Study

Developing grassland conservation headlands: response of carabid assemblage to different cutting regimes in a silage field edge

  • Published source details Haysom K.A., McCracken D.I., Foster G.N. & Sotherton N.W. (2004) Developing grassland conservation headlands: response of carabid assemblage to different cutting regimes in a silage field edge. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 102, 263-277.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Leave uncut strips of rye grass on silage fields

Action Link
Farmland Conservation

Leave headlands in fields unsprayed (conservation headlands)

Action Link
Farmland Conservation
  1. Leave uncut strips of rye grass on silage fields

    A continuation of the replicated, controlled, randomized study in Scotland in (Haysom et al. 1999), (Haysom et al. 2004) found that ground beetle (Carabidae) species diversity was significantly greater in the third year (1998) in uncut plots than those with one or three annual cuts. Species diversity was reported to be significantly higher in uncut plots (27 species) than cut plots (cut annually: 26 individuals, cut three times each year: 23) in 1998. It did not differ in 1997 (uncut: 20, cut: 26-27). The total abundance of ground beetles did not differ between treatments in 1997-1998 (uncut: 559-791 individuals, annual cut: 611-890 and cut three times: 927-1053). Specific species differed in their response to cutting regimes. Plots cut three times tended to have a similar species composition to the main field, whereas the uncut and annually cut plots tended to be more similar to the field boundary.

     

  2. Leave headlands in fields unsprayed (conservation headlands)

    A continuation of the same replicated, controlled, randomized study in Scotland as in (Haysom et al. 1999), (Haysom et al. 2004) found that ground beetle (Carabidae) species diversity and abundance was significantly higher in the headland (no fertilizers or pesticides) than in the main field (fertilizers, no pesticides) in 1997-1998. The total abundance of ground beetles was significantly higher in the headland (927-1053 individuals) than main field (631-910). This was also the case for species diversity (headland: 38 species, main field: 23).

     

Output references
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