seeks to achieve. These single-factor manipulations may in fact produce cascading effects on several ecosystem attributes and can result in unintended recovery trajectories. When complex outcomes are desired, intentional and holistic integration of all aspects of the soil knowledge is necessary. We provide a short roster of examples to illustrate that SEK benefits management and restoration of ecosystems and suggest areas for future research.

VL - 16 UR - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1526-100X.2008.00477.x ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Annual fire, mowing and fertilization effects on two cicadas (Homoptera:Cicadidae) in tallgrass prairie JF - American Midland Naturalist Y1 - 2002 A1 - Callaham, M.A. A1 - M.R. Whiles A1 - John M. Blair KW - tallgrass prairie AB - In tallgrass prairie, cicadas emerge annually, are abundant and their emergence can be an important flux of energy and nutrients. However, factors influencing the distribution and abundance of these cicadas are virtually unknown. We examined cicada emergence in plots from a long-term (13 y) experimental manipulation involving common tallgrass prairie management practices. The plots were arranged in a factorial experimental design, incorporating annual burning, mowing and fertilization (10 g N m−2 and 1 g P m−2). One cicada species, Cicadetta calliope, responded positively to fire, but negatively to mowing, and was most abundant in plots that were burned, unmowed and fertilized. Increased density of C. calliope in this treatment combination is related, in part, to increased availability of oviposition sites aboveground. Furthermore, C. calliope females from fertilized plots were significantly larger in body size relative to females from unfertilized prairie. Another cicada species, Tibicen aurifera, emerged only from unburned plots. The mechanism underlying this negative response to fire is unclear, but may be related to the presence of standing dead vegetation or improved quality (i.e., N content) of belowground plant tissue in unburned plots. In contrast to C. calliope, the density of T. aurifera was not affected by mowing or fertilization. However, like C. calliope, the body size of T. aurifera females was significantly greater in fertilized plots. Cicada emergence resulted in N flux ranging from 0.05–0.16 g N m−2 in unburned plots, but N flux (as cicada biomass) from annually burned plots was negligible. VL - 148 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Emergence of periodical cicadas (Magicicada cassini ) from a Kansas riparian forest: densities, biomass and nitrogen flux JF - American Midland Naturalist Y1 - 2001 A1 - M.R. Whiles A1 - Callaham, M.A. A1 - Meyer, C.K. A1 - B. Brock A1 - Charlton, R.E. AB - The 1998 emergence of 17-y periodical cicadas (Magicicada cassini) on Konza Prairie Research Natural Area (KPRNA), Kansas, was quantified using emergence trap transects and counts of emergence holes. Emergence density, biomass (emergence production) and associated nitrogen flux were estimated for the entire 100 ha gallery forest of Kings Creek, the major drainage network on KPRNA. Emergence commenced on 22 May 1998 and lasted for 24 d, with 87% of the individuals emerging within the first 9 d. Males dominated early during the emergence, and the sex ratio for the entire population was estimated at 54:46 male:female. Average emergence abundance and biomass estimated from trap transects located in low areas where cicadas were most abundant were 152/m2 and 34.9 g ash-free dry mass (AFDM)/m2, respectively. Based on emergence hole counts, average density and biomass for the 59 ha of gallery forest where cicadas emerged were 27.2 individuals/m2 and 6.3 g AFDM/m2, and emergence hole densities >100/m2 were evident in low areas of the drainage. Emergence density generally decreased with increasing elevation in the catchment. Belowground to aboveground N flux associated with M. cassini emergence in high density areas was ∼3 g N/m2, and the average for the entire emergence area was 0.63 g N/m2. The total number of individuals that emerged from the Kings Creek riparian forest was estimated at 19.6 million, which represents 4.6 metric tons AFDM and ∼0.5 metric tons N. This linear, fragmented, gallery forest of the Flint Hills supports a high density of M. cassini, and an emergence event constitutes a significant belowground to aboveground flux of energy and nutrients. Thus, the periodical cicada may be an exception to the notion that insects generally do not represent important resource pools at the ecosystem level. VL - 145 ER - TY - THES T1 - Ecology of belowground invertebrates in tallgrass prairie Y1 - 2000 A1 - Callaham, M.A. KW - tallgrass prairie PB - Kansas State University CY - Manhattan, KS VL - PhD Dissertation ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Responses of grassland soil invertebrates to natural and anthropogenic disturbances T2 - Invertebrates as Webmasters in Ecosystems Y1 - 2000 A1 - John M. Blair A1 - Todd, T.C. A1 - Callaham, M.A. ED - Coleman, D.C. ED - Hendrix, P.F. AB - his chapter aims to (1) summarize the major factors influencing invertebrate abundance and distribution in tallgrass prairie soils, focusing on the responses of selected soil invertebrate groups to natural disturbances (such as fire, grazing and drought); (2) identify potential linkages between changes in soil communities and the effects of disturbances on key plant and soil characteristics or processes; and (3) to discuss potential effects of novel anthropogenic perturbations (altered amounts of precipitation, elevated CO2 and increased N inputs) on soil communities and processes. It focuses on North American tallgrass prairies and draws upon studies undertaken at the Konza Prairie Long-Term Ecological Research site, with results from other grasslands where appropriate. JF - Invertebrates as Webmasters in Ecosystems PB - CAB International Press CY - New York, NY ER -