Abundance of Grasshoppers in Relation to Rangeland Renovation Practices

Abstract

This study was conducted during a 3-year period, 1969-1971, in northcentral Montana to determine the effect of the rangeland renovation practices of scalping, interseeding, contour furrowing, and spraying sagebrush with 2,4-D and the resulting vegetational changes on grasshopper (Acrididae: Orthoptera) species and abundance. Spraying for control of sagebrush with 2 lb of 2,4-D ester in 6 gal $H_{2}O/acre$ only slightly reduced grasshopper abundance during the first 3 postspray years. However, contour furrowing, scalping, and interseeding in general adversely affected the habitat of most grasshopper species, probably because of changes in the abundance of preferred food plants. The influence of parasites, predators, and pathogens on abundance appeared to be slight.