Wildflower habitats in turfgrass systems have variable effects on arthropod functional group abundance over multiple years

Abstract

Urbanization is rapidly influencing the abundance and diversity of arthropods. Within urban systems, managed turfgrass is a prominent cultivated crop which can support certain arthropod populations, but is inadequate for supporting many others. In an effort to mitigate the negative effects of turfgrass on arthropod biodiversity, increasing numbers of land managers are choosing to partially convert turf habitat to wildflower habitat using commercially-available seed mixes. However, the population dynamics of diverse arthropod groups in these systems is poorly known, with consequentially little information on best long-term practices for managing wildflower habitats in turfgrass systems. To address this gap, we sampled arthropods in turfgrass systems pre- and post-implementation of wildflower habitats and examined the change in abundance of multiple taxa and functional groups. Arthropod groups had diverse responses to wildflower habitat implementation, with bees having no significant changes in abundance, butterflies being most abundant one-year post-implementation, and predatory wasps and flies being relatively more abundant one- and two-year post-implementation. These results point to the need for more research on the long-term effects of wildflower habitats on beneficial insects in turfgrass habitats, and how to optimize management of both wildflower habitats and nearby turfgrass to support arthropod biodiversity.