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Enhancing the diversity of breeding invertebrates within field margins of intensively managed grassland: Effects of alternative management practices
Fritch, Rochelle A. Sheridan, Helen Finn, John A. McCormack, Stephen Ó hUallacháin, Daire
Fritch, Rochelle A.
Sheridan, Helen
Finn, John A.
McCormack, Stephen
Ó hUallacháin, Daire
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2017-10-19
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Fritch, Rochelle & Sheridan, Helen & Finn, John & Mccormack, Stephen & Huallacháin, D.. (2017). Enhancing the diversity of breeding invertebrates within field margins of intensively managed grassland: Effects of alternative management practices. Ecology and Evolution. 7. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3302
Abstract
Severe declines in biodiversity have been well documented for many taxonomic
groups due to intensification of agricultural practices. Establishment and appropriate
management of arable field margins can improve the diversity and abundance of invertebrate groups; however, there is much less research on field margins within grassland
systems. Three grassland field margin treatments (fencing off the existing vegetation
“fenced”; fencing with rotavation and natural regeneration “rotavated” and; fencing
with rotavation and seeding “seeded”) were compared to a grazed control in the adjacent intensively managed pasture. Invertebrates were sampled using emergence traps
to investigate species breeding and overwintering within the margins. Using a manipulation experiment, we tested whether the removal of grazing pressure and nutrient
inputs would increase the abundance and richness of breeding invertebrates within
grassland field margins. We also tested whether field margin establishment treatments, with their different vegetation communities, would change the abundance and
richness of breeding invertebrates in the field margins. Exclusion of grazing and nutrient inputs led to increased abundance and richness in nearly all invertebrate groups
that we sampled. However, there were more complex effects of field margin establishment treatment on the abundance and richness of invertebrate taxa. Each of the three
establishment treatments supported a distinct invertebrate community. The removal
of grazing from grassland field margins provided a greater range of overwintering/
breeding habitat for invertebrates. We demonstrate the capacity of field margin establishment to increase the abundance and richness in nearly all invertebrate groups in
study plots that were located on previously more depauperate areas of intensively
managed grassland. These results from grassland field margins provide evidence to
support practical actions that can inform Greening (Pillar 1) and agri-environment
measures (Pillar 2) of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Before implementing specific management regimes, the conservation aims of agri-environment measures
should be clarified by defining the target species or taxonomic groups.