Abstract

CASTANEDA CORDOVA, Liz Z.; ARELLANO CRUZ, Germán  and  SANCHEZ INFANTAS, Edgar. Effect of controlled burning on epigeal arthropods in Tupac Amaru sais grasslands, Junin, Peru. Ecol. apl. [online]. 2007, vol.6, n.1-2, pp.47-58. ISSN 1726-2216.

The present study describes the effect of controlled burning (head fire) in epigeal arthropod assemblages in Junin grasslands. Arthropods were sampled from the end of the dry season (August 2001) to the beginning of the following dry season (June 2002), using pitfall traps. The burning experiment was carried in the first days of October (beginning of the rain season), using Head Fire Burnings (in favour of the wind). The plot was named Burnt Zone (ZQ) and was compared with a control plot named Non Burnt Zone (ZNQ). Burning effects in the arthropod assemblages were assessed analyzing community variables (abundance, equitability, richness, diversity and composition) at morphospecies level separating macroarthropods, microarthropods and functional groups (abundance and richness). The class that was most abundant was Collembola with 59%, followed by Insect with 28 %; and the most abundant functional group comprised detritivores. Community variables were influenced by marked dominance of Entomobryidae-01 morphospecies before burning, which generated a decrease in diversity. Student´s t-test was used and significant differences were found in the abundance and the diversity average alpha of the arthropods (P<0.05) before and after the burning, nevertheless these differences were found in both plots suggesting a seasonal effect. Of all the groupings analyzed only the functional groups of the macroarthropods parasitoides and the microarthropods predators presented an effect caused by the burning.

Keywords : Epigeal arthropods; prescribed burning; Tupac Amaru SAIS; grasslands; pitfall traps; functional groups.

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