Arthropods, plants and transmission lines in Arizona: community dynamics during secondary succession in a desert grassland
In 1972, access roads were constructed and then used by heavy equipment to build a 500 kV powerline in north central Arizona. Secondary succession of arthropods was studied till 1977 by comparing the initially bare soil of the roads with undisturbed control plots nearby. It was found that, after construction, total anthropod densities were reduced for two to three years, that after five years no anthropod taxa had greater densities on the disturbed areas, but some were significantly reduced, the diversity of arthropods dropped for a period of three or four years, that arthropod community similarity of the two study plots appeared to be related to total cover of plants and similarity of plant communities, the significant correlations between arthropod taxa suggested that the plant communities of the two plots are close in successional status, plant succession was not as rapid as expected, and the disturbed area had a great reduction in perennial grasses but an increase in annual herbs. The numerical dominance of herbivores on both disturbed and control plots, especially after construction, supports the hypothesis that linear, predominantly grazing food chains are characteristic of early successional stages.
- Research Organization:
- Northern Arizona Univ., Flagstaff
- OSTI ID:
- 6577231
- Journal Information:
- J. Environ. Manage.; (United States), Vol. 11:3
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Secondary succession of arthropods and plants in the Arizona Sonoran Desert in response to transmission line construction
Arthropods, plants, and transmission lines in Arizona: secondary succession in a Sonoran Desert habitat
Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ARTHROPODS
POPULATION DYNAMICS
POWER TRANSMISSION LINES
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ARIZONA
CONSTRUCTION
DATA COMPILATION
DESERTS
FOOD CHAINS
PLANTS
ROADS
SOILS
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
ANIMALS
ARID LANDS
DATA
ECOSYSTEMS
INFORMATION
INVERTEBRATES
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
USA
WESTERN REGION
560304* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Invertebrates- (-1987)
510500 - Environment
Terrestrial- Site Resource & Use Studies- (-1989)