Arthropod abundance is most strongly driven by crop and semi-natural habitat type rather than management in an intensive agricultural landscape in the Netherlands

Abstract

The intensification of agriculture has been identified as one of the main causes of arthropod declines. To halt the decline of arthropods, changes in farming practices and management of surrounding habitats may therefore be needed. A key challenge is to identify which changes in management approaches are most effective in restoring biodiversity. Therefore, this study examines arthropod abundance and diversity in different agricultural and semi-natural habitats, and among different management types. Arthropods were sampled three times in spring and summer of 2022 and 2023 with emergence traps in 128 unique sites in an intensively farmed area in Western Netherlands. These sites included a variety of crops as well as semi-natural habitats. Our study showed that on average the abundance and diversity of arthropods of several taxa was lower in crop habitats compared to semi-natural habitats. However, these effects strongly varied among crop species. For instance, alfalfa, spelt, spring and winter wheat fields (that often had a high plant cover) supported similar arthropod diversity and abundance levels as semi-natural habitats. Interestingly, in crop fields most variables related to field management, such as herbicide applications or amount of nitrogen fertilizers, did not show any significant relationship with arthropod abundances or diversity. The number of days after cultivation was an exception, and was positively related to total arthropod abundance, Hymenoptera and Collembola abundances, and Coleoptera family diversity. Within semi-natural habitats, number of days after mowing was positively related to total arthropod abundance, Diptera, Hemiptera and Hymenoptera abundances, and Hemiptera family diversity. Additionally, plant cover was positively related to total arthropod abundance. Overall, our findings suggest that crop species and management practices that increase plant cover in spring and early summer are increasing arthropod abundance and, to a lesser extent, higher-taxa diversity in intensively farmed agricultural landscapes.