Can arable field margins be managed to enhance their biodiversity, conservation and functional value for soil macrofauna?

Abstract

Summary 1.The establishment of grassy strips at the margins of arable fields is an agri-environment scheme that aims to provide resources for native flora and fauna and thus increase farmland biodiversity. These margins can be managed to target certain groups, such as farmland birds and pollinators, but the impact of such management on the soil fauna has been poorly studied. This study assessed the effect of seed mix and management on the biodiversity, conservation and functional value of field margins for soil macrofauna. 2. Experimental margin plots were established in 2001 in a winter wheat field in Cambridgeshire, UK, using a factorial design of three seed mixes and three management practices [spring cut, herbicide application and soil disturbance (scarification)]. In spring and autumn 2005, soil cores taken from the margin plots and the crop were hand-sorted for soil macrofauna. The Lumbricidae, Isopoda, Chilopoda, Diplopoda, Carabidae and Staphylinidae were identified to species and classified according to feeding type. 3. Diversity in the field margins was generally higher than in the crop, with the Lumbricidae, Isopoda and Coleoptera having significantly more species and/or higher abundances in the margins. Within the margins, management had a significant effect on the soil macrofauna, with scarified plots containing lower abundances and fewer species of Isopods. The species composition of the scarified plots was similar to that of the crop. 4. Scarification also reduced soil-and litter-feeder abundances and predator species densities, although populations appeared to recover by the autumn, probably as a result of dispersal from neighbouring plots and boundary features. The implications of the responses of these feeding groups for ecosystem services are discussed. 5. Synthesis and applications . This study shows that the management of agri-environment schemes can significantly influence their value for soil macrofauna. In order to encourage the litter-dwelling invertebrates that tend to be missing from arable systems, agri-environment schemes should aim to minimize soil cultivation and develop a substantial surface litter layer. However, this may conflict with other aims of these schemes, such as enhancing floristic and pollinator diversity.

Agricultural intensification and biodiversity partitioning in European landscapes comparing plants, carabids, and birds

“…The more mobile taxa had, on average, less similar communities on the field and farm level than plants (Table 4), i.e., a field and b field represented a greater proportion of c diversity for carabids, and a farm , b farm , and b region represented a greater proportion of c diversity for birds in comparison to plants. One possible explanation are spillover effects from the adjacent non-crop habitats for more mobile taxa, which could lead to variance in the local species composition (Hendrickx et al 2009), as supported by several studies stressing the importance of the surrounding landscape and field margins for the within field carabid community (Denys and Tscharntke 2002, Purtauf et al 2005, Schweiger et al 2005, Hendrickx et al 2007, Bata´ry et al 2008, Smith et al 2008. Likewise, the importance of species-rich field margins and seminatural habitats for within-field species richness has already been shown for many other arthropod taxa depending on body size (ability for mobility; , Schweiger et al 2005, Holland et al 2009) and farmland birds (Vickery et al 2002.…”

Invertebrates in field margins: taxonomic group diversity and functional group abundance in relation to age

“…To benefit farmers, then, these margins need to be managed differently. Since scarification, in particular, can be detrimental to many soil and ground-dwelling organisms (Smith et al 2008b), re-establishing margins will not be the best option. An alternative is to introduce a hay-making management regime, with the vegetation being cut once a year, for example (Hovd and Skogen 2005;De Cauwer et al 2005;Manhoudt et al 2007).…”

“…A well-developed detritivore assemblage is essential for decomposition and enhancement of soil structure (Ekschmitt and Griffiths 1998), thus promoting healthier soils. In addition, this invertebrate group in particular represents species unable to persist in arable fields, as a litter layer is generally absent there (Smith et al 2008b). Old field margins with high standing biomass will therefore represent true refuge habitats for these invertebrates.…”

Quantifying Trade-Offs Among Ecosystem Services, Biodiversity, and Agricultural Returns in an Agriculturally Dominated Landscape Under Future Land‑Management Scenarios

“…For example, fields with uncultivated margins have higher plant and moth diversity as well as more diverse soil macrofauna (Pickett and Bugg 1998;Smith et al 2008;Merckx et al 2009). Hedgerows have been associated with higher bird and moth diversity, provide movement corridors for fauna and host natural enemies that control agricultural pests (Swinton et al 2006).…”