Influence of weather variables and plant communities on grasshopper density in the Southern Pampas, Argentina

A study was conducted to evaluate the influence of weather (precipitation and temperature) and plant communities on grasshopper density over a 14-year period (1996-2009) in Benito Juárez County, Southern Pampas, Argentina. Total density strongly varied among plant communities. Highest values were re...

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Autores principales: Wysiecki, María Laura de, Arturi, Marcelo Fabián, Torrusio, Sandra Edith, Cigliano, María Marta
Formato: Articulo
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 2011
Materias:
Zoología
Acrididae
Community ecology
Pampas
Precipitation
Vegetation
Acceso en línea:http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/84130
Aporte de:
SEDICI (UNLP) de Universidad Nacional de La Plata
id I19-R120-10915-84130
record_format dspace
institution Universidad Nacional de La Plata
institution_str I-19
repository_str R-120
collection SEDICI (UNLP)
language Inglés
topic Zoología
Acrididae
Community ecology
Pampas
Precipitation
Vegetation
spellingShingle Zoología
Acrididae
Community ecology
Pampas
Precipitation
Vegetation
Wysiecki, María Laura de
Arturi, Marcelo Fabián
Torrusio, Sandra Edith
Cigliano, María Marta
Influence of weather variables and plant communities on grasshopper density in the Southern Pampas, Argentina
topic_facet Zoología
Acrididae
Community ecology
Pampas
Precipitation
Vegetation
description A study was conducted to evaluate the influence of weather (precipitation and temperature) and plant communities on grasshopper density over a 14-year period (1996-2009) in Benito Juárez County, Southern Pampas, Argentina. Total density strongly varied among plant communities. Highest values were registered in 2001 and 2003 in highly disturbed pastures and in 2002 and 2009 in halophilous grasslands. Native grasslands had the lowest density values. Seasonal precipitation and temperature had no significant effect on total grasshopper density. Dichroplus elongatus (Giglio-Tos) (Orthoptera: Acridoidea), Covasacris pallidinota (Bruner), Dichroplus pratensis Bruner, Scotussa lemniscata Stål, Borellia bruneri (Rehn) and Dichroplus maculipennis (Blanchard) comprised, on average, 64% of the grasshopper assemblages during low density years and 79% during high density years. Dichroplus elongatus, S. lemniscata and C. pallidinota were the most abundant species in 2001, 2002 and 2003, while D. elongatus, B. brunneri and C. pallidinota in 2009. Dichroplus elongatus and D. pratensis, mixed feeders species, were positively affected by summer rainfall. This suggests that the increase in summer precipitation had a positive effect on the quantity and quality forage production, affecting these grasshopper populations. Scotussa lemniscata and C. pallidinota were negatively affected by winter and fall temperature, possibly affecting the embryonic development before diapause and hatching. Dichroplus elongatus and D. pratensis were associated with highly disturbed pastures, S. lemniscata with pastures and B. bruneri and D. maculipennis with halophilous grasslands. Covasacris pallidinota was closely associated with halophilous grasslands and moderately disturbed pastures. Weather conditions changed over the years, with 2001, 2002 and 2003 having excessive rainfall while 2008 and 2009 were the driest years since the study started. We suggest that although seasonal precipitation and temperature had no significant effect on total grasshopper density, these weather variables and plant communities had differential influence on the dominant grasshopper species.
format Articulo
Articulo
author Wysiecki, María Laura de
Arturi, Marcelo Fabián
Torrusio, Sandra Edith
Cigliano, María Marta
author_facet Wysiecki, María Laura de
Arturi, Marcelo Fabián
Torrusio, Sandra Edith
Cigliano, María Marta
author_sort Wysiecki, María Laura de
title Influence of weather variables and plant communities on grasshopper density in the Southern Pampas, Argentina
title_short Influence of weather variables and plant communities on grasshopper density in the Southern Pampas, Argentina
title_full Influence of weather variables and plant communities on grasshopper density in the Southern Pampas, Argentina
title_fullStr Influence of weather variables and plant communities on grasshopper density in the Southern Pampas, Argentina
title_full_unstemmed Influence of weather variables and plant communities on grasshopper density in the Southern Pampas, Argentina
title_sort influence of weather variables and plant communities on grasshopper density in the southern pampas, argentina
publishDate 2011
url http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/84130
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