Data from: Attracted by higher crude protein, grasshopper abundance and offtake increase after prescribed fire

This study examined how indirect fire effects (improved forage quality) affect the density of and offtake by grasshoppers at two different times since fire and in unburned plots. Data include total aboveground forage removal inside and outside grasshopper exclosures, crude protein content of aboveground plant material, and grasshopper densities throughout the study period. Both forage offtake and grasshopper density were significantly higher in burned plots compared to unburned plots. Burned plot grasshopper density increased over time, with greater rates of increase in recently burned plots, while density remained constant in unburned locations. These density and offtake patterns appear to be the result of higher crude protein content in burned plots, on account of them having a much higher proportion of recent growth after fire removed aboveground senesced material.

本研究探讨了间接火烧效应（即提升的饲草品质）在火烧后两个不同时间节点以及未火烧样地中，对蝗虫种群密度及蝗虫饲草采食量的影响。本数据集涵盖蝗虫排除笼（grasshopper exclosures）内外的总地上饲草移除量、地上植物材料的粗蛋白（crude protein）含量，以及整个研究周期内的蝗虫种群密度。研究结果显示，相较于未火烧样地，火烧样地的饲草采食量与蝗虫种群密度均显著更高。火烧样地的蝗虫种群密度随时间推移逐步上升，其中近期火烧样地的种群增长速率更快；而未火烧样地的蝗虫种群密度则始终保持稳定。上述种群密度与采食量的分布格局，大概率源于火烧样地更高的粗蛋白含量：火烧移除了地上枯败组织后，样地内新生植株占比大幅提升，进而改善了饲草品质。