ARS | Publication request: Impact of Land Management Practices on Carabids (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and Other Arthropods on the Western High Plains of North America

Submitted to: Southwestern Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: December 18, 2008
Publication Date: March 1, 2009
Citation: Davis, H.N., Currie, R.S., French, B.W., Buschman, L.L. 2009. Impact of Land Management Practices on Carabids (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and Other Arthropods on the Western High Plains of North America. Southwestern Entomologist. 34(1):43-59.

Interpretive Summary: This work was done in plots that had been subjected to three successive years of an agronomic experiment that evaluated the effects of a wheat cover crop or no cover crop on weed and water management. After the third growing season, pitfall traps were installed and arthropods were collected and identified. At one location, ground beetles were identified to the genus level. Four genera of ground beetles were more common under no-till conditions, one genus was more common in tilled plots, and five genera were more common in plots with a history of increased weed densities caused by reduced herbicide use. The history of low weed densities caused by any rate of herbicide never increased ground beetle numbers. Past presence of a winter cover crop never reduced ground beetle numbers, but significantly increased members of two genera. Field crickets were more common under no-till conditions. As a group, ground beetles were more common in plots without a history of a cover crop. At a third location there were more ground beetles in tilled than in untilled plots. At all locations, wolf spiders were more common in plots with no tillage and with past presence of a cover crop. Results suggest that ground surface residues affect populations of ground beetles, wolf spiders, and field crickets.

Technical Abstract: This work was done in plots that had been subjected to three successive years of an agronomic experiment that evaluated the effects of a wheat cover crop or no cover crop on weed and water management. After the third growing season, pitfall traps were installed and arthropods were collected and identified. At one location, carabids Coleoptera: Carabidae) were identified to the genus level. Four of these genera (Amara, Anisodactylus, Harpalus, and Calathus) were more common under no-till conditions. Only one genus (Stenolophus) was more common in tilled plots. Five genera (Amara, Bradycellus, Scarites, Stenolophus, and Calathus) were more common in plots with a history of increased weed densities caused by reduced herbicide use. The history of low weed densities caused by any rate of herbicide never increased carabid numbers. Past presence of a winter cover crop never reduced carabid numbers, but significantly increased members of two genera (Harpalus and Poecilus). Crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) were more common under no-till conditions. As a group, carabids were more common in plots without a history of a cover crop. At a third location there were more carabids in tilled than in untilled plots. At all locations, wolf spiders (Araneae: Lycosidae) were more common in plots with no tillage and with past presence of a cover crop. Results suggest that ground surface residues affect populations of carabids, wolf spiders, and crickets.