DOCSLIB.ORG

Agenda TOPS Working Committee Please Silence Your Phone During the Meeting

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Agenda TOPS Working Committee Please Silence Your Phone During the Meeting Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services PR&CS Administration, 1401 Recreation Way, Colorado Springs, CO 80905 Revised Agenda TOPS Working Committee Please silence your phone during the meeting. ______________________________________________________________________________ Wednesday, November 7, 2018 7:30 a.m. Open Space Room ______________________________________________________________________________ Agenda Preview Committee and Staff Announcements Staff Approval of Minutes Committee ______________________________________________________________________________ Citizen Discussion Citizens ______________________________________________________________________________ Action Item Red Rock Canyon Open Space Master Plan Amendment Scott Abbott/John Stark Friends of Red Rock Canyon Presentations Corral Bluffs BioBlitz Sharon Milito White Acres Alternatives Britt Haley ______________________________________________________________________________ Citizen Discussion Citizens ______________________________________________________________________________ Adjournment COLORADO SPRINGS PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD ___________________________________________________________________________ Date: November 7, 2018 Item Number: Action Item - 1 Item Name: Minor Amendment to the Red Rock Canyon Master and Management Plan Trail System SUMMARY: Red Rock Canyon Master and Management Plan Trail (Red Rock Canyon Trail/ Red Rock Rim Trail) Connector. Heavy rains and the subsequent flooding in 2013 and 2015 required action to close the location for the proposed trail due to severe erosion and rogue trail proliferation. Prior to the floods Park staff had installed a culvert at the intersection of Lion Trail and Red Rock Rim Trail. Many attempts at fortifying this intersection had failed so the installation of a culvert took place. After the installation, increased intensity of rainfall in 2013 caused severe damage to the rogue trail running east to west downhill into Red Rock Canyon. Use of this area continued through 2014 and 2015. The floods of 2015 increased damage further and led to the decision among city staff to plan a closure of the entire area in September 2016. The area has been physically closed since that time. Requests from members of Friends of Red Rock Canyon (FoRRC) began in approximately November 2017 regarding construction of the trail per the master plan. City staff began researching the rehabilitation of the eroded area and feasibility of constructing the trail as requested. PREVIOUS PARKS BOARD ACTION: The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board approved the Master Plan in 2013. BACKGROUND: See above FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: N/A COMMITTEE/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: The TOPS Working Committee approved the Master Plan in 2013. STAKEHOLDER PROCESS: Conversations with Friends of Red Rock Canyon, Presentation to TOPS Advisory Committee ALTERNATIVE: Construct 1500’ of trail on unsustainable soils, slopes and wildlife habitat per the approved Master Plan. RECOMMENDATION: City Staff recommends removing this trail connection from the Master Plan. PROPOSED MOTION: Recommend removal of the identified trail from the Red Rock Canyon Open Space Master and Management Plan Attachments: Amendment Powerpoint Proposal to amend the Red Rock Canyon Master Plan Recommendation to Remove Trail November 7, 2018 Scott Abbott RECENT PROJECTS • South Landfill Connector Trail • Upper Codell • Red Rock Overlook • Inteman reroute • Dog Park Fencing • Bike Ramping at Sand Canyon • East Fork Sand Canyon • Bock Trail RED ROCK RIM CONNECTOR Google 2018 OBSERVED ISSUES 1. Trail runs through existing landfill area, which includes old infrastructure and monitoring wells. 2. Proposed trail would be over 1,500 linear feet on highly erosive slopes adjacent to drainage and sensitive wildlife habitat. 3. Proposed trail would lead to the ridge top where rogue use should be discouraged. Google 2005 TITLE TITLE TITLE TITLE 2007 RED ROCK CANYON MAP UNSUSTAINABLE SEGMENTS WILDLIFE HABITAT RESOURCE MAP Questions ? Friends of Red Rock Canyon’s Request for Reclamation and Trail at the North End of the Landfill in Red Rock Canyon Following a flood a couple of years ago, the trail at the bottom of the landfill was closed temporarily for safety reasons. The trail is listed in the Master Plan as an unsustainable trail that must be re-routed. Contrary to the Master Plan, city staff has decided to permanently close the trail. Friends of Red Rock Canyon (FoRRC) appealed the decision to the parks department, but were denied. The Master Plan should not be changed without a public process and permission of the TOPS Working Committee and the Parks Board. We ask the TOPS Working Committee to protect the Master Plan, which calls for a trail in the area. It was an important part of the Master Plan for FoRRC and the many citizens who participated in the Master Plan process. We also request your support is developing a reclamation plan for this area. This trail connection is critical for walkers in Red Rock Canyon but it will also be used by cyclists who want to avoid the higher, dusty road across the landfill. This connector trail is important for tourists and visitors with limited time. People with limited hiking ability (out-of-condition, over- weight, elderly, and slightly handicapped) also need some attractive shorter walking loops. The loop this trail would create will be one of the best short loops in the park, that starts and ends at the parking lot. This trail connection is beautiful and shady and gives people an option to avoid walking across the landfill. The connector trail that should be re-built will be one of the best routes for the historical and geological interpretive trails recommended in the 2013 Master Plan. The interpretive trails that go through the landfill are too long and focus on the damage from human activity on the beauty and geologic history of Red Rock Canyon Open Space. Perhaps most importantly it is our belief that the water diversion management needs to be re- designed. Presently the water control features are unsightly and do not protect the trail from being destroyed. Work is needed to rehabilitate the land after it was damaged by the landfill and dirt quarry. Why wait years to fix the problem ? FoRRC requests that City Parks Dept. develop a comprehensive plan for rehabilitation of the north end of the landfill, that includes water management, fixing the quarry area, eliminating the concrete structures, building a sustainable trail (called for in the Master Plan), and restoring the natural habitat. Let’s find out what it will cost to restore this beautiful close-in part of RRCOS. FoRRC would like to help. FoRRC thanks you for considering this matter and finding a better solution. Sincerely yours, President of FoRRC COLORADO SPRINGS PARKS, RECREATION AND CULTURAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT TOPS WORKING COMMITTEE ___________________________________________________________________________ Date: November 7, 2018 Item Number: Presentation Item # 1 Item Name: 2018 BioBlitz Presentation Summary: For the 20th Anniversary of the TOPS Program, BioBlitzes were completed on four (4) TOPS properties in 2017. For 2018, Sharon Milito and our wonderful scientists were willing to volunteer for another TOPS BioBlitz. The recently acquired 80 acre parcel located at the Corral Bluffs Open Space was chosen for the event which was on Saturday, September 8th and Sunday, September 9th. During this year’s BioBlitz, a total of 1250 species were observed by 18 scientists with 501 species documented on iNaturalist. A special “thank you” to Sharon Milito for volunteering her skills and talent to organize and run the event, to Christi Mehew for organizing the details to make it enjoyable and for the TOPS Ranger Team for providing public hikes and informative subject matter talks while the scientists searched for and documented species. Background: A BioBlitz, is an intense period of biological surveying in an attempt to record all the living species within a designated area. Groups of scientists, naturalists and volunteers conduct an intensive field study over a continuous time period. In 2017, the first four BioBlitzes of TOPS properties were conducted to help celebrate the 20th anniversary of the TOPS Program and to gather data for future use. In 2018, we decided to conduct another BioBlitz because the science teams and Sharon Milito who leads the BioBlitz activities were willing to return and do this again for a TOPS property. The Corral Bluffs Open Space was chosen for this year’s BioBlitz because of ongoing purchases of Corral Bluffs property by the City, and to collect explicit ecological data for use in future master planning. Our objectives are to use this information to help create a baseline of resource information with which to develop future natural and cultural resources and public use management strategies. Science teams were led by and represented by specialists from several regional establishments according to their specialty. • Mammals Fort Carson- Roger Peyton; Bats: Colorado Parks & Wildlife- April Estep • Birds Aiken Audubon Society: Anna Joy Lehmicke • Botany Melissa McCormick • Mycology Ed Lebow and Ikuko Lebow; Colorado Mycological Society- Vera Evenson • Insects Mile High Bug Club- Eric Eaton, Heidi Eaton, Bell Mead • Reptiles and Amphibians Lauren Livo; US Fish & Wildlife Service- Max Canestorp • Education and General TOPS Stewardship Rangers. 2018 Corral Bluffs Open Space Bioblitz Report Presented to City of Colorado Springs TOPS
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Acridiidae of Minnesota
    Wqt 1lluitttr11ity nf :!alliuur11nta AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 141 TECHNICAL THE ACRIDIIDAE OF MINNESOTA BY M. P. SOMES DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY UNIVERSITY FARM, ST. PAUL. JULY 1914 THE UNIVERSlTY OF l\ll.'\1\ESOTA THE 130ARD OF REGENTS The Hon. B. F. :.JELsox, '\finneapolis, President of the Board - 1916 GEORGE EDGAR VINCENT, Minneapolis Ex Officio The President of the l.:niversity The Hon. ADOLPH 0. EBERHART, Mankato Ex Officio The Governor of the State The Hon. C. G. ScnuLZ, St. Paul l'.x Oflicio The Superintendent of Education The Hon. A. E. RICE, \Villmar 191.3 The Hon. CH.\RLES L. Sol\DfERS, St. Paul - 1915 The Hon. PIERCE Bun.ER, St. Paul 1916 The Hon. FRED B. SNYDER, Minneapolis 1916 The Hon. W. J. J\Lwo, Rochester 1919 The Hon. MILTON M. \NILLIAMS, Little Falls 1919 The Hon. }OIIN G. vVILLIAMS, Duluth 1920 The Hon. GEORGE H. PARTRIDGE, Minneapolis 1920 Tl-IE AGRICULTURAL C0:\1MITTEE The Hon. A. E. RrCE, Chairman The Hon. MILTON M. vVILLIAMS The Hon. C. G. SCHULZ President GEORGE E. VINCENT The Hon. JoHN G. \VrLLIAMS STATION STAFF A. F. VlooDs, M.A., D.Agr., Director J. 0. RANKIN, M.A.. Editor HARRIET 'vV. SEWALL, B.A., Librarian T. J. HORTON, Photographer T. L.' HAECKER, Dairy and Animal Husbandman M. H. REYNOLDS, B.S.A., M.D., D.V.:'d., Veterinarian ANDREW Boss, Agriculturist F. L. WASHBURN, M.A., Entomologist E. M. FREEMAN, Ph.D., Plant Pathologist and Botanist JonN T. STEWART, C.E., Agricultural Engineer R. W. THATCHER, M.A., Agricultural Chemist F. J.
    [Show full text]
  • Spatial Vision in Band-Winged Grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Oedipodinae)
    Spatial vision in band-winged grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Oedipodinae) A Senior Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Department of Organismal Biology and Ecology, Colorado College By Alexander B. Duncan Bachelor of Arts Degree in Organismal Biology and Ecology May, 2017 Approved by: _________________________________________ Dr. Nicholas Brandley Primary Thesis Advisor ________________________________________ Dr. Emilie Gray Secondary Thesis Advisor ABSTRACT Visual acuity, the ability to resolve fine spatial details, can vary dramatically between and within insect species. Body-size, sex, behavior, and ecological niche are all factors that may influence an insect’s acuity. Band-winged grasshoppers (Oedipodinae) are a subfamily of grasshoppers characterized by their colorfully patterned hindwings. Although researchers have anecdotally suggested that this color pattern may attract mates, few studies have examined the visual acuity of these animals, and none have examined its implications on intraspecific signaling. Here, we compare the visual acuity of three bandwing species: Dissosteira carolina, Arphia pseudonietana, and Spharagemon equale. To measure acuity in these species we used a modified radius of curvature estimation (RCE) technique. Visual acuity was significantly coarser 1) in males compared to females, 2) parallel to the horizon compared to the perpendicular, and 3) in S. equale compared to other bandwings. Unlike many insect families, body size within a species did not correlate with visual acuity. To examine the functional implications of these results, we modeled the appearance of different bandwing patterns to conspecifics. These results suggest that hind- wing patterning could only be used as a signal to conspecifics at short distances (<50cm). This study furthers the exploration of behavior and the evolution of visual systems in bandwings.
    [Show full text]
  • Effects of Insolation and Body Orientation on Internal Thoracic Tem.Perature of Nym.Phal Melanoplus Packardii (Orthoptera: Acrididae)
    PHYSIOLOGICALANDCHEMICALECOLOGY Effects of Insolation and Body Orientation on Internal Thoracic Tem.perature of Nym.phal Melanoplus packardii (Orthoptera: Acrididae) DEREK J. LACTIN ANDDAN L. JOHNSON Land Rl?sourcl? Sciences Section, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Centre, P.O. Box .3000, Lethbridge, All TlJ 4131 Canada Environ. Entomol. 25(2): 423-429 (1996) ABSTRACT The effect of insolation un body temperature of nymphal Packard grasshoppers, Melmwpills packardii Scudder, was measured in the field. Live nymphs were each restrained in a Sl?ril?Sof orientations to the sun, and insolation was adjusted using a shade cloth. Internal thoracic temperature was allowed to stabilize and was compared with that of a reference Downloaded from nymph restrained in a sunshade. Equilibrium body temperatures of insolated nymphs exceed- l'd that of the reference nymph by an amount (aT/,) which increased with energy intercepted (ENERGY) and insect size (SIZE) by a relationship of the form aTb = a . ENERGY· SIZEh. \Vhen insect size was expressed as mass (grams), the estimates of a and b were L8.76 and -0.312, respectively (r2 = 0.6198); when insect size wa~ expressed as length (millimeters), a and b were 826.66 and -1.133, respectively (r2 = 0.6463) These results allow estimation of l'quilibrium body temperature elevation of M. packardii nymphs from solar radiation, the http://ee.oxfordjournals.org/ zenith angle of the sun, insect size, and the orientation of the insect to the sun. KEY WORDS grasshopper, body temperature, thermoregulation, size effects, biophysics MANYTEHRESTHIALECTOTHEHMScan control their insect size on the relationship between energy in- body temperature (TT,) by exploiting environmental terception and equilibrium T}, elevation.
    [Show full text]
  • Diet-Mixing in a Generalist Herbivore: Trade-Offs Between Nutrient And
    DIET-MIXING IN A GENERALIST HERBIVORE: TRADE-OFFS BETWEEN NUTRIENT AND ALLELOCHEMICAL REGULATION A Dissertation by MARION LE GALL Submitted to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Chair of Committee, Spencer Behmer Committee Members, Micky Eubanks Keyan Zhu-Salzman Gil Rosenthal Jon Harrison Head of Department, David Ragsdale May 2014 Major Subject: Entomology Copyright 2014 Marion Le Gall ABSTRACT Despite decades of research, many key aspects related to the physiological processes and mechanisms insect herbivores use to build themselves remain poorly understood, and we especially know very little about how interactions among nutrients and allelochemicals drive insect herbivore growth processes. Understanding the physiological effects of these interactions on generalist herbivores is a critical step to a better understanding and evaluation of the different hypothesis that have been emitted regarding the benefits of polyphagy. I used both lab and field experiments to disentangle the respective effect of protein, carbohydrates and allelochemicals on a generalist herbivore, the grasshopper Melanoplus differentialis. The effect of protein and carbohydrates alone were examined using artificial diets in choice and no-choice experiments. Results were plotted using a fitness landscape approach to evaluate how protein-carbohydrate ratio and/or concentration affected performance and consumption. Growth was best near the self-selected ratio obtained from the choice experiment, most likely due to the fact that the amount of food digested was also higher on that ratio. By contrast, development time was not best near the preferred ratio most likely due to the trade-off existing between size and development time.
    [Show full text]
  • Insect Survey of Four Longleaf Pine Preserves
    A SURVEY OF THE MOTHS, BUTTERFLIES, AND GRASSHOPPERS OF FOUR NATURE CONSERVANCY PRESERVES IN SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA Stephen P. Hall and Dale F. Schweitzer November 15, 1993 ABSTRACT Moths, butterflies, and grasshoppers were surveyed within four longleaf pine preserves owned by the North Carolina Nature Conservancy during the growing season of 1991 and 1992. Over 7,000 specimens (either collected or seen in the field) were identified, representing 512 different species and 28 families. Forty-one of these we consider to be distinctive of the two fire- maintained communities principally under investigation, the longleaf pine savannas and flatwoods. An additional 14 species we consider distinctive of the pocosins that occur in close association with the savannas and flatwoods. Twenty nine species appear to be rare enough to be included on the list of elements monitored by the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program (eight others in this category have been reported from one of these sites, the Green Swamp, but were not observed in this study). Two of the moths collected, Spartiniphaga carterae and Agrotis buchholzi, are currently candidates for federal listing as Threatened or Endangered species. Another species, Hemipachnobia s. subporphyrea, appears to be endemic to North Carolina and should also be considered for federal candidate status. With few exceptions, even the species that seem to be most closely associated with savannas and flatwoods show few direct defenses against fire, the primary force responsible for maintaining these communities. Instead, the majority of these insects probably survive within this region due to their ability to rapidly re-colonize recently burned areas from small, well-dispersed refugia.
    [Show full text]
  • Grasshoppers
    Grasshoppers Orthoptera: Acrididae Plains Lubber Pictured grasshoppers Great crested grasshopper Snakeweed grasshoppers Primary Pest Grasshoppers • Migratory grasshopper • Twostriped grasshopper • Differential grasshopper • Redlegged grasshopper • Clearwinged grasshopper Twostriped Grasshopper, Melanoplus bivittatus Redlegged Grasshopper, Melanoplus femurrubrum Differential Grasshopper, Melanoplus differentialis Migratory Grasshopper, Melanoplus sanguinipes Clearwinged Grasshopper Camnula pellucida Diagram courtesy of Alexandre Latchininsky, University of Wyoming Photograph courtesy of Jean-Francoise Duranton, CIRAD Grasshoppers lay pods of eggs below ground Grasshopper Egg Pods Molting is not Linedfor wimps! bird grasshopper molting to adult stage Grasshopper Nymphs Some grasshoppers found in winter and early spring Velvet-striped grasshopper – a common spring species Grasshopper Controls • Weather (rainfall mediated primarily) • Natural enemies – Predators, diseases • Treatment of breeding areas • Biological controls • Row covers Temperature and rainfall are important mortality factors Grasshoppers and Rainfall Moisture prior to egg hatch generally aids survival – Newly hatched young need succulent foliage Moisture after egg hatch generally reduces problems – Assists spread of diseases – Allows for plenty of food, reducing competition for rangeland and crops Grasshopper predators Robber Flies Larvae of many blister beetles develop on grasshopper egg pods Blister beetle larva Fungus-killed Grasshoppers Pathogen: Entomophthora grylli Mermis
    [Show full text]
  • An Inventory of Short Horn Grasshoppers in the Menoua Division, West Region of Cameroon
    AGRICULTURE AND BIOLOGY JOURNAL OF NORTH AMERICA ISSN Print: 2151-7517, ISSN Online: 2151-7525, doi:10.5251/abjna.2013.4.3.291.299 © 2013, ScienceHuβ, http://www.scihub.org/ABJNA An inventory of short horn grasshoppers in the Menoua Division, West Region of Cameroon Seino RA1, Dongmo TI1, Ghogomu RT2, Kekeunou S3, Chifon RN1, Manjeli Y4 1Laboratory of Applied Ecology (LABEA), Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, P.O. Box 353 Dschang, Cameroon, 2Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture and Agronomic Sciences (FASA), University of Dschang, P.O. Box 222, Dschang, Cameroon. 3 Département de Biologie et Physiologie Animale, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Yaoundé 1, Cameroun 4 Department of Biotechnology and Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture and Agronomic Sciences (FASA), University of Dschang, P.O. Box 222, Dschang, Cameroon. ABSTRACT The present study was carried out as a first documentation of short horn grasshoppers in the Menoua Division of Cameroon. A total of 1587 specimens were collected from six sites i.e. Dschang (265), Fokoue (253), Fongo – Tongo (267), Nkong – Ni (271), Penka Michel (268) and Santchou (263). Identification of these grasshoppers showed 28 species that included 22 Acrididae and 6 Pyrgomorphidae. The Acrididae belonged to 8 subfamilies (Acridinae, Catantopinae, Cyrtacanthacridinae, Eyprepocnemidinae, Oedipodinae, Oxyinae, Spathosterninae and Tropidopolinae) while the Pyrgomorphidae belonged to only one subfamily (Pyrgomorphinae). The Catantopinae (Acrididae) showed the highest number of species while Oxyinae, Spathosterninae and Tropidopolinae showed only one species each. Ten Acrididae species (Acanthacris ruficornis, Anacatantops sp, Catantops melanostictus, Coryphosima stenoptera, Cyrtacanthacris aeruginosa, Eyprepocnemis noxia, Gastrimargus africanus, Heteropternis sp, Ornithacris turbida, and Trilophidia conturbata ) and one Pyrgomorphidae (Zonocerus variegatus) were collected in all the six sites.
    [Show full text]
  • ECOLOGY and MANAGEMENT of MORMON CRICKET, Anabrus Simplex Haldeman
    • ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT OF MORMON CRICKET, Anabrus simplex Haldeman Final report to the National Park Service submitted by John Capinera and Charles MacVean, Department of Entomology Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 April, 1987 INTRODUCTION The Mormon cricket, Anabrus simplex Haldeman, is a flightless, shield-backed grasshopper which occurs primarily in the Great Plains and sagebrush-dominated regions of the United States and Canada. It is a gregarious insect and is probably best known for its huge migratory aggregations, or bands. These typically develop in permanent breeding areas in broken, mountain habitat and then spread, by walking, to surrounding areas, including agricultural lowlands and valleys (Wakeland and Shull 1 936). Dating to the early encounter in 1848 between hordes of this insect and Mormon settlers in the Salt Lake Valley - from which the name "Mormon crickets" stems - sporadic outbreaks of crickets have caused severe damage to crops, especially wheat and alfalfa (Cowan 1929, Wakeland 1959, Evans 1985). Though crickets normally feed on a wide diversity of rangeland plants, crops are highly preferred (Swain 1944). Homesteaders were forced to abandon farming in northwest Colorado due to the yearly invasions of crickets during the 1920's. Damaging numbers of crickets persisted into the late thirties, with the peak of the epidemic occurring in 1938. Damage by crickets to rangeland plants has been much more difficult to assess than crop damage (Swain 1940, 1944). While crickets do feed on range grasses, particularly the inflorescences, they clearly prefer broad-leaf, succulent species of lesser forage value when these are present (Cowan 1929, Swain 1 944, Wakeland 1959).
    [Show full text]
  • Invertebrate Distribution and Diversity Assessment at the U. S. Army Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site a Report to the U
    Invertebrate Distribution and Diversity Assessment at the U. S. Army Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site A report to the U. S. Army and U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service G. J. Michels, Jr., J. L. Newton, H. L. Lindon, and J. A. Brazille Texas AgriLife Research 2301 Experiment Station Road Bushland, TX 79012 2008 Report Introductory Notes The invertebrate survey in 2008 presented an interesting challenge. Extremely dry conditions prevailed throughout most of the adult activity period for the invertebrates and grass fires occurred several times throughout the summer. By visual assessment, plant resources were scarce compared to last year, with few green plants and almost no flowering plants. Eight habitats and nine sites continued to be sampled in 2008. The Ponderosa pine/ yellow indiangrass site was removed from the study after the low numbers of species and individuals collected there in 2007. All other sites from the 2007 survey were included in the 2008 survey. We also discontinued the collection of Coccinellidae in the 2008 survey, as only 98 individuals from four species were collected in 2007. Pitfall and malaise trapping were continued in the same way as the 2007 survey. Sweep net sampling was discontinued to allow time for Asilidae and Orthoptera timed surveys consisting of direct collection of individuals with a net. These surveys were conducted in the same way as the time constrained butterfly (Papilionidea and Hesperoidea) surveys, with 15-minute intervals for each taxanomic group. This was sucessful when individuals were present, but the dry summer made it difficult to assess the utility of these techniques because of overall low abundance of insects.
    [Show full text]
  • Spur-Throated Grasshoppers of the Canadian Prairies and Northern Great Plains
    16 Spur-throated grasshoppers of the Canadian Prairies and Northern Great Plains Dan L. Johnson Research Scientist, Grassland Insect Ecology, Lethbridge Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Box 3000, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1, [email protected] The spur-throated grasshoppers have become the most prominent grasshoppers of North Ameri- can grasslands, not by calling attention to them- selves by singing in the vegetation (stridulating) like the slant-faced grasshoppers, or by crackling on the wing (crepitating) like the band-winged grasshoppers, but by virtue of their sheer num- bers, activities and diversity. Almost all of the spur-throated grasshoppers in North America are members of the subfamily Melanoplinae. The sta- tus of Melanoplinae is somewhat similar in South America, where the melanopline Dichroplus takes the dominant role that the genus Melanoplus pated, and hiding in the valleys?) scourge that holds in North America (Cigliano et al. 2000). wiped out so much of mid-western agriculture in The biogeographic relationships are analysed by the 1870’s. Chapco et al. (2001). The grasshoppers are charac- terized by a spiny bump on the prosternum be- Approximately 40 species of grasshoppers in tween the front legs, which would be the position the subfamily Melanoplinae (mainly Tribe of the throat if they had one. This characteristic is Melanoplini) can be found on the Canadian grass- easy to use; I know elementary school children lands, depending on weather and other factors af- who can catch a grasshopper, turn it over for a fecting movement and abundance. The following look and say “melanopline” before grabbing the notes provide a brief look at representative next.
    [Show full text]
  • List of Insect Species Which May Be Tallgrass Prairie Specialists
    Conservation Biology Research Grants Program Division of Ecological Services © Minnesota Department of Natural Resources List of Insect Species which May Be Tallgrass Prairie Specialists Final Report to the USFWS Cooperating Agencies July 1, 1996 Catherine Reed Entomology Department 219 Hodson Hall University of Minnesota St. Paul MN 55108 phone 612-624-3423 e-mail [email protected] This study was funded in part by a grant from the USFWS and Cooperating Agencies. Table of Contents Summary.................................................................................................. 2 Introduction...............................................................................................2 Methods.....................................................................................................3 Results.....................................................................................................4 Discussion and Evaluation................................................................................................26 Recommendations....................................................................................29 References..............................................................................................33 Summary Approximately 728 insect and allied species and subspecies were considered to be possible prairie specialists based on any of the following criteria: defined as prairie specialists by authorities; required prairie plant species or genera as their adult or larval food; were obligate predators, parasites
    [Show full text]
  • Elements for the Sustainable Management of Acridoids of Importance in Agriculture
    African Journal of Agricultural Research Vol. 7(2), pp. 142-152, 12 January, 2012 Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/AJAR DOI: 10.5897/AJAR11.912 ISSN 1991-637X ©2012 Academic Journals Review Elements for the sustainable management of acridoids of importance in agriculture María Irene Hernández-Zul 1, Juan Angel Quijano-Carranza 1, Ricardo Yañez-López 1, Irineo Torres-Pacheco 1, Ramón Guevara-Gónzalez 1, Enrique Rico-García 1, Adriana Elena Castro- Ramírez 2 and Rosalía Virginia Ocampo-Velázquez 1* 1Department of Biosystems, School of Engineering, Queretaro State University, C.U. Cerro de las Campanas, Querétaro, México. 2Department of Agroecology, Colegio de la Frontera Sur, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, México. Accepted 16 December, 2011 Acridoidea is a superfamily within the Orthoptera order that comprises a group of short-horned insects commonly called grasshoppers. Grasshopper and locust species are major pests of grasslands and crops in all continents except Antarctica. Economically and historically, locusts and grasshoppers are two of the most destructive agricultural pests. The most important locust species belong to the genus Schistocerca and populate America, Africa, and Asia. Some grasshoppers considered to be important pests are the Melanoplus species, Camnula pellucida in North America, Brachystola magna and Sphenarium purpurascens in northern and central Mexico, and Oedaleus senegalensis and Zonocerus variegatus in Africa. Previous studies have classified these species based on specific characteristics. This review includes six headings. The first discusses the main species of grasshoppers and locusts; the second focuses on their worldwide distribution; the third describes their biology and life cycle; the fourth refers to climatic factors that facilitate the development of grasshoppers and locusts; the fifth discusses the action or reaction of grasshoppers and locusts to external or internal stimuli and the sixth refers to elements to design management strategies with emphasis on prevention.
    [Show full text]