Presented by: Dr. Emily Geest, Oklahoma City Zoo
Date: December 16, 2025, 1:00 – 2:00 PM (central time)
Register here (required): https://umsystem.zoom.us/meeting/register/36aH-3iZRBuw5h76KDoW8g
Webinar abstract: Grassland butterflies are undergoing worldwide population declines due to habitat loss and degradation. To manage remaining grasslands, patch-burn grazing, prescribed fire, and mowing/haying are commonly implemented management practices across the southern Great Plains. However, the impact of management on the butterfly communities is complex, and the effects of different management regimes on butterfly communities are not clear. This research investigated the impact of time since prescribed fire and season of fire on butterfly communities and butterfly floral resources in cattle-grazed rangelands in north-central Oklahoma. Butterfly species richness and diversity as well as butterfly floral resources varied by treatment suggesting that while one management treatment may not be adequate for all species, a patch-burn grazing approach to management has the potential to benefit a wider range of species.
