Significantly higher Carabid beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) catch in conventionally than in organically managed Christmas tree plantations

TY - JOUR

T1 - Significantly higher Carabid beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) catch in conventionally than in organically managed Christmas tree plantations

AU - Bagge, Søren

AU - Lund, Malthe

AU - Rønn, Regin

AU - Thomsen, Philip Francis

AU - Ekelund, Flemming

PY - 2012/4

Y1 - 2012/4

N2 - Carabid beetles play an important role as consumers of pest organisms in forestry and agriculture. Application of pesticides may negatively affect abundance and activity of carabid beetles, thus reducing their potential beneficial effect. We Investigated how abundance and diversity of pitfall trapped carabid beetles (Coleoptera, Carabldae) varied between conventionally and organically managed Caucasian Fir (Abies nordmanniana (Stev.)) plantations, in northern Zealand, Denmark. We recorded significantly higher numbers of carabid beetle specimens and species at conventionally than at organically managed sites. Carabid beetle abundance and richness did not decline more between two sampling periods at sites with pesticide application than at unamended sites. Apparently, the amount of bare ground, which dominated In the conventionally managed, herbicide treated sites, correlated closely with the number of recorded carabid beetle specimens. Thus we attribute the higher catch at the conventionally managed sites to a higher activity at bare ground due to lack of food and a larger potential for invasion at the bare ground sites of opportunistic species from surrounding arable areas.

AB - Carabid beetles play an important role as consumers of pest organisms in forestry and agriculture. Application of pesticides may negatively affect abundance and activity of carabid beetles, thus reducing their potential beneficial effect. We Investigated how abundance and diversity of pitfall trapped carabid beetles (Coleoptera, Carabldae) varied between conventionally and organically managed Caucasian Fir (Abies nordmanniana (Stev.)) plantations, in northern Zealand, Denmark. We recorded significantly higher numbers of carabid beetle specimens and species at conventionally than at organically managed sites. Carabid beetle abundance and richness did not decline more between two sampling periods at sites with pesticide application than at unamended sites. Apparently, the amount of bare ground, which dominated In the conventionally managed, herbicide treated sites, correlated closely with the number of recorded carabid beetle specimens. Thus we attribute the higher catch at the conventionally managed sites to a higher activity at bare ground due to lack of food and a larger potential for invasion at the bare ground sites of opportunistic species from surrounding arable areas.

KW - Christmas trees

KW - Abies nordmanniana (Stev.)

KW - organic management

KW - conventional management

KW - pesticides

U2 - 10.18474/0749-8004-47.2.110

DO - 10.18474/0749-8004-47.2.110

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0749-8004

VL - 47

SP - 110

EP - 124

JO - Journal of Entomological Science

JF - Journal of Entomological Science

IS - 2

ER -