Abstract
Fire is an important disturbance that can impact biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Although fire impacts have been well studied in plants and some animals, the effects of fire on litter-dwelling arthropods remain poorly documented. I investigated the effect of time-since-burn on litter-dwelling arthropods in a Florida scrub ecosystem. I measured total arthropod richness and diversity as well as arachnid detritivore and predator abundance along a time-since-burn chronosequence. Arthropod richness and diversity and arachnid abundance significantly increased within 8 years post-burn. Arthropod richness and diversity and arachnid abundance did not differ between 8 and 89 years since last burn. These results demonstrate that litter-dwelling arthropods can quickly re-establish their community composition within 8 years after a burn, which may have important consequences for litter decomposition and nutrient cycling rates over successional time.
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