TY - JOUR
T1 - Responses of predatory invertebrates to seeding density and plant species richness in experimental tallgrass prairie restorations
AU - Nemec, Kristine T.
AU - Allen, Craig R.
AU - Danielson, Stephen D.
AU - Helzer, Christopher J.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Katy Dornbos, Michelle Hellman, and Elizabeth Manley for their assistance with fieldwork and processing of invertebrate specimens, including identification of ladybird beetles. John Nemec assisted with installing pitfall traps. We thank those who made taxonomic determinations of ants (James Trager, James Kalisch, André Francoeur, Elizabeth Manley), spiders (Hank Guarisco), and ground beetles (Foster Purrington and Peter Messer). We also thank The Nature Conservancy for site access and lodging. An earlier version of this manuscript was improved by comments from Steve Spomer and LaReesa Wolfenbarger. Financial support for this project was provided by the James S. McDonnell Foundation , a State Wildlife Grant from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission , a Center for Great Plains Studies grant, and a J.E. Weaver Grant from The Nature Conservancy . Kristine Nemec received support through the National Science Foundation Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln ( NSF #0903469 ). The Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit is jointly supported by a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Geological Survey, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Wildlife Management Institute. Reference to trade names does not imply endorsement by the authors or the U.S. Government.
PY - 2014/1/15
Y1 - 2014/1/15
N2 - In recent decades, agricultural producers and non-governmental organizations have restored thousands of hectares of former cropland in the central United States with native grasses and forbs. However, the ability of these grassland restorations to attract predatory invertebrates has not been well documented, even though predators provide an important ecosystem service to agricultural producers by naturally regulating herbivores. This study assessed the effects of plant richness and seeding density on the richness and abundance of surface-dwelling (ants, ground beetles, and spiders) and aboveground (ladybird beetles) predatory invertebrates. In the spring of 2006, twenty-four 55. m. ×. 55. m-plots were planted to six replicates in each of four treatments: high richness (97 species typically planted by The Nature Conservancy), at low and high seeding densities, and low richness (15 species representing a typical Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Reserve Program mix, CP25), at low and high seeding densities. Ants, ground beetles, and spiders were sampled using pitfall traps and ladybird beetles were sampled using sweep netting in 2007-2009. The abundance of ants, ground beetles, and spiders showed no response to seed mix richness or seeding density but there was a significant positive effect of richness on ladybird beetle abundance. Seeding density had a significant positive effect on ground beetle and spider species richness and Shannon-Weaver diversity. These results may be related to differences in the plant species composition and relative amount of grass basal cover among the treatments rather than richness.
AB - In recent decades, agricultural producers and non-governmental organizations have restored thousands of hectares of former cropland in the central United States with native grasses and forbs. However, the ability of these grassland restorations to attract predatory invertebrates has not been well documented, even though predators provide an important ecosystem service to agricultural producers by naturally regulating herbivores. This study assessed the effects of plant richness and seeding density on the richness and abundance of surface-dwelling (ants, ground beetles, and spiders) and aboveground (ladybird beetles) predatory invertebrates. In the spring of 2006, twenty-four 55. m. ×. 55. m-plots were planted to six replicates in each of four treatments: high richness (97 species typically planted by The Nature Conservancy), at low and high seeding densities, and low richness (15 species representing a typical Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Reserve Program mix, CP25), at low and high seeding densities. Ants, ground beetles, and spiders were sampled using pitfall traps and ladybird beetles were sampled using sweep netting in 2007-2009. The abundance of ants, ground beetles, and spiders showed no response to seed mix richness or seeding density but there was a significant positive effect of richness on ladybird beetle abundance. Seeding density had a significant positive effect on ground beetle and spider species richness and Shannon-Weaver diversity. These results may be related to differences in the plant species composition and relative amount of grass basal cover among the treatments rather than richness.
KW - Ecosystem services
KW - Grassland restoration
KW - Natural enemies
KW - Plant richness
KW - Predatory invertebrates
KW - Tallgrass prairie
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U2 - 10.1016/j.agee.2013.10.024
DO - 10.1016/j.agee.2013.10.024
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84887663217
SN - 0167-8809
VL - 183
SP - 11
EP - 20
JO - Agro-Ecosystems
JF - Agro-Ecosystems
ER -