Tree cover mediates the effect on rapeseed leaf damage of excluding predatory arthropods, but in an unexpected way

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

Birds and predatory arthropods are often implicated in pest control, but their relative impact and how this is mediated by variation in tree cover requires elucidation. We excluded birds and ground predatory arthropods from rapeseed plants in 2.5. ×. 1. m plots in 26 homegardens in Ethiopia, leaving the same sized control plots. From six groups of plants in bird exclosure and control plots, respectively, three groups were excluded from ground predatory arthropods. Data on leaf damage were surveyed four times at weekly intervals. The tree cover and land-use composition within 100. ×. 100. m surrounding each plots were recorded in the field and from a satellite image within 200 and 500. m buffer zones. The results show that the mean leaf damage was higher on rapeseed plants from which predatory arthropods were excluded than on control plants. However, excluding birds had no or only a weak impact on leaf damage. The mean leaf damage within predatory arthropod exclosures decreased with increasing tree, forest and perennial cover but increased with increasing grazing land cover and annual crop cover, while on control plants it was low across the tree cover variation. This pattern may indicate the presence of a higher density of herbivores on rapeseed plants and also more predatory arthropods (i.e., to control them) in tree-poor homegardens compared to tree-rich homegardens. Hence, tree-poor homegardens in this landscape have sufficient habitat heterogeneity to support natural enemies to deliver significant pest control on rapeseed. Our results show that there was variation in the dynamics of pests and predatory arthropods across the tree cover variation, suggesting changes in landscape composition could affect the pest control services and the outcomes for local farmers.

Original languageEnglish
JournalAgriculture, Ecosystems and Environment
Volume211
Pages (from-to)57-64
Number of pages8
ISSN0167-8809
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15.12.2015

Recently viewed

Publications

  1. Hybrid models for future event prediction
  2. Hot forging behavior of Mg−8Al−4Ba−4Ca (ABaX844) alloy and validation of processing map
  3. Scaffolding, software and scenarios
  4. NIF4OGGD - NLP interchange format for open German governmental data
  5. The Politics of (Non)Knowledge in the (Un)Making of Migration
  6. Function, flexibility, and responsibility
  7. Effect of the Zn content on the compression behaviour of Mg5Nd(Zn)
  8. A sensitive microsystem as biosensor for cell growth monitoring and antibiotic testing
  9. Influences of yttrium content on microstructure and mechanical properties of as-cast Mg–Ca–Y–Zr alloys
  10. Structural ambidexterity, transition processes, and integration trade‐offs: a longitudinal study of failed exploration
  11. Influence of Effective Two- and Three-Particle Interactions on Atomic Fine Structure in Mixed Configurations (5d +6s)N
  12. Networking the environment
  13. Combination of a reduced order state observer and an Extended Kalman Filter for Peltier cells
  14. The Role of Public Participation in Managing Uncertainty in the Implementation of the Water Framework Directive
  15. Sonnenscheinchen
  16. A transfer operator based numerical investigation of coherent structures in three-dimensional Southern ocean circulation
  17. Race and/as Technology; or, How to do Things to Race
  18. Final departure
  19. Systematische modellbasierte Bestandsdimensionierung
  20. Better performance of organic than conventional tomato varieties in single and mixed cropping
  21. Addressing the complexity of water chemistry in environmental fate modeling for engineered nanoparticles
  22. The productivity effect of temporary agency work
  23. Vehicle routing planning with joint distribution
  24. Advances in Laser Positioning of Machine Vision System and Their Impact on 3D Coordinates Measurement
  25. Resource selection by sympatric wild equids in the Mongolian Gobi
  26. Letters to the editor
  27. Natality ‒ Philosophical Rudiments concerning a Generative Phenomenology
  28. Risk aversion and labour market outcomes
  29. Non-linear effects of comparison income in quit decisions: status versus signal !
  30. Later Life Workplace Index: Validation of an English Version
  31. Elterliche Milieus
  32. Gemeinsam für das Klima
  33. Testing for Economies of Scope in European Railways
  34. Self-regulated learning and self assessment in online mathematics bridging courses
  35. Determiner Ellipsis in Electronic Writing - Discourse or Syntax?
  36. Scandinavia, Blacks in
  37. “We cannot let this happen again”
  38. Eco-Innovation in SMEs
  39. A leverage points perspective on social networks to understand sustainability transformations
  40. The Eschatical Perfection of the World in God