Effects of different intensity of plant production on carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae)
1994
Kula, C. (Biologische Bundesanstalt fuer Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Braunschweig (Germany). Fachgruppe fuer Biologische Mittelpruefung)
From 1984 to 1986 the effects of different intensities of plant production on carabid beetles were studied within an interdisciplinary program of the 'Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft'. The investigation took place in the research area 'Ahlum' several years before the 'BMFT project' started. Possible interactions between the degree of weed cover and the activity and density of carabid beetles were of special interest. The interactions between field margins and artificially sown strips with grass or Phacelia tanacetifolia were also studied. The research area was structured as in the BMFT project, but the I0-part was missing. The agricultural practice was comparable to the BMFT project taking into account the special situation of these years. To enable comparison and evaluation of the species combination in the different treatments a nearby situated bio-farm was also investigated. Different types of pitfal traps were used to investigate the activity abundance of the carabid beetles and their occurrence in the different treatments. From 1984 to 1986 in total 62 carabid species were found. Eleven of these species occurred every year and in every treatment. Some carabid species were more abundant in the lower intensity of plant production, especially the species of the genus Amara, which are known to be predominantly herbivorous. Activity density of these species was much greater in weedy plots with Stellaria media and Poa annua than in weedfree plots. In only a few cases relationships between application of pesticides and activity abundance of carabid beetles were evident. The application of the fungicide 'Afugan' reduced the number of beetles in the traps significantly
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