Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

The influence of fire on lepidopteran abundance and community structure in forested habitats of eastern Texas

Informally Refereed

Abstract

Transect surveys were used to examine the influence of fire on lepidopteran communities (Papilionoidea and Hesperioidea) in forested habitats in eastern Texas. Lepidopteran abundance was greater in pine forests where prescribed fire maintained an open mid- and understory compared to forests where fire had less impact on forest structure. Ahundance of nectar sources paralleled this pattern of abundance. Taxonomic groups of Lepidoptera varied across forest types in patterns coincident with their dependence on nectar sources and tendency to fly in shaded habitats.

Citation

Rudolph, D. Craig; Ely, Charles A. 2000. The influence of fire on lepidopteran abundance and community structure in forested habitats of eastern Texas. Texas Journal of Science. 52(4):127-138.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/7748