干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Prescribed burns during the summer removed dead material and litter and disrupted the spittlebug (Aeneolamia albofasciata Lall.) life cycle. Buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris L.) total green biomass production was greater when fire was applied immediately after the initiation of the summer rainy season. Early summer burns when the insect is between the second and the third nymphal stages, reduced the nymph and adult populations by 95% and 100%, respectively. Buffelgrass densities increased when burns were applied before egg hatch, immediately after egg hatch and between de 2 and 3 nymphal instars. Plant densities decreased when burns were applied after buffelgrass began summer growth and when buffel was unburned.