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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Sunflower Improvement Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #420619
Research Project: Sunflower Yield, Crop Quality, and Interactions with Biotic and Abiotic Stressors

Location: Sunflower Improvement Research

Title: The role of cover crops in improving biodiversity

Author
item PRISCHMANN-VOLDSETH, DEIRDRE - North Dakota State University
item HYTE, KEIRAN - North Dakota State University
item MALLINGER, RACHEL - University Of Florida
item Prasifka, Jarrad

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/15/2025
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: People use biodiversity as a way to understand and evaluate the function, productivity, and sustainability of natural and managed ecosystems, with higher biodiversity being perceived as better and more desirable. This chapter focuses on cover crops and biodiversity of the most speciose and abundant group of animals on the planet—the arthropods—who play pivotal roles in food webs, nutrient cycling, plant production, and pollination. Numerous studies in perennial and annual cropping systems indicate that cover crops can increase arthropod abundance and biodiversity, although effects are not always consistent and can depend on a variety of factors, including cover crop identity and management. It’s important to consider the metrics being used to assess biodiversity, the taxonomic rank at which biodiversity is assessed, the biology and functional group of the taxa in question, the surrounding landscape (i.e. sources and sinks of arthropods), and management goals.