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Landscape and management effects on structure and function of soil arthropod communities in winter wheat

Diekötter, Tim ; Wamser, Sabine ; Wolters, Volkmar and Birkhofer, Klaus LU (2010) In Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 137(1-2). p.108-112
Abstract
This study evaluates the impact of agricultural management (organic vs. conventional) and landscape context on species richness and abundance of five soilarthropod taxa (ground beetles, spiders, springtails, millipedes, woodlice) and associated ecosystem functions (soil biological activity, weed seed predation, litter decomposition). A significant interaction between management type and landscape context was revealed in several cases. Activity density of millipedes and wood lice and species richness of ground beetles were higher in fields where local and regional management types were complementary, indicating a beneficial effect of environmental heterogeneity. In addition, seed predation on arable weeds was higher in organically than... (More)
This study evaluates the impact of agricultural management (organic vs. conventional) and landscape context on species richness and abundance of five soilarthropod taxa (ground beetles, spiders, springtails, millipedes, woodlice) and associated ecosystem functions (soil biological activity, weed seed predation, litter decomposition). A significant interaction between management type and landscape context was revealed in several cases. Activity density of millipedes and wood lice and species richness of ground beetles were higher in fields where local and regional management types were complementary, indicating a beneficial effect of environmental heterogeneity. In addition, seed predation on arable weeds was higher in organically than conventionally managed fields. It is concluded that the effect of agricultural management on soilarthropod biodiversity and functioning is often context dependent. The diversity of functionally important taxa such as ground beetles and decomposers may be enhanced by increasing environmental heterogeneity, a measure that is also beneficial for other components of agrobiodiversity. Thus, in a conventional agricultural context even managing only a fraction of fields organically may help to increase environmental heterogeneity and thereby promote soilarthropod diversity and the associated ecosystem functions. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Agroecosystems, Carabids, Litter decomposition, Organic farming, Seed predation, Spiders
in
Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment
volume
137
issue
1-2
pages
108 - 112
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:77950049241
ISSN
1873-2305
DOI
10.1016/j.agee.2010.01.008
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a3dea7ee-75c1-4c81-a448-462ccfef99ca (old id 2440437)
alternative location
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-77950049241&partnerID=40&md5=ab67cad7d8cffde9719da472ebd93dd3
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:26:51
date last changed
2022-02-10 02:11:46
@article{a3dea7ee-75c1-4c81-a448-462ccfef99ca,
  abstract     = {{This study evaluates the impact of agricultural management (organic vs. conventional) and landscape context on species richness and abundance of five soilarthropod taxa (ground beetles, spiders, springtails, millipedes, woodlice) and associated ecosystem functions (soil biological activity, weed seed predation, litter decomposition). A significant interaction between management type and landscape context was revealed in several cases. Activity density of millipedes and wood lice and species richness of ground beetles were higher in fields where local and regional management types were complementary, indicating a beneficial effect of environmental heterogeneity. In addition, seed predation on arable weeds was higher in organically than conventionally managed fields. It is concluded that the effect of agricultural management on soilarthropod biodiversity and functioning is often context dependent. The diversity of functionally important taxa such as ground beetles and decomposers may be enhanced by increasing environmental heterogeneity, a measure that is also beneficial for other components of agrobiodiversity. Thus, in a conventional agricultural context even managing only a fraction of fields organically may help to increase environmental heterogeneity and thereby promote soilarthropod diversity and the associated ecosystem functions.}},
  author       = {{Diekötter, Tim and Wamser, Sabine and Wolters, Volkmar and Birkhofer, Klaus}},
  issn         = {{1873-2305}},
  keywords     = {{Agroecosystems; Carabids; Litter decomposition; Organic farming; Seed predation; Spiders}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1-2}},
  pages        = {{108--112}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment}},
  title        = {{Landscape and management effects on structure and function of soil arthropod communities in winter wheat}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2010.01.008}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.agee.2010.01.008}},
  volume       = {{137}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}