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Population dynamics of ground carabid beetles and spiders in a wheat field along the wheat-alfalfa interface and their response to alfalfa mowing.

LIU Wen-hui1, HU Yi-jun1, HU Wen-chao1,  HONG Bo1, GUAN Xiao-qing1, MA Shi-yu2, HE Da-han1,3   

  1. (1College of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China; 2Yanchi Center of Promotion of Agricultural Technology, Yanchi 751500, Ningxia, China; 3Cultivation Base of ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Northwestern China, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China)
  • Online:2014-09-18 Published:2014-09-18

Abstract: Taking the wheatalfalfa and wheatwheat interfaces as  model systems, sampling points were set by the method of pitfall trapping in the wheat field at the distances of 3 m, 6 m, 9 m, 12 m,15 m, 18 m, 21 m, 24 m, and 27 m from the interface. The species composition and abundance of ground carabid beetles and spiders captured in pitfalls were investigated. The results showed that, to some extent there was an edge effect on species diversity and abundance of ground carabid beetles and spiders along the two interfaces. A marked edge effect was observed between 15 m and 18 m along the alfalfa-wheat interface, while no edge effect was found at a distance over 20 m.  The edge effect along the wheat-wheat interface was weaker in comparison to the alfalfa-wheat interface.  Alfalfa mowing resulted in the migration of a large number of ground carabid beetles and spiders to the adjacent wheat filed. During ten days since mowing, both species and abundance of ground carabid beetles and spiders increased in wheat filed within the distance of 20 m along the alfalfa-wheat interface.  The spatial distribution of species diversity of ground beetles and spiders, together with the population abundance of the dominant Chlaenius pallipes and Pardosa astrigera, were depicted, which could directly indicate the migrating process of natural enemy from alfalfa to wheat field.