Skip to main content

Intricacies of Grassland Management for Conservation

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
  • 350 Accesses

Abstract

Long-term concerns with management of grasslands of the northern hemisphere have helped to demonstrate the ecological intricacies that arise in attempts to conserve insect species and assemblages in these vulnerable areas. Much of that understanding has resulted from intensive surveys in relatively well documented insect faunas in which the basic biology of many of the candidate species is well documented – or, at least, that sufficient informed framework is available for perceptive augmentation. Those cases are directly relevant to advancing toward equivalent understanding in Australia, and confirm that conservation of susceptible grassland insects can be a complex exercise.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   139.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Alba Mejia JE (2015) Grasslands of South America. Mendelova Univerzita v Brne

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrade BO, Koch C, Boldrini II, Velez-Martin E, Hasenack H (and four other authors) (2015) Grassland degradation and restoration: a conceptual framework of stages and thresholds illustrated by southern Brazilian grasslands. Braz J Nat Conserv 13:95–104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bond W, Zaloumis NP (2016) The deforestation story: testing for anthropogenic origins of Africa’s flammable grassy biomes. Phil Trans R Soc B 371:20150170. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2015.0170

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Botha M, Siebert SJ, van den Berg J (2016) Do arthropod assemblages fit the grassland and savanna biomes of South Africa. S Afr J Sci 112(9/10):10. https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2016/20150424. Art #2015–0424

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burkart A (1975) Evolution of grasses and grasslands in South America. Taxon 24:53–66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cadman M, de Villiers C, Lechmere-Oertel R, McCulloch D (2013) Grassland ecosystem guidelines. Landscape interpretation for planners and managers. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria

    Google Scholar 

  • Camill P, McKone MJ, Sturges ST, Severud WJ, Ellis E et al (2004) Community- and ecosystem-level changes in a species-rich tallgrass prairie restoration. Ecol Appl 14: 1680–1694

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carbutt C, Tau M, Stephens A, Escott B (2011) The conservation status of temperate grasslands in southern Africa. Grassroots 11:17–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Caven AJ, King KC, Wiese JD, Buckley EMB (2017) A descriptive analysis of Regal fritillary (Speyeria idalia) habitat utilizing biological monitoring data along the big bend of the Platte River, NE. J Insect Conserv 21:183–205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Codron D, Hull J, Brink JS, Codron J, Ward D, Clauss M (2011) Effect of competition on niche dynamics of syntopic grazing ungulates: contrasting the predictions of habitat selection models using stable isotope analysis. Evol Ecol Res 13:217–235

    Google Scholar 

  • Eichel S, Fartmann T (2008) Management of calcareous grasslands for Nickerl’s fritillary (Melitaea aurelia) has to consider habitat requirements of the immature stages, isolation, and patch area. J Insect Conserv 12:677–688

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Filz KJ, Engler JO, Stoffels J, Weitzel M, Schmitt T (2013) Missing the target? A critical view on butterfly conservation efforts on calcareous grasslands in south-western Germany. Biodivers Conserv 22:2223–2241

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gauthier DA, Wiken E (1998) The great plains of North America. Parks 8:9–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibson DJ (2009) Grasses and grassland ecology. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Hejcman M, Hejcmanova P, Pavlu V, Benes J (2013) Origin and history of grasslands in Central Europe. Grass Forage Sci 68:345–363

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henry EH, Schultz CB (2013) A first step towards successful conservation: understanding local oviposition site selection of an imperiled butterfly, Mardon skipper. J Insect Conserv 17:183–194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huebschman JJ, Bragg TB (2000) Response of Regal fritillary (Speyeria idalia Drury) to spring burning in an eastern Nebraska tallgrass prairie, USA. Nat Areas J 20:386–388

    Google Scholar 

  • Jefferies B, Silva LN, Dominguez E, Lindley D, Grela I et al (2015) Plantations in grasslands. New Generation Plantations study tour, Argentina/Uruguay, October 2015 (www.newgenerationsplantations.org, accessed October 2018)

  • Jugovic J, Uboni C, Zupan S, Luznik M (2018) Demography of the endangered butterfly Euphydryas aurinia (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae): a case study of populations in sub-Mediterranean dry calcareous grassland. Eur J Entomol 115:493–503

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaiser W, Avenant NL, Haddad CR (2008) Assessing the ecological integrity of a grassland ecosystem: the applicability and rapidity of the SAGraSS method. Afr J Ecol 47:308–317

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knapp AK, Conard SL, Blair JM (1998) Determinants of soil CO2 flux from a sub-humid grassland: effect of fire and fire history. Ecol Appl 8:760–770

    Google Scholar 

  • Krapovickas S, Di Giacomo AS (1998) Conservation of pampas and campos grasslands in Argentina. Parks 8:47–53

    Google Scholar 

  • Little IT, Hockey PAR, Jansen R (2013) A burning issue: fire overrides grazing as a disturbance driver for South African grassland bird and arthropod assemblage structure and diversity. Biol Conserv 158:258–270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Modernel P, Rossing WAH, Corbeels M, Dogliotti S, Picasso V, Tittonell P (2016) Land use change and ecosystem service provision in Pampas and Campos grasslands of southern South America. Environ Res Lett 11:113002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murray TJ, Dickinson KJM, Barratt BIP (2006) Associations between weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidea) and plants, and conservation values in two tussock grasslands, Otago, New Zealand. Biodivers Conserv 15:109–123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Myers MC, Hoksch BJ, Mason JT (2012) Butterfly response to floral resources during early establishment at a heterogeneous prairie biomass production site in Iowa, USA. J Insect Conserv 16:457–472

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nernberg D, Ingstrup D (2005) Prairie conservation in Canada: the prairie conservation action plan experience. USDA For Serv Gen Tech Rep PSW GTR 191:478–484

    Google Scholar 

  • Olsen SL, Evju M, Endrestol A (2018) Fragmentation in calcareous grasslands: species specialization matters. Biodivers Conserv 27:2329–2361

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Opler PA (1981) Management of prairie habitats for insect conservation. Nat Areas J 1:3–6

    Google Scholar 

  • Overbeek GE, Scasta JD, Furquim FF, Boldrini II, Weir JR (2018) The South Brazilian grasslands – a South American tallgrass prairie? Parallels and implications of fire dependency. Perspect Ecol Conserv 16:24–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Patrick BH (2004) Conservation of New Zealand’s tussock grassland moth fauna. J Insect Conserv 8:199–208

    Google Scholar 

  • Pechackova S, Hadincova V, Munzbergiova Z, Herben T, Krahulee F (2010) Restoration of species-rich, nutrient-limited mountain grassland by mowing and fertilization. Restor Ecol 18(S1):166–174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Polus E, Vandewoestijne S, Choutt J, Baguette M (2007) Tracking the effects of one century of habitat loss and fragmentation on calcareous grassland butterfly communities. Biodivers Conserv 16:3423–3436

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poniatowski D, Hertenstein F, Raude N, Gottbehut K, Nickel H, Fartmann T (2018) The invasion of Bromus erectus alters species diversity of vascular plants and leafhoppers in calcareous grasslands. Insect Conserv Divers 11:578–586

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poschlod P, WallisDeVries MF (2002) The historical and socioeconomic perspective of calcareous grasslands – lessons from the distant and recent past. Biol Conserv 104:361–376

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Powell AFLA, Busby WH, Kindscher K (2007) Status of the regal fritillary (Speyeria idalia) and effects of fire management on its abundance in northeastern Kansas, USA. J Insect Conserv 11:299–308

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Samson FB, Knoff FL (1994) Prairie conservation in North America. Bio Sci 44:418–421

    Google Scholar 

  • Shepherd S, Debinski DM (2005) Evaluation of isolated and integrated prairie reconstructions as habitat for prairie butterflies. Biol Conserv 126:51–61

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shorthouse JD, Larson DJ (2010) Grasslands and grassland arthropods of Canada. In: Shorthouse JD, Floate KD (eds) Arthropods of Canadian grasslands (Volume 1): ecology and interactions in grassland habitats. Biological Survey of Canada, Ottawa, pp 1–24

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Streitberger M, Fartmann T (2016) Vegetation heterogeneity caused by an ecosystem engineer drives oviposition-site selection of a threatened grassland insect. Arthr Pl Interact 10:545–555

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sutton RK, Harrington JA, Skabelund L, MacDonagh P, Coffman RR, Koch G (2012) Prairie-based green roofs: literature, templates, and analogs. J Green Building 7:143–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suttie JM, Reynolds SG, Batella C (eds) (2005) Grasslands of the world. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • Swengel AB, Swengel SR (2013) Decline of Hesperia ottoe (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) in northern tallgrass prairie preserves. Insects 4:663–682

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Swengel AB, Swengel SR (2015) Grass-skipper (Hesperiinae) trends in midwestern USA grasslands during 1988-2013. J Insect Conserv 19:279–292

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swengel SR, Schlicht D, Olsen F, Swengel AB (2011) Declines of prairie butterflies in the Midwestern USA. J Insect Conserv 15:327–339

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Swaay CAM (2002) The importance of calcareous grasslands for butterflies in Europe. Biol Conserv 104:315–318

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Swaay C, van Strien A, Harpke A, Fontaine B, Stefanescu C et al (2013) The European grassland butterfly indicator: 1990–2011. Technical report no 11/2013. European Environment Agency, Copenhagen

    Google Scholar 

  • WallisDeVries MF, van Swaay CAM (2009) Grasslands as habitats for butterflies in Europe. In: Veen P, Jefferson R, de Scmidt J, van der Straaten J (eds) Grasslands in Europe of high nature value. KNNV Publishing, Zeist, pp 27–34

    Google Scholar 

  • WallisDeVries MF, Poschlod P, Willems JH (2002) Challenges for the conservation of calcareous grasslands in north-western Europe: integrating the requirements of flora and fauna. Biol Conserv 104:265–273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wenzel M, Schmitt T, Weitzel M, Seitz A (2006) The severe decline of butterflies on western German calcareous grasslands during the last 30 years: a conservation problem. Biol Conserv 128:542–552

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whiles MR, Charlton RE (2006) The ecological significance of tallgrass prairie arthropods. Annu Rev Entomol 51:387–412

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • White EG (2002) New Zealand tussock grassland moths. Manaaki Whenua Press, Lincoln

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

New, T.R. (2019). Intricacies of Grassland Management for Conservation. In: Insect Conservation and Australia’s Grasslands. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22780-7_4

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics