Not All Field Margins Are Equally Useful: Effects of the Vegetation Structure of Margins on Cereal Aphids and Their Natural Enemies
Differences in the semi-natural vegetation of field margins will affect the biological control services derived from the presence of these semi-natural habitats adjacent to fields. Of the plant functional traits that are most relevant for insects, plant life forms reflect different aspects of plant...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Insects |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14/2/156 |
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| author | Agnès Salat-Moltó Berta Caballero-López Nicolás Pérez-Hidalgo José M. Michelena Mar Ferrer Suay Emilio Guerrieri José M. Blanco-Moreno |
| author_facet | Agnès Salat-Moltó Berta Caballero-López Nicolás Pérez-Hidalgo José M. Michelena Mar Ferrer Suay Emilio Guerrieri José M. Blanco-Moreno |
| author_sort | Agnès Salat-Moltó |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Differences in the semi-natural vegetation of field margins will affect the biological control services derived from the presence of these semi-natural habitats adjacent to fields. Of the plant functional traits that are most relevant for insects, plant life forms reflect different aspects of plant structure and functioning that can help predict the value of marginal vegetation for arthropods in agricultural systems. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the vegetation structure of field margins on cereal aphids and on some of their natural enemies (parasitoids, hoverflies and ladybugs) in terms of plant life forms. We characterized margin vegetation using the relative cover of each life form and sampled insects in crops along transects parallel to field margins. Our results show that in the studied areas, the abundance of natural enemies was greater near margins dominated by annual plants than in margins dominated by perennial plants. On the other hand, the abundances of aphids and parasitism rates were higher near margins dominated by perennial woody plants than near margins dominated by perennial herbaceous plants. By promoting specific life forms in existing margins, farmers can enhance the conservation biological control and relieve aphid pressure on their crops. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:39:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-91c94d6586c84b91aadf9b587afbdb4e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:39:54Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj.art-91c94d6586c84b91aadf9b587afbdb4e2023-11-16T21:14:36ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502023-02-0114215610.3390/insects14020156Not All Field Margins Are Equally Useful: Effects of the Vegetation Structure of Margins on Cereal Aphids and Their Natural EnemiesAgnès Salat-Moltó0Berta Caballero-López1Nicolás Pérez-Hidalgo2José M. Michelena3Mar Ferrer Suay4Emilio Guerrieri5José M. Blanco-Moreno6Agroecology Group, Botany and Mycology Unit, Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, SpainDepartment of Arthropods, Natural Sciences Museum of Barcelona, Castell Dels Tres Dragons, Av. Picasso, 08003 Barcelona, SpainInstitute for Integrative Systems Biology, C. Catedrático José Beltrán, University of Valencia CSIC, Paterna, 46980 Valencia, SpainDepartment of Entomology and Pest Control, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, 46022 Valencia, SpainDepartment of Zoology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Valencia, Campus de Burjassot-Paterna, Dr. Moliner 50, Burjassot, 46100 Valencia, SpainInstitute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council of Italy, 10135 Turin, ItalyAgroecology Group, Botany and Mycology Unit, Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, SpainDifferences in the semi-natural vegetation of field margins will affect the biological control services derived from the presence of these semi-natural habitats adjacent to fields. Of the plant functional traits that are most relevant for insects, plant life forms reflect different aspects of plant structure and functioning that can help predict the value of marginal vegetation for arthropods in agricultural systems. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the vegetation structure of field margins on cereal aphids and on some of their natural enemies (parasitoids, hoverflies and ladybugs) in terms of plant life forms. We characterized margin vegetation using the relative cover of each life form and sampled insects in crops along transects parallel to field margins. Our results show that in the studied areas, the abundance of natural enemies was greater near margins dominated by annual plants than in margins dominated by perennial plants. On the other hand, the abundances of aphids and parasitism rates were higher near margins dominated by perennial woody plants than near margins dominated by perennial herbaceous plants. By promoting specific life forms in existing margins, farmers can enhance the conservation biological control and relieve aphid pressure on their crops.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14/2/156conservation biological controlsemi-natural habitatsmargin densityaphid–predator interactionhedgerowsinsect–plant interaction |
| spellingShingle | Agnès Salat-Moltó Berta Caballero-López Nicolás Pérez-Hidalgo José M. Michelena Mar Ferrer Suay Emilio Guerrieri José M. Blanco-Moreno Not All Field Margins Are Equally Useful: Effects of the Vegetation Structure of Margins on Cereal Aphids and Their Natural Enemies Insects conservation biological control semi-natural habitats margin density aphid–predator interaction hedgerows insect–plant interaction |
| title | Not All Field Margins Are Equally Useful: Effects of the Vegetation Structure of Margins on Cereal Aphids and Their Natural Enemies |
| title_full | Not All Field Margins Are Equally Useful: Effects of the Vegetation Structure of Margins on Cereal Aphids and Their Natural Enemies |
| title_fullStr | Not All Field Margins Are Equally Useful: Effects of the Vegetation Structure of Margins on Cereal Aphids and Their Natural Enemies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Not All Field Margins Are Equally Useful: Effects of the Vegetation Structure of Margins on Cereal Aphids and Their Natural Enemies |
| title_short | Not All Field Margins Are Equally Useful: Effects of the Vegetation Structure of Margins on Cereal Aphids and Their Natural Enemies |
| title_sort | not all field margins are equally useful effects of the vegetation structure of margins on cereal aphids and their natural enemies |
| topic | conservation biological control semi-natural habitats margin density aphid–predator interaction hedgerows insect–plant interaction |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14/2/156 |
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