Adult Monarch (Danaus plexippus) Abundance Is Higher in Burned Sites Than in Grazed Sites
Much of the remaining suitable habitat for monarchs (Danaus plexippus) in Minnesota is found in tallgrass prairies. We studied the association of adult monarch abundance with use of fire or grazing to manage prairies. Sites (n = 20) ranged in size from 1 to 145 hectares and included land owned and m...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-11-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fevo.2019.00435/full |
| _version_ | 1818336937995403264 |
|---|---|
| author | Julia B. Leone Diane L. Larson Jennifer L. Larson Nora Pennarola Karen Oberhauser |
| author_facet | Julia B. Leone Diane L. Larson Jennifer L. Larson Nora Pennarola Karen Oberhauser |
| author_sort | Julia B. Leone |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Much of the remaining suitable habitat for monarchs (Danaus plexippus) in Minnesota is found in tallgrass prairies. We studied the association of adult monarch abundance with use of fire or grazing to manage prairies. Sites (n = 20) ranged in size from 1 to 145 hectares and included land owned and managed by the Minnesota DNR, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, and private landowners. We measured Asclepias spp. (milkweeds, monarch host plants) and forb frequency in 0.5 × 2-m plots located along randomly-placed transects that were stratified to sample wet, mesic, and dry prairie types at each site. Adult butterfly surveys took place three times at each site during the summers of 2016 and 2017, using a standardized Pollard Walk (400 m). Data were analyzed using mixed effects models. Monarchs were more abundant at sites managed with prescribed fire than with grazing. We found no difference in milkweed and forb frequency between burned and grazed prairies. There was no relationship between monarch abundance and the other predictor variables tested: milkweed frequency, site area, forb frequency, and percent prairie in a 1.5 km buffer area surrounding each site. Monarch abundance was lowest at grazed sites with high stocking rates. Our findings suggest that milkweed and forb frequency do not vary between burned and grazed sites, although we only considered land management practices for the 12 years before the study and the most recent burns occurred in 2014, 2 years prior to the start of our study. They also suggest that heavy grazing may have negative impacts on monarchs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T14:47:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bb1a40bc5ea64a278f5df324c47b22ff |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-701X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T14:47:16Z |
| publishDate | 2019-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-bb1a40bc5ea64a278f5df324c47b22ff2022-12-21T23:41:26ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution2296-701X2019-11-01710.3389/fevo.2019.00435445782Adult Monarch (Danaus plexippus) Abundance Is Higher in Burned Sites Than in Grazed SitesJulia B. Leone0Diane L. Larson1Jennifer L. Larson2Nora Pennarola3Karen Oberhauser4Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United StatesU.S. Geological Survey, St. Paul, MN, United StatesPolistes Foundation, Inc., St. Paul, MN, United StatesDepartment of Entomology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United StatesUniversity of Wisconsin Arboretum, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United StatesMuch of the remaining suitable habitat for monarchs (Danaus plexippus) in Minnesota is found in tallgrass prairies. We studied the association of adult monarch abundance with use of fire or grazing to manage prairies. Sites (n = 20) ranged in size from 1 to 145 hectares and included land owned and managed by the Minnesota DNR, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, and private landowners. We measured Asclepias spp. (milkweeds, monarch host plants) and forb frequency in 0.5 × 2-m plots located along randomly-placed transects that were stratified to sample wet, mesic, and dry prairie types at each site. Adult butterfly surveys took place three times at each site during the summers of 2016 and 2017, using a standardized Pollard Walk (400 m). Data were analyzed using mixed effects models. Monarchs were more abundant at sites managed with prescribed fire than with grazing. We found no difference in milkweed and forb frequency between burned and grazed prairies. There was no relationship between monarch abundance and the other predictor variables tested: milkweed frequency, site area, forb frequency, and percent prairie in a 1.5 km buffer area surrounding each site. Monarch abundance was lowest at grazed sites with high stocking rates. Our findings suggest that milkweed and forb frequency do not vary between burned and grazed sites, although we only considered land management practices for the 12 years before the study and the most recent burns occurred in 2014, 2 years prior to the start of our study. They also suggest that heavy grazing may have negative impacts on monarchs.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fevo.2019.00435/fullmonarch butterflyDanaus plexippustallgrass prairieprescribed fireconservation grazingmilkweeds |
| spellingShingle | Julia B. Leone Diane L. Larson Jennifer L. Larson Nora Pennarola Karen Oberhauser Adult Monarch (Danaus plexippus) Abundance Is Higher in Burned Sites Than in Grazed Sites Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus tallgrass prairie prescribed fire conservation grazing milkweeds |
| title | Adult Monarch (Danaus plexippus) Abundance Is Higher in Burned Sites Than in Grazed Sites |
| title_full | Adult Monarch (Danaus plexippus) Abundance Is Higher in Burned Sites Than in Grazed Sites |
| title_fullStr | Adult Monarch (Danaus plexippus) Abundance Is Higher in Burned Sites Than in Grazed Sites |
| title_full_unstemmed | Adult Monarch (Danaus plexippus) Abundance Is Higher in Burned Sites Than in Grazed Sites |
| title_short | Adult Monarch (Danaus plexippus) Abundance Is Higher in Burned Sites Than in Grazed Sites |
| title_sort | adult monarch danaus plexippus abundance is higher in burned sites than in grazed sites |
| topic | monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus tallgrass prairie prescribed fire conservation grazing milkweeds |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fevo.2019.00435/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT juliableone adultmonarchdanausplexippusabundanceishigherinburnedsitesthaningrazedsites AT dianellarson adultmonarchdanausplexippusabundanceishigherinburnedsitesthaningrazedsites AT jenniferllarson adultmonarchdanausplexippusabundanceishigherinburnedsitesthaningrazedsites AT norapennarola adultmonarchdanausplexippusabundanceishigherinburnedsitesthaningrazedsites AT karenoberhauser adultmonarchdanausplexippusabundanceishigherinburnedsitesthaningrazedsites |