TY - JOUR T1 - Periodical cicada emergence resource pulse tracks forest expansion in a tallgrass prairie landscape JF - Ecosphere Y1 - 2019 A1 - M.R. Whiles A1 - Snyder, Bruce A. A1 - B. Brock A1 - S. Bonjour A1 - Callaham, Mac A. A1 - Meyer, Clinton K. A1 - Bell, Alex AB -

Understanding factors that influence resource pulses is an important aspect of ecosystem ecology. We quantified below‐ to aboveground energy and nutrient fluxes during the 2015 periodical cicada emergence from forest habitats in a tallgrass prairie matrix and compared results to our prior studies of the 1998 emergence in the same watershed. We estimated 35.2 million cicadas emerged across 159 ha in 2015, almost 2× more than the 19.6 million across 98 ha in 1998. The 2015 emergence resulted in below‐ to aboveground fluxes of 9.4 metric tons of ash‐free dry mass and 1.12 metric tons of N, both ~2× greater than 1998. This corresponds to 59 kg C/ha and 7 kg N/ha in and adjacent to forested areas in 2015. Increased emergence in 2015 was a result of spatial expansion of cicadas, not higher densities. Periodical cicadas are expanding with forest habitats in this region. Cicadas expand into and oviposit in ~40% of available forest habitat during each emergence. Accordingly, we predict the 2032 emergence will span ~245 ha. Our study demonstrates how human alterations to a landscape, in this case forest expansion linked to fire suppression and reduced grazing, can alter the magnitude and extent of a resource pulse.

VL - 10 UR - https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecs2.2779 IS - 7 ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Applications of advanced technologies in studying and managing grassland landscape integrity T2 - Integrating Landscape Ecology into Natural Resource Management Y1 - 2002 A1 - Hoch, G. A1 - B. Brock A1 - J. M. Briggs ED - Liu, J. ED - Taylor, W.W. KW - grassland KW - landscape JF - Integrating Landscape Ecology into Natural Resource Management PB - Cambridge University Press CY - Cambridge, U.K. ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Expansion of woody plants in tallgrass prairie: a 15 year study of fire and fire-grazing interactions JF - The American Midland Naturalist Y1 - 2002 A1 - J. M. Briggs A1 - Alan K. Knapp A1 - B. Brock KW - tallgrass prairie KW - woody plant AB - Temporal changes in the abundance of trees and a common shrub, Cornus drummondii, were quantified for 15 y (1981–1996) in seven tallgrass prairie watersheds in Northeast Kansas. Woody plant responses to different fire frequencies and grazing were assessed with a data set that included >9000 individuals. Although 15 tree species were included in this data set, only four (Juniperus virginiana, Celtis occidentalis, Gleditsia triacanthos and Ulmus americana) were sufficiently abundant for detailed analysis. Over the 15 y study tree density increased by two- to 10-fold, except in watersheds burned annually where woody plants remained almost completely absent throughout the study. Although increased woody plant abundance was expected in watersheds protected from fire, tree and shrub density also increased substantially in watersheds burned only once in 4 y. An intermediate fire frequency (burned every 3–5 y) actually increased the abundance of C. drummondii relative to a low fire frequency (burned only once in 15 y). Moreover, a severe wildfire in 1991, which affected all watersheds, did not markedly reverse this pattern of increase in abundance in most tree species. Four years after the addition of native herbivores (Bos bison) to three of the long-term experimental watersheds (infrequently and annually burned) woody plant abundance increased by four- and 40-fold, respectively, compared to corresponding ungrazed watersheds. Thus, the presence of large ungulate grazers in tallgrass prairie resulted in a significant increase in woody plant abundance. The most parsimonious explanation for this phenomenon is that fire intensity and extent was reduced in grazed grasslands allowing greater success of woody species. VL - 147 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 - CHAP T1 - Fire in Eastern Ecosystems T2 - Wildland Fire in Ecosystems: Effects of Fire on Flora. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-42-vol2 Y1 - 2001 A1 - Wade, D. A1 - B. Brock A1 - Brose, P. A1 - Grace, J. A1 - Hoch, G. A1 - Patterson, W. ED - Wade, D. ED - J. Brown KW - fire JF - Wildland Fire in Ecosystems: Effects of Fire on Flora. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-42-vol2 PB - USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station CY - Ogden, UT ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Feeding ecology and emergence production of annual cicadas (Homoptera: Cicadidae) in tallgrass prairie JF - Oecologia Y1 - 2000 A1 - Callaham, M.A. Jr. A1 - M.R. Whiles A1 - Meyer, C.K. A1 - B. Brock A1 - Charlton, R.E. KW - grassland KW - Insect emergence KW - Nutrient flux KW - resource partitioning KW - Stable isotopes AB - The emergence phenology and feeding ecology of annual cicadas in tallgrass prairie are poorly documented. However, these large insects are abundant, and their annual emergence represents a potentially important flux of energy and nutrients from belowground to aboveground. We conducted a study at Konza Prairie Research Natural Area in eastern Kansas to characterize and quantify cicada emergence and associated energy and nutrient fluxes. We established emergence trap transects in three habitat types (upland prairie, lowland prairie, and riparian forest), and collected cicadas every 3 days from May to September. A subset of trapped cicadas was used for species- and sex-specific mass, nutrient, and stable isotope analyses. Five species were trapped during the study, of which three were dominant. Cicadetta calliope and Tibicen aurifera exhibited significantly higher emergence production in upland prairie than in lowland prairie, and were not captured in forested sites at all. T. dorsata emerged from all three habitat types, and though not significant, showed a trend of greater abundance in lowland grasslands. Two less abundant species, T. pruinosa and T. lyricen, emerged exclusively from forested habitats. Nitrogen fluxes associated with total cicada emergence were estimated to be ∼4 kg N ha–1 year–1 in both grassland habitats, and 1.01 kg N ha–1 year–1 in forested sites. Results of stable isotope analyses showed clear patterns of resource partitioning among dominant cicada species emerging from grassland sites. T. aurifera and C. calliope had δ13C and δ15N signatures indicative of feeding on shallowly rooted C4 plants such as the warm-season grasses dominant in tallgrass prairie ecosystems, whereas T. dorsata signatures suggested preferential feeding on more deeply rooted C3 plants. VL - 123 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Predictive models for grazing distribution: a GIS approach JF - Journal of Range Management Y1 - 2000 A1 - B. Brock A1 - Owensby, C.E. AB - Grazing distribution and forage use patterns are important influences on rangeland ecosystems. Spatial patterns of grazing by domestic cattle (Bos taurus) were observed over 2 consecutive years under 2 grazing systems, intensive-early stocking and season-long stocking. The purposes were to determine factors influencing observed patterns and develop predictive models for grazing distribution and forage removal. Field-collected data on grazing distribution were linked with associated geophysical properties of pastures utilizing a GIS. Separate models were developed to predict grazing distribution and forage utilization using a backward stepwise regression procedure. The forage utilization model was linked with grazing distribution by utilizing Tobit analysis. Nineteen independent variables were used to interpret the observed variation in grazing distribution. Comparison of predicted probability of grazing values from the model with the observed grazing distribution in a hold-out data set yielded a close fit (R=.99). Eighteen independent variables were included in the forage removal model. Comparison of predicted forage removal with observed values in a hold-out data set yielded a poor fit (R=.28). Lack of forage quality variables probably accounts for the poor performance of the forage removal model. Differences in the success of the 2 models support the hypothesis that grazing distribution and forage utilization operate at different spatial scales and parameters. The use of GIS holds promise as a technique for developing useful predictive models for range management. VL - 53 ER -