Arthropod responses to experimental fire regimes in an Australian tropical savannah: ordinal‐level analysis

摘要: Fire is widely used for conservation management in the savannah landscapes of northern Australia, yet there considerable uncertainty over ecological effects different fire regimes. The responses insects and other arthropods to are especially poorly known, despite their dominant roles functioning ecosystems. often appears have little long-term effect on ordinal-level abundance temperate woodlands open forests southern this paper addresses extent which such resilience also occurs Australia's tropical savannahs. data from a multidisciplinary, landscape-scale experiment at Kapalga Kakadu National Park. Arthropods were sampled two major habitats (woodland forest) using pitfall traps sweep nets, 15-20 km 2 compartments subjected one three regimes, each with replicates: 'early' (annual fires lit early dry season), 'late' late 'unburnt' (fires absent during five-year experimental period 1990-94). Floristic cover, richness composition measured sampling plot, point quadrats. There substantial habitat differences floristic composition, but had no plant richness, overall or cover four species. Of 11 ordinal arthropod taxa considered traps, only significantly affected by according repeated-measures ANOVA. was marked reduction ant absence fire, declines spiders, homopterans silverfish under fires. Similarly, abundances 10 catches crickets beetles declining caterpillars Therefore, most ground grass-layer unaffected treatments, treatments representing extreme regimes possible region. This indicates that assemblages has previously been demonstrated Australia.