Prescribed annual and triennial surface fires were compared to control units of 30 ha each in 4 study sites. Within each unit an 8-watt blacklight trap was operated May - Sept. 1995-1997 in all study sites (fewer sites 1998-2000). All Macrolepidoptera except Geometridae were identified. There was no consistent effect of burning on abundance or species richness. Variability was high and treatment units were small relative to surrounding forest. A few species, e.g. Clemensia albata (Arctiidae) appeared to decrease in burned units. There were differences in abundance and richness among sites and years. Year-to-year trends documented regional declines in populations of some species; Antheraea polyphemus (Saturniidae) declined at all sites 1995-2000. Burning may impact a few moth species but had little overall impact on diversity and abundance.
Keywords: Lepidoptera, blacklight
Back to Display Presentations, Subsection Cd. Behavior and Ecology
Back to Posters
Back to The 2002 ESA Annual Meeting and Exhibition