Bernheim Research Forest

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Bernheim Research Forest

• Sara Adams
• Bellarmine College
• 2001 Newburd Rd.
• Louisville, Kentucky 40205

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Managing Prairie Remnants for Insect Conservation
as a Means of Restoring Native Flora
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Objective

• To restore native floral and faunal conditions
  approximating those that existed centuries ago

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Dr. Covell
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Sweeping the Burned Site
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Sweeping the Unburned Site
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Three Most Important Factors When Managing
Prairie Remnants

• Eliminating unnatural landscape
• Maximize habitat diversity
• Burn with restraint

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The Importance of Biomonitoring

• Prevent small insect population extinction
• Makes possible the determination of diversity
  indices
• Allows comparisons of different habitats
• Indicates progress of a given area back to its
  original conditions

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Findings From The Burned Site

• Many more insects collected
• More species relative to the unburned site
• More species of Lepidotera
• Less concentration of spider species

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Findings From the Unburned Site

• Fewer species found
• More dead grass cover
• Presence of more small bushes and saplings
• More spiders
• No lepidoptera species noted

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Conclusion

• It is necessary to closely monitor prairie
  remnants as means of restoring native flora and
  fauna
• There seems to be a strong correlation between
  habitat diversity and insect population densities
  
• Insect populations must be followed to achieve
  native flora