Effects of Standard Management Practices On, and Faunistics of Native Prairies
Conservation Biology Research Grants Program Division of Ecological Services Minnesota Department of Natural Resources EFFECTS OF STANDARD MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON, AND FAUNISTICS OF NATIVE PRAIRIES: A study of three sites in western Minnesota. Report submitted to: Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy, and the R. J. Kose foundation. David Rider, Systematic Entomologist Gerald Fauske, Research specialist Paul Tinerella, Graduate student Department of Entomology North Dakota State University Fargo, ND May 2000 ABSTRACT From 1995 through 1999 an ongoing study was conducted to examine the effects of standard prairie management practices (burning, grazing, haying) and unmanaged prairie, with regard to arthropod communities. Additional objectives were to gather baseline data on the arthropod species present on remnant prairies of western Minnesota, to identify rare species found on theses sites, and if possible, to determine prairie indicator species which might be used to identify dry, mesic, or wet prairies types in a manner similar to the plant indicator species used in botanical studies. At present, nearly 35,000 insect specimens have been pinned, labeled, and identified representing more than 750 species. As additional material is processed and identified, we expect the number of species found on these sites to more than double, perhaps even triple. This report provides a summary of work completed as of May, 2000, and includes species lists, information on species distributions (state records and extensions of known species ranges), presence of rare or state endangered species on these prairies, diversity indices for prairie sites, types, and management practices, and management histories of the study areas.
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