The Influence of Habitat Manipulations on Beneficial Ground-Dwelling Arthropods in a Southeast US Organic Cropping System

摘要: Habitat manipulations, intentional provisioning of natural vegetation along crop edges, have been shown to enhance beneficial epigaeic invertebrate activity in many agricultural settings, but little research has conducted on this practice the southeast United States. We a field-scale study determine if habitat manipulations field edges an organic rotation increase activity-density ground-dwelling invertebrates. Pitfall traps were used collect micro and macro organisms nine fields (three each maize, soybeans, hay; 2.5-4.0 ha each) surrounded by four experimental (planted native grass prairie flowers, planted flowers only, fallow vegetation, or mowed vegetation) during 2009 2010 eastern North Carolina. Beneficial invertebrates collected these pitfall consisted primarily Carabidae, Araneae, Collembola, mite species. Results show that had effect dominant our system. Our results suggest instead determined combination in-field characteristics, such as type, weed management practices, within-field resources, with diversity type neighboring availability other resources area.