Insect Biodiversity of Prairie Land Based on Prescribed Fire Plans in Central Iowa

Authors

Katelyn Rodriguez, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

First Advisor

Erin Bauer

Date of this Version

Fall 2025

Document Type

Project

Citation

ENTO 888, MS project

Department of Entomology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2025

Comments

Copyright 2025, Katelyn Rodriguez. Used by permission

Abstract

Introduction

Insects play a crucial role in the prairie ecosystems by helping to maintain a healthy balance in various aspects of human life. They play vital roles in assisting with pest control, waste decomposition, and the pollination of plants and crops (The Nature Conservancy, 2021). Additionally, they can serve as indicators of an environment's health, such as nutrient cycling in water and soil formation in crop fields (The Nature Conservancy, 2021). Insect biodiversity is a crucial component in ensuring our environment is adequately cared for, and in turn, other aspects of life that rely on insect relationships.

In some states, such as Iowa, the majority of the region’s land is used for row crop farming, primarily for corn and soybeans (Edwards, 2024). According to the Iowa Environmental Council, the percentage of land used for agricultural production is 92% (Land Stewardship - Iowa Environmental Council, 2025). This puts a strain on insect populations as the plant diversity of different ecosystems is limited. Conservation efforts are essential in farming states to maintain the balance between plant diversity and insect populations. In Iowa, prescribed fires are a prominent means of preserving prairie land environments; however, they are not directly used to boost insect biodiversity. Prescribed fires are planned and manually controlled fires that are used for land management (U.S. Department of the Interior, 2025). At the local country conservation level, these fires are used to improve tree stand habitat, promote new plant growth, reduce hazardous fuels, and control invasive species (Polk County Iowa, 2025). However, this report will look at whether select planned prescribed fires have any impact on the diversity of insects in public prairie lands. Especially since selected prairies are among the few plots of land that insects can find habitat and native plant species in Iowa (Land Stewardship - Iowa Environmental Council, 2025).