The influence of burning of steppe vegetation on the number of locusts (Insecta: Orthoptera, Acrididae) in the feather grass steppe of Dauria

Abstract

An important factor influencing the structure of steppe communities in the south of Transbaikalia (Dauria) are spring fires. The frequency of fires is influenced by both the climatic features of the territory and the large amount of dry grass remaining until spring. In this regard, it is of great interest how fires can affect the communities of such an important group of herbivorous insects as locusts (Orthoptera, Acrididae). The results of surveys in the feather grass steppe on the territory of the Daursky Nature Reserve, carried out in the second half of summer, showed differences in the number, age and species structure of locust communities occupying unburned areas and areas subjected to burning in the spring. In the unburnt area, the number of locusts was significantly higher, but the proportion of larvae was lower. These differences can be associated both with the quality of shelters for locusts in the form of dry grass, and with the peculiarities of the temperature regime that arise in the event of burning.