scholarly journals The impact of reduced tillage and distance to field margin on predator functional diversity

Author(s):  
Stine K. Jacobsen ◽  
Lene Sigsgaard ◽  
Anna B. Johansen ◽  
Kristian Thorup-Kristensen ◽  
Per M. Jensen

Abstract Introduction Agricultural intensification results in biodiversity loss through land conversion and management practices which negatively impact arthropods. The abundance and diversity of ground-dwelling predators, e.g. ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and spiders (Araneae), are negatively affected by soil disturbances such as tillage. Reducing soil disturbances can potentially conserve arthropod populations in the field and reduce the use of chemical pest controls. The present study investigated the ground-dwelling predatory community using pitfall traps in cereal fields with three different levels of soil disturbance: conventional tillage, reduced tillage and no tillage under Conservation Agriculture management, in 2018 and 2019. Pitfall traps were placed in transects from the field margins. Overall, the activity-density of ground-dwelling predators was higher in fields with minimum soil disturbance and generally declined with increased distance to semi-natural habitats. Functional diversity, expressed by the body size of ground beetles, was also affected by soil disturbances; large ground beetles more consistently occurred in CA, while few or none of the largest ground beetles were found in RT and CT. A higher sample-heterogeneity in less disturbed fields was indicated by a more variable median and higher skewness in the number of predators in those fields. In 2019 only, species diversity was higher along field edges bordering semi-natural habitats when compared to the cropped area. Our results show that reduced tillage supports predator arthropod communities at a local scale: It also bolsters agro-ecosystem resilience by promoting a higher activity-density and by increasing the heterogeneity and functional diversity of ground-dwelling predators. Implications for insect conservation The results obtained in the present study show that soil disturbances significantly influence arthropod abundance and diversity. Conservation of epigeic natural enemies in the agricultural landscape is improved by reducing soil-disturbing events such as tillage.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Petr Zajicek ◽  
Ellen A. R. Welti ◽  
Nathan J. Baker ◽  
Kathrin Januschke ◽  
Oliver Brauner ◽  
...  

AbstractWhile much of global biodiversity is undoubtedly under threat, the responses of ecological communities to changing climate, land use intensification, and long-term changes in both taxonomic and functional diversity over time, has still not been fully explored for many taxonomic groups, especially invertebrates. We compiled time series of ground beetles covering the past two decades from 40 sites located in five regions across Germany. We calculated site-based trends for 21 community metrics representing taxonomic and functional diversity of ground beetles, activity density (a proxy for abundance), and activity densities of functional groups. We assessed both overall and regional temporal trends and the influence of the global change drivers of temperature, precipitation, and land use on ground beetle communities. While we did not detect overall temporal changes in ground beetle taxonomic and functional diversity, taxonomic turnover changed within two regions, illustrating that community change at the local scale does not always correspond to patterns at broader spatial scales. Additionally, ground beetle activity density had a unimodal response to both annual precipitation and land use. Limited temporal change in ground beetle communities may indicate a shifting baseline, where community degradation was reached prior to the start of our observation in 1999. In addition, nonlinear responses of animal communities to environmental change present a challenge when quantifying temporal trends.


2005 ◽  
Vol 137 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael D. Ulyshen ◽  
James L. Hanula ◽  
Scott Horn

Pitfall traps provide an easy and inexpensive way to sample ground-dwelling arthropods (Spence and Niemela 1994; Spence et al. 1997; Abildsnes and Tommeras 2000) and have been used exclusively in many studies of the abundance and diversity of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae). Despite the popularity of this trapping technique, pitfall traps have many disadvantages. For example, they often fail to collect both small (Spence and Niemela 1994) and “trap-shy” species (Benest 1989), eventually deplete the local carabid population (Digweed et al. 1995), require a species to be ground-dwelling in order to be captured (Liebherr and Mahar 1979), and produce different results depending on trap diameter and material, type of preservative used, and trap placement (Greenslade 1964; Luff 1975; Work et al. 2002).


2001 ◽  
Vol 37 (No. 3) ◽  
pp. 97-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Honěk ◽  
Z. Martinková

The preference of adult polyphagous ground beetles (Carabidae, Coleoptera) for winter rape seeds was investigated using an indirect method. Rape seeds were scattered around pitfall traps. The catches of carabid beetles in these traps and control traps without seeds were compared. The traps were exposed in two stands of winter wheat. In the wheat stand where overall carabid activity density was high, the presence of rape seeds significantly increased the catches of total seed-eating carabids, and of the two species Pseudoophonus rufipes and Calathus fuscipes. The effect was not significant in the other wheat stand where activity density was low. The aggregation of carabids at places with winter rape seeds indicated the importance of carabid predation on seeds scattered on the ground.


Weed Science ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 828-838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rocio van der Laat ◽  
Micheal D. K. Owen ◽  
Matt Liebman ◽  
Ramon G. Leon

Field experiments were conducted near Boone, IA, to quantify postdispersal seed predation of common lambsquarters and common waterhemp in corn (2003) and soybean (2004) managed with conventional, reduced, and zero-tillage systems. Seed predation in each tillage regime was quantified using selective exclusion treatments during July through September 2003 and June through October 2004. In addition, the activity density of ground-dwelling invertebrates was estimated with pitfall traps. Choice and no-choice feeding trials were conducted in the laboratory using the most abundant weed seed predators found in the field to determine seed preferences of the potential predator organisms. The greatest seed loss occurred during July and August. In 2003, seed predation was lower in zero tillage than in conventional and reduced tillages, but no differences in seed predation between tillage regimes were observed in 2004. Maximum seed predation for common lambsquarters was 53% in 2003 and 64% in 2004. Common waterhemp seed predation reached 80% in 2003 and 85% in 2004. The majority of seed predation was by invertebrate organisms. The most common invertebrate species captured with pitfall traps were field crickets (Gryllus pennsylvanicusDe Geer [Gryllidae, Orthoptera]) and ground beetles (Harpalus pensylvanicusBurmeister [Coleoptera, Carabidae]). In 2003, field crickets were relatively more abundant in conventional and reduced tillage than in zero-tillage plots. In 2004, field crickets were more abundant in the reduced tillage than in the other two tillage regimes. No differences were detected for ground beetles among tillage regimes (P = 0.57). Choice and no-choice feeding experiments confirmed the preferences of field crickets and ground beetles for common lambsquarters and common waterhemp seeds over the larger seeds of giant foxtail and velvetleaf. Under field conditions, the activity density of field crickets was a significant predictor of common lambsquarters (r2= 0.47) and common waterhemp (r2= 0.53) seed predation. Positive relationships were also detected between the activity density of ground beetles and common lambsquarters (r2= 0.30) and common waterhemp (r2= 0.30) seed predation. This research demonstrated that weed seed predation is an important component affecting weed seedbanks and that crop management practices that favor the activity of predators such as field crickets or ground beetles could influence weed populations. Also, the results suggested that tillage is more important in determining the number of weed seeds available on the soil surface to predators than directly affecting predator activity density.


1995 ◽  
Vol 127 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Héctor A. Cárcamo ◽  
Jari K. Niemalä ◽  
John R. Spence

AbstractWe studied the effects of agricultural practice on ground beetles, using pitfall traps in field plots and in an uncultivated meadow near Edmonton, Alberta. Ground beetle abundance and species richness were higher in plots operated under an organic farming regime than in those under a chemical regime, but neither crop type [barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), faba bean (Vicia faba L.), barley-pea (Pisum sativum L.) intercrop] nor crop rotation had an effect. Reduced tillage did not significantly change overall carabid activity or species richness but species differed in their response to tillage treatments. The carabid assemblage from an uncultivated field differed conspicuously from assemblages in the crops and fescue. Carabid abundance was highest in the meadow and the fauna was dominated by the exotic species Pterostichus melanarius Illiger. Effects of agronomic practice on carabid assemblages are complex, reflecting the interaction of biological traits of particular species and the combination of agronomic treatments applied.


2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 269-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dóra Szekeres ◽  
Ferenc Kádár ◽  
József Kiss

To compare carabid assemblages from transgenic Bt- and isogenic maize in Hungary, we used pitfall traps in an experiment (30x30 m plots, arranged alternately in 6 replications), during the growing season of maize during 2001—2003. We captured altogether 44,103 individuals of 58 species. The most common species in our sampling were Calatlzus ambiguus, Doliclzus halensis, Harpalus distinguendus, H rufipes, Poecilus sericeus and Treclius quadristriatus. The same species dominated both in the Bt- and in the isogenic maize plots. Under our test conditions (plot size and 3 years of sampling), no significant differences were found either in the structural characteristics (number of individuals, number of species and diversity), activity density or seasonal activity patterns ofthe dominant species.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tibor Magura ◽  
Bela Tóthmérész

Habitat edges are increasingly important worldwide because of forest fragmentation and the loss of natural habitats. Reduction in habitat area, increased isolation of fragments are considered to be the primary cause of species decline and extinction in fragmented landscapes. Edge effect is a key determinant, since most effects of fragmentation attributed to patch area may be scaled-up edge effect. Moreover, the isolation of patches is basically determined by the filter function (permeability) of edges. The distance that edge effects extend into the adjacent core (interior) habitat (the depth of edge influence, DEI) is a central issue in edge studies, as it fundamentally influences environmental properties, composition and structure of core habitats, all which significantly control species occurrences. Most previous studies on DEI neglected the impact of origin and the processes maintaining edges, although the structural and functional properties of edges determined by their history may modulate the permeability of edges, and consequently DEI. Evaluating available information on ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in forest edges, we show that both species traits and edge history affect DEI on ground beetles. We found that DEI on abundance of herbivore, omnivore and predator ground beetle species is similar in natural edges, and edges maintained by agriculture, while it is generally penetrated over greater distances into the forests across edges repeatedly disturbed by forestry or other anthropogenic interventions than across edges maintained by natural processes. We found extreme edge effect across edges under forestry activities, as DEI on abundance of predator species is penetrated into the forest interiors up to ≤ 300 m. According to our findings DEI is more pronounced for predators and across edges created and maintained by forestry operations, suggesting outstanding sensitivity of higher trophic level organisms to fragmentation caused by forestry activities. Our result suggests that in planning the optimal size and shape of fragments for ecosystem-based forest management, to provide a core zone, a minimum area of 50 ha of circular forest fragments is required for maintaining an intact ground beetle assemblage.


Weed Science ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 442-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda F. Shearin ◽  
S. Chris Reberg-Horton ◽  
Eric R. Gallandt

Cover crop systems were investigated in 2004 and 2005 for their effects on the activity-density (a function of movement and density) of a promising group of weed biocontrol organisms, the ground beetles collectively known as carabids, with particular emphasis on a beneficial carabid speciesHarpalus rufipesDeGeer. MarkedH. rufipesreleased into pea/oat–rye/vetch cover crop plots were more than twice as likely to be recaptured within the same plots as beetles released in nonvegetated fallow plots (18 and 8%, respectively). Marked beetles released into fallow plots were more than twice as likely to leave their plots and be recaptured in pea/oat–rye/vetch plots as vice versa (13 vs. 5%), indicating a clear preference for habitat with vegetative cover. Overall recapture rates were not different between treatments. UnmarkedH. rufipesactivity-density was also higher in pea/oat–rye/vetch compared to fallow plots. Additionally, five cover crop systems, including the fallow and pea/oat–rye/vetch treatments, and two residue management methods (conventional and zone tillage) were investigated from June to August in 2005 for their effects onH. rufipesactivity-density. Corn was planted in 2005 into residues of the five cover crop systems grown in 2004.H. rufipesactivity-density was higher in zone and conventionally tilled corn planted in pea/oat–rye/vetch residues and conventionally tilled corn planted in red clover/oat residues than in any other cover crop and residue management combination. Pea/oat–rye/vetch cover crop systems are apparently beneficial forH. rufipesduring the cover crop year as well as in subsequent crops planted into this cover crop's residues. This system was not the least disturbed system but, based on the number of tillage events, represented a medium level of disturbance among the various systems. Thus, some level of disturbance might be beneficial forH. rufipes, but how and when that soil disturbance occurs requires further research to determine the best means of conserving this species.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 15364-15369
Author(s):  
Animesh Talukdar ◽  
Bivash Pandav ◽  
Parag Nigam

Interactions between wildlife and livestock have increased over time with increased anthropogenic pressure on limited available natural habitats.  These interactions have resulted in sharing of pathogens between the species resulting in impacting the wild animals’ fitness and reproduction and further influencing their abundance and diversity.  The spatial overlap between Swamp Deer and livestock was studied at Jhilmil Jheel Conservation Reserve (JJCR), Uttarakhand and Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary (KWLS), Uttar Pradesh in India, having different levels of interaction with livestock.  The prevalence, load and commonality of gastro-intestinal parasites in the species was studied through coprological examination. Parasitic ova of Strongyle sp., Trichostrongylus sp., Fasciola sp., and Moniezia sp. Amphistomes were encountered in swamp deer and livestock from both the sites. The parasitic species richness and prevalence however, varied between JJCR and KWLS.  The study recorded significant differences between the parasitic load in Swamp Deer with the eggs per gram of 487.5±46.30 at JJCR and 363.64±49.97 at KWLS at varying levels of livestock interactions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 5355
Author(s):  
Vilém Pechanec ◽  
Ondřej Cudlín ◽  
Miloš Zapletal ◽  
Jan Purkyt ◽  
Lenka Štěrbová ◽  
...  

Global and regional biodiversity loss is caused by several drivers including urban development, land use intensification, overexploitation of natural resources, environmental pollution, and climate change. The main aim of our study was to adapt the GLOBIO3 model to the conditions of the Czech Republic (CR) to assess loss of naturalness and biodiversity vulnerability at the habitat level on a detailed scale across the entire CR. An additional aim was to assess the main drivers affecting the biodiversity of habitat types. The GLOBIO3 model was adapted to CZ-GLOBIO by adapting global to local scales and using habitat quality and naturalness data instead of species occurrence data. The total mean species abundance (MSA) index of habitat quality, calculated from the spatial overlay of the four MSA indicators by our new equation, reached the value 0.62. The total value of MSA for natural and near-natural habitats was found to be affected mainly by infrastructure development and fragmentation. Simultaneously, intensity of land use change and atmospheric nitrogen deposition contributed primarily to the low total value of MSA for distant natural habitats. The CZ-GLOBIO model can be an important tool in political decision making to reduce the impact of the main drivers on habitat biodiversity in the CR.


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