The influence of the surroundings on arthropod diversity in maize fields.

Abstract

Faunistic investigations in and around small sized (<2 ha) maize fields in a diverse mosaic landscape in Switzerland have shown that the arthropod fauna can be quite diverse, depending very much on the habitat quality of the surroundings.<br />Faunal exchange between maize and surrounding vegetation was monitored directly along the field edges using directional traps for surface dwelling arthropods.<br />The species richness of spiders and carabids was significantly higher in small fields and plots neighbouring semi-natural areas, even after excessive use of herbicides.<br />It is possible to maintain a high arthropod diversity even in intensely cultivated areas, as long as small sized plots of a variety of different crops are arranged in a mosaic pattern together with patches of natural or semi-natural areas.