Dataset Information

The contribution of spatial mass effects to plant diversity in arable fields.

ABSTRACT: In arable fields, plant species richness consistently increases at field edges. This potentially makes the field edge an important habitat for the conservation of the ruderal arable flora (or 'weeds') and the invertebrates and birds it supports. Increased diversity and abundance of weeds in crop edges could be owing to either a reduction in agricultural inputs towards the field edge and/or spatial mass effects associated with dispersal from the surrounding landscape.We contend that the diversity of weed species in an arable field is a combination of resident species, that can persist under the intense selection pressure of regular cultivation and agrochemical inputs (typically more ruderal species), and transient species that rely on regular dispersal from neighbouring habitats (characterised by a more 'competitive' ecological strategy).We analysed a large dataset of conventionally managed arable fields in the UK to study the effect of the immediate landscape on in-field plant diversity and abundance and to quantify the contribution of spatial mass effects to plant diversity in arable fields in the context of the ecological strategy of the resulting community.We demonstrated that the decline in diversity with distance into an arable field is highly dependent on the immediate landscape, indicating the important role of spatial mass effects in explaining the increased species richness at field edges in conventionally managed fields.We observed an increase in the proportion of typical arable weeds away from the field edge towards the centre. This increase was dependent on the immediate landscape and was associated with a higher proportion of more competitive species, with a lower fidelity to arable habitats, at the field edge. Synthesis and applications. Conserving the ruderal arable plant community, and the invertebrates and birds that use it as a resource, in conventionally managed arable fields typically relies on the targeted reduction of fertilisers and herbicides in so-called 'conservation headlands'. The success of these options will depend on the neighbouring habitat and boundary. They should be placed along margins where the potential for ingress of competitive species, that may become dominant in the absence of herbicides, is limited. This will enhance ecosystem services delivered by the ruderal flora and reduce the risk of competitive species occurring in the crop.

SUBMITTER: Metcalfe H

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6618144 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The contribution of spatial mass effects to plant diversity in arable fields.

Metcalfe Helen H Hassall Kirsty L KL Boinot Sébastien S Storkey Jonathan J

The Journal of applied ecology 20190603 7

In arable fields, plant species richness consistently increases at field edges. This potentially makes the field edge an important habitat for the conservation of the ruderal arable flora (or 'weeds') and the invertebrates and birds it supports. Increased diversity and abundance of weeds in crop edges could be owing to either a reduction in agricultural inputs towards the field edge and/or spatial mass effects associated with dispersal from the surrounding landscape.We contend that the diversity ...[more]

PMID: 31341329

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Project description:Agricultural intensification has led to drastic population declines in Europe's arable plant vegetation, and continuous monitoring is a prerequisite for assessing measures to increase and conserve remnant populations of endangered arable plant species. Unfortunately, strong variation in plot sizes and in-field locations makes comparison of current arable plant monitoring approaches difficult. This study compares different relevé approaches in conventionally managed arable fields in Northwest German farmland with respect to plant species detection success and time expenditure. We compared species detection rate and expenditure of time of six different relevé types in 45 conventionally managed arable fields (each 15 fields of wheat, maize, and rapeseed): field "Interior" plots (50 × 2 m); field edge plots: "Edge_30" (30 × 2 m), "Edge_50" (50 × 2 m), and "Edge_500" (500 × 1 m); "Subplots" (four dispersed plots of 5 × 1 m); and "Corner" plots (50 × 2 m). To determine species detection rate, the species richness recorded with a survey method was related to the field's total plant species number as estimated from a survey of the entire field edge zone. With a species detection rate of 8.3% (median), interior plots were inadequate for characterizing the field's arable plant vegetation. Edge_500 plots yielded the highest proportion of the field's arable plant species pool (75.6%, including taxa of conservation value), followed by "Corner" plots (45.8%) and "Sublots" (32.6%). Edge_50 and Edge_30 plots detected less than 25% of the field's species pool. The average time needed for a relevé was 20 min in Edge500 plots and 5-11 min in the other plot types. We suggest implementing Edge_500 plots as a standard monitoring approach in conventionally managed farmland due to its favorable ratio of detection success to expenditure of time. Our findings should be compared to methodological studies conducted in other regions, in different farmland management systems, and in landscapes of variable complexities.

Project description:A better understanding of the mechanisms driving litter diversity effects on decomposition is needed to predict how biodiversity losses affect this crucial ecosystem process. In a microcosm study, we investigated the effects of litter functional diversity and two major groups of soil macro-detritivores on the mass loss of tree leaf litter mixtures. Furthermore, we tested the effects of litter trait community means and dissimilarity on litter mass loss for seven traits relevant to decomposition. We expected macro-detritivore effects on litter mass loss to be most pronounced in litter mixtures of high functional diversity. We used 24 leaf mixtures differing in functional diversity, which were composed of litter from four species from a pool of 16 common European tree species. Earthworms, isopods, or a combination of both were added to each litter combination for two months. Litter mass loss was significantly higher in the presence of earthworms than in that of isopods, whereas no synergistic effects of macro-detritivore mixtures were found. The effect of functional diversity of the litter material was highest in the presence of both macro-detritivore groups, supporting the notion that litter diversity effects are most pronounced in the presence of different detritivore species. Species-specific litter mass loss was explained by nutrient content, secondary compound concentration, and structural components. Moreover, dissimilarity in N concentrations increased litter mass loss, probably because detritivores having access to nutritionally diverse food sources. Furthermore, strong competition between the two macro-detritivores for soil surface litter resulted in a decrease of survival of both macro-detritivores. These results show that the effects of litter functional diversity on decomposition are contingent upon the macro-detritivore community and composition. We conclude that the temporal dynamics of litter trait diversity effects and their interaction with detritivore diversity are key to advancing our understanding of litter mass loss in nature.

Dataset Information

The contribution of spatial mass effects to plant diversity in arable fields.

Publications

The contribution of spatial mass effects to plant diversity in arable fields.

Similar Datasets

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