01560nas a2200133   4500008004100000245006400041210006000105300001300165490000700178520111700185100001701302700001901319856008801338       2006                        eng d00aThe ecological significance of tallgrass prairie arthropods0 aecological significance of tallgrass prairie arthropods  a387 -4120 v513 aTallgrass prairie (TGP) arthropods are diverse and abundant, yet they remain poorly documented and there is still much to be learned regarding their ecological roles. Fire and grazing interact in complex ways in TGP, resulting in a shifting mosaic of resource quantity and quality for primary consumers. Accordingly, the impacts of arthropod herbivores and detritivores are expected to vary spatially and temporally. Herbivores generally do not control primary production. Rather, groups such as grasshoppers have subtle effects on plant communities, and their most significant impacts are often on forbs, which represent the bulk of plant diversity in TGP. Belowground herbivores and detritivores influence root dynamics and rhizosphere nutrient cycling, and above- and belowground groups interact through plant responses and detrital pathways. Large-bodied taxa, such as cicadas, can also redistribute significant quantities of materials during adult emergences. Predatory arthropods are the least studied in terms of ecological significance, but there is evidence that top-down processes are important in TGP.1 aWhiles, M.R.1 aCharlton, R.E.  uhttp://knz.lternet.edu/content/ecological-significance-tallgrass-prairie-arthropods02596nas a2200193   4500008004100000245010000041210006900141300001500210490000700225520191900232653002602151653001502177653002202192653001502214100001402229700001702243700001902260856012302279       2002                        eng d00aAboveground invertebrate responses to land management differences in a central Kansas grassland0 aAboveground invertebrate responses to land management difference  a1142 -11520 v313 aMacroinvertebrate communities in a central Kansas grassland were examined to assess their responses to differences in land management and explore their viability for biological assessment of grasslands. Canopy (drop-trap) and ground-dwelling (pitfall traps) communities were quantitatively sampled from June-September 1998 and 1999. The responses of the whole arthropod community and two focal groups, Coleopteran families and Orthopteran species, to three land use types (brome fields, old fields, and native prairies) were examined. Vegetation analyses reflected clear differences among land use types. Bromus inermis Leyss, an exotic grass, and Andropogon gerardii Vitman, a native grass, dominated brome fields and native prairie sites, respectively. Old fields were composed of a mixture of native and exotic plant species. Coleopteran family richness and diversity were significantly greater in native prairies than brome fields (P < 0.05), whereas orthopteran species richness and diversity peaked in brome fields. Diversity and richness of all arthropod groups examined were significantly, positively correlated with plant species diversity and richness in drop-trap samples (P < 0.05). Coleopteran family diversity and richness in pitfall samples were positively correlated with abundance of native plants, but orthopteran species diversity and richness were negatively correlated with native plant abundance. Coleopteran and orthopteran responses to land use appeared linked to differences in management practices. Whereas coleopterans appeared most influenced by plant community composition, orthopterans showed sensitivity to mechanical disturbance associated with haying on native prairie. Plant and arthropod group diversities were not consistently correlated, demonstrating that arthropod groups can reflect differences in a landscape that may not be apparent from examining plant communities alone.10abiological assessment10aColeoptera10aindicator species10aOrthoptera1 aJonas, J.1 aWhiles, M.R.1 aCharlton, R.E.  uhttp://knz.lternet.edu/content/aboveground-invertebrate-responses-land-management-differences-central-kansas-grassland00615nas a2200145   4500008004100000245014100041210006900182300001100251490000700262653002200269100001600291700001700307700001900324856012600343       2002                        eng d00aLife history, secondary production, and ecosystem significance of acridid grasshoppers in annually burned and unburned tallgrass prairie0 aLife history secondary production and ecosystem significance of   a40 -490 v4810atallgrass prairie1 aMeyer, C.K.1 aWhiles, M.R.1 aCharlton, R.E.  uhttp://knz.lternet.edu/content/life-history-secondary-production-and-ecosystem-significance-acridid-grasshoppers-annually02482nas a2200169   4500008004100000245012600041210006900167300001300236490000800249520184200257100001702099700001902116700001602135700001402151700001902165856012802184       2001                        eng d00aEmergence of periodical cicadas (Magicicada cassini ) from a Kansas riparian forest: densities, biomass and nitrogen flux0 aEmergence of periodical cicadas Magicicada cassini from a Kansas  a176 -1870 v1453 aThe 1998 emergence of 17-y periodical cicadas (Magicicada cassini) on Konza Prairie Research Natural Area (KPRNA), Kansas, was quantified using emergence trap transects and counts of emergence holes. Emergence density, biomass (emergence production) and associated nitrogen flux were estimated for the entire 100 ha gallery forest of Kings Creek, the major drainage network on KPRNA. Emergence commenced on 22 May 1998 and lasted for 24 d, with 87% of the individuals emerging within the first 9 d. Males dominated early during the emergence, and the sex ratio for the entire population was estimated at 54:46 male:female. Average emergence abundance and biomass estimated from trap transects located in low areas where cicadas were most abundant were 152/m2 and 34.9 g ash-free dry mass (AFDM)/m2, respectively. Based on emergence hole counts, average density and biomass for the 59 ha of gallery forest where cicadas emerged were 27.2 individuals/m2 and 6.3 g AFDM/m2, and emergence hole densities >100/m2 were evident in low areas of the drainage. Emergence density generally decreased with increasing elevation in the catchment. Belowground to aboveground N flux associated with M. cassini emergence in high density areas was ∼3 g N/m2, and the average for the entire emergence area was 0.63 g N/m2. The total number of individuals that emerged from the Kings Creek riparian forest was estimated at 19.6 million, which represents 4.6 metric tons AFDM and ∼0.5 metric tons N. This linear, fragmented, gallery forest of the Flint Hills supports a high density of M. cassini, and an emergence event constitutes a significant belowground to aboveground flux of energy and nutrients. Thus, the periodical cicada may be an exception to the notion that insects generally do not represent important resource pools at the ecosystem level.1 aWhiles, M.R.1 aCallaham, M.A.1 aMeyer, C.K.1 aBrock, B.1 aCharlton, R.E.  uhttp://knz.lternet.edu/content/emergence-periodical-cicadas-magicicada-cassini-kansas-riparian-forest-densities-biomass-and00460nas a2200133   4500008004100000245006400041210006300105300001300168490000700181100001800188700001800206700001900224856008300243       2001                        eng d00aFirst record of the cinereus shrew for Riley County, Kansas0 aFirst record of the cinereus shrew for Riley County Kansas  a107 -1080 v331 aMatlack, R.S.1 aKaufman, D.W.1 aCharlton, R.E.  uhttp://knz.lternet.edu/content/first-record-cinereus-shrew-riley-county-kansas02599nas a2200229   4500008004100000245010700041210006900148300001300217490000800230520182600238653001402064653002102078653001802099653002602117653002002143100001902163700001702182700001602199700001402215700001902229856012102248       2000                        eng d00aFeeding ecology and emergence production of annual cicadas (Homoptera: Cicadidae) in tallgrass prairie0 aFeeding ecology and emergence production of annual cicadas Homop  a535 -5420 v1233 aThe emergence phenology and feeding ecology of annual cicadas in tallgrass prairie are poorly documented. However, these large insects are abundant, and their annual emergence represents a potentially important flux of energy and nutrients from belowground to aboveground. We conducted a study at Konza Prairie Research Natural Area in eastern Kansas to characterize and quantify cicada emergence and associated energy and nutrient fluxes. We established emergence trap transects in three habitat types (upland prairie, lowland prairie, and riparian forest), and collected cicadas every 3 days from May to September. A subset of trapped cicadas was used for species- and sex-specific mass, nutrient, and stable isotope analyses. Five species were trapped during the study, of which three were dominant. Cicadetta calliope and Tibicen aurifera exhibited significantly higher emergence production in upland prairie than in lowland prairie, and were not captured in forested sites at all. T. dorsata emerged from all three habitat types, and though not significant, showed a trend of greater abundance in lowland grasslands. Two less abundant species, T. pruinosa and T. lyricen, emerged exclusively from forested habitats. Nitrogen fluxes associated with total cicada emergence were estimated to be ∼4 kg N ha–1 year–1 in both grassland habitats, and 1.01 kg N ha–1 year–1 in forested sites. Results of stable isotope analyses showed clear patterns of resource partitioning among dominant cicada species emerging from grassland sites. T. aurifera and C. calliope had δ13C and δ15N signatures indicative of feeding on shallowly rooted C4 plants such as the warm-season grasses dominant in tallgrass prairie ecosystems, whereas T. dorsata signatures suggested preferential feeding on more deeply rooted C3 plants.10agrassland10aInsect emergence10aNutrient flux10aresource partitioning10aStable isotopes1 aCallaham, M.A.1 aWhiles, M.R.1 aMeyer, C.K.1 aBrock, B.1 aCharlton, R.E.  uhttp://knz.lternet.edu/content/feeding-ecology-and-emergence-production-annual-cicadas-homoptera-cicadidae-tallgrass