Effects of Prescribed Fire on Soil Invertebrate Diversity and Abundance at the McLoud Memorial Forest in Portage County WI, USA
Lily Provost Ecosystem Restoration and Management
Ian Ollhoff Soil Science and Land Management
As the implementation of prescribed burning on fire adapted ecosystems is gaining traction across the country, it’s important to consider the implications burn frequency and intensity may have on populations of organisms in the soil, which contribute to reestablishment of plant communities and overall ecosystem biodiversity. The goal of this study was to observe how soil invertebrate communities are altered in a forest managed with a fixed burn regime. In October of 2025, 30 sample locations with correlating habitat types were established between control and burned sites maintained on a 3 year interval in a mixed coniferous/ hardwood stand, the last burn taking place in 2023. At each location, leaf litter and soil samples were extracted. Once samples were taken into the lab, Burlese-tullgren funnels were used to extract invertebrates from soil and litter. A total of 5,709 invertebrates were counted from the site. Shannon and Simpsons Diversity indices were used to assess the overall effect that prescribed burning has had on the local invertebrate communities. It is predicted that the burned unit will have overall lower diversity and abundance, indicating a low-intensity fire cycle may disrupt invertebrate communities by burning through organic layers that are relied upon for habitat and fuel. To get a clear scope of fire effects, the experiment will need to be repeated in fall after the unit is burned in Spring 2026. It is predicted there will be a greater decrease in diversity and resampling will illustrate how communities are affected directly after fire.
Advisors: Bryant Scharenbroch, Ph.D.
Subject Area: Soil Science Fire Ecology
Type: Poster
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Jim and Katie Krause CNR Student Research Symposium
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