Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Diversification of mowing regime increases arthropods diversity in species-poor cultural hay meadows

  • ORIGINAL PAPER
  • Published:
Journal of Insect Conservation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Agricultural intensification reduces the biodiversity of European farmlands. Hay meadows represent an important farmland habitat, traditionally used to produce hay. With decreased demand for hay, the continuation of hay harvest is supported by Agri-environmental schemes across European Union. Modern hay harvest techniques differ from traditional manual harvest by removing the grass instantaneously over large land areas. To minimize adverse effects on meadow invertebrates, diversifying harvest operations is time and space is often recommended, but effects of such diversification are little studied. We compared the impact of uniform hay harvests with harvests executed in patchy manners, using four arthropod groups (butterflies, ground beetles, orthopterans and spiders) at productive, species-poor meadows in the Czech Republic. Butterflies, observed along transects, avoided uniformly cut units, preferring those cut as strips or blocks. In the three remaining groups, recorded using pitfall traps, a majority of species prevailed in traps located in uncut conditions. Synchronous mowing of large areas suppresses population sizes and diminishes the diversity of common arthropods. Besides of direct mortality and depletion of such resources as nectar or shelter, it synchronises sward regrowth, threatening also species requiring short-sward patches. Uniformly executed mowing contradicts the biodiversity conservation goal of Agri-environmental schemes. Diversifying the mowing operations via temporary fallows, or sequential mowing of land units, will improve the situation for common cultural meadows.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aviron S, Nitsch H, Jeanneret P, Buholzer S, Luka H, Pfiffner L, Pozzi S, Schupbach B, Walter T, Herzog F (2009) Ecological cross compliance promotes farmland biodiversity in Switzerland. Front Ecol Environ 7:247–252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baguette M, Clobert J, Schtickzelle N (2011) Metapopulation dynamics of the bog fritillary butterfly: experimental changes in habitat quality induced negative density-dependent dispersal. Ecography 34:170–176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Balmer O, Erhardt A (2000) Consequences of succession on extensively grazed grasslands for central European butterfly communities: rethinking conservation practices. Conserv Biol 14:746–757

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Batary P, Baldi A, Szel G, Podlussany A, Rozner I, Erdos S (2007) Responses of grassland specialist and generalist beetles to management and landscape complexity. Divers Distrib 13:196–202

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beckmann V, Eggers J, Mettepenningen E (2009) Deciding how to decide on agri-environmental schemes: the political economy of subsidiarity, decentralisation and participation in the European Union. J Environ Plan Manag 52:689–716

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bell JR, Wheater CP, Cullen WR (2001) The implications of grassland and heathland management for the conservation of spider communities: a review. J Zool 255:377–387

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beneš J, Konvička M, Dvořák J, Fric Z, Havelda Z, Pavlíčko A, Vrabec V, Weidenhoffer Z (2002) Butterflies of the Czech Republic: distribution and conservation, I, II. SOM, Prague

    Google Scholar 

  • Berga Å, Gustafsonb T (2007) Meadow management and occurrence of corncrake Crex crex. Agric Ecosyst Environ 120:139–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blomqvist MM, Tamis WLM, de Snoo GR (2009) No improvement of plant biodiversity in ditch banks after a decade of agri-environment schemes. Basic Appl Ecol 10:368–378

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brereton TM, Warren MS, Roy DB, Stewart K (2008) The changing status of the Chalkhill Blue butterfly Polyommatus coridon in the UK: the impacts of conservation policies and environmental factors. J Insect Conserv 12:629–638

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buchar J, Růžička V (2002) Catalogue of spiders of the Czech Republic. Peres, Prague

    Google Scholar 

  • Butler SJ, Brooks D, Feber RE, Storkey J, Vickery JA, Norris K (2009) A cross-taxonomic index for quantifying the health of farmland biodiversity. J Appl Ecol 46:1154–1162

    Google Scholar 

  • Conrad KF, Warren MS, Fox R, Parsons MS, Woiwod IP (2006) Rapid declines of common, widespread British moths provide evidence of an insect biodiversity crisis. Biol Conserv 132:279–291

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dennis RLH, Shreeve TG, van Dyck H (2003) Towards a functional resource-based concept for habitat: a butterfly biology viewpoint. Oikos 102:417–426

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Donald PF, Green RE, Heath MF (2001) Agricultural intensification and the collapse of Europe’s farmland bird populations. P Roy Soc Lond B Biol Sci 268:25–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dover J, Settele J (2009) The influences of landscape structure on butterfly distribution and movement: a review. J Insect Conserv 13:3–27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dover JW, Rescia A, Fungariño S, Fairburn J, Carey P, Lunt P, Dennis RLH, Dover CJ (2010) Can hay harvesting detrimentally affect adult butterfly abundance? J Insect Conserv 14:413–418

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dover JW, Rescia A, Fungariño S, Fairburn J, Carey P, Lunt P, Arnot C, Dennis RLH, Dover CJ (2011a) Land-use, environment, and their impact on butterfly populations in a mountainous pastoral landscape: species richness and family-level abundance. J Insect Conserv 15:207–220

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dover JW, Spencer S, Collins S, Hadjigeorgiou I, Rescia A (2011b) Grassland butterflies and low intensity farming in Europe. J Insect Conserv 15:129–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duelli P, Obrist MK (2003) Regional biodiversity in an agricultural landscape: the contribution of seminatural habitat islands. Basic Appl Ecol 4:129–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ekroos J, Heliola J, Kuussaari M (2010) Homogenization of lepidopteran communities in intensively cultivated agricultural landscapes. J Appl Ecol 4:459–467

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fitzpatrick U, Murray TE, Paxton RJ, Breen J, Cotton D, Santorum V, Brown MJF (2007) Rarity and decline in bumblebees—a test of causes and correlates in the Irish fauna. Biol Conserv 136:185–194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fox R, Asher J, Brereton T, Roy D, Warren M (2006) The state of butterflies in Britain and Ireland. Nature Bureau, Newbury

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardiner T, Hassall M (2009) Does microclimate affect grasshopper populations after cutting of hay in improved grassland? J Insect Conserv 13:97–102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gardiner T, Hill J (2004) Directional dispersal patterns of Chorthippus parallelus (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in patches of grazed pastures. J Orthoptera Res 13:135–141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gardiner T, Hill J (2006) Mortality of Orthoptera caused by mechanised mowing of grassland. Br J Entomol Nat Hist 19:38–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaston KJ, Fuller RA (2007) Biodiversity and extinction: losing the common and the widespread. Prog Phys Geog 31:213–225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geiger F, Wackers F, Bianchi FJJA (2009) Hibernation of predatory arthropods in semi-natural habitats. Biocontrol 54:529–535

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghazoul J (2005) Buzziness as usual? Questioning the global pollination crisis. Trends Ecol Evol 20:367–373

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hanski I (1999) Metapopulation ecology. Oxford University Press, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Hendrickx F, Maelfait JP, Van Wingerden W, Schweiger O, Speelmans M, Aviron S, Augenstein I, Billeter R, Bailey D, Bukacek R, Burel F, Diekotter T, Dirksen J, Herzog F, Liira J, Roubalova M, Vandomme V, Bugter R (2007) How landscape structure, land-use intensity and habitat diversity affect components of total arthropod diversity in agricultural landscapes. J Appl Ecol 44:340–351

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Humbert JY, Ghazoul J, Walter T (2009) Meadow harvesting techniques and their impacts on field fauna. Agric Ecosyst Environ 130:1–8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Humbert JY, Ghazoul J, Sauter GJ, Walter T (2010) Impact of different meadow mowing techniques on field invertebrates. J Appl Entomol 134:592–599

    Google Scholar 

  • Hůrka K (1996) Carabidae of the Czech and Slovak Republics. Kabourek, Zlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Johst K, Drechsler M, Thomas J, Settele J (2006) Influence of mowing on the persistence of two endangered large blue butterfly species. J Appl Ecol 43:333–342

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kagawa Y, Maeto K (2009) Spatial population structure of the predatory ground beetle Carabus yaconicus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in the mixed farmland-woodland satoyama landscape of Japan. Eur J Entomol 106:385–391

    Google Scholar 

  • Kleijn D, Sutherland WJ (2003) How effective are European agri-environment schemes in conserving and promoting biodiversity? J Appl Ecol 40:947–969

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kleijn D, Berendse F, Smit R, Gilissen N (2001) Agri-environment schemes do not effectively protect biodiversity in Dutch agricultural landscapes. Nature 413:723–725

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kleijn D, Baquero RA, Clough Y, Diaz M, De Esteban J, Fernandez F, Gabriel D, Herzog F, Holzschuh A, Johl R, Knop E, Kruess A, Marshall EJP, Steffan-Dewenter I, Tscharntke T, Verhulst J, West TM, Yela JL (2006) Mixed biodiversity benefits of agri-environment schemes in five European countries. Ecol Lett 9:243–254

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kleijn D, Kohler F, Baldi A, Batary P, Concepcion ED, Clough Y, Diaz M, Gabriel D, Holzschuh A, Knop E, Kovacs A, Marshall EJP, Tscharntke T, Verhulst J (2009) On the relationship between farmland biodiversity and land-use intensity in Europe. P Roy Soc B Biol Sci 276:903–909

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kočárek P, Holuša J, Vidlička L (2005) Blattaria, Mantodea, Orthoptera and Dermaptera of the Czech and Slovac Republics. Kabourek, Zlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Konvicka M, Benes J, Cizek O, Kopecek F, Konvicka O, Vitaz L (2008) How too much care kills species: grassland reserves, agri-environmental schemes and extinction of the Colias myrmidone butterfly from its former stronghold. J Insect Conserv 12:519–525

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lepš J, Šmilauer P (2003) Multivariate analysis of ecological data using CANOCO. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Marshall EJP, West TM, Kleijn D (2006) Impacts of an agri-environment field margin prescription on the flora and fauna of arable farmland in different landscapes. Agric Ecosyst Environ 113:1–4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merckx T, Feber RE, Riordan P, Townsend MC, Bourn NAD, Parsons MS, Macdonald DW (2009) Optimizing the biodiversity gain from agri-environment schemes. Agric Ecosyst Environ 130:177–182

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morris MG (1979) Responses of grassland invertebrates to management by cutting. II. Heteroptera. J Appl Ecol 16:417–432

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morris MG (1981a) Responses of grassland invertebrates to management by cutting. III. Adverse effects on Auchenorhyncha. J Appl Ecol 18:107–123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morris MG (1981b) Responses of grassland invertebrates to management by cutting. IV. Positive responses of Auchenorhyncha. J Appl Ecol 18:763–771

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morris MG (2000) The effects of structure and its dynamics on the ecology and conservation of arthropods in British grasslands. Biol Conserv 95:129–142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morris MG, Lakhani KL (1979) Responses of grassland invertebrates to management by cutting. I. Species diversity of Hemiptera. J Appl Ecol 16:77–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morris MG, Plant R (1983) Responses of grassland invertebrates to management by cutting. V. Changes following the cessation of management. J Appl Ecol 20:157–177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morris MG, Rispin WE (1988) A beetle fauna of oolitic limestone grassland, and the response of species to conservation management by different cutting regimes. Biol Conserv 43:87–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ockinger E, Eriksson AK, Smith HG (2006) Effects of grassland abandonment, restoration and management on butterflies and vascular plants. Biol Conserv 133:291–300

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ouin A, Aviron S, Dover J, Burel F (2004) Complementation/supplementation of resources for butterflies in agricultural landscapes. Agric Ecosyst Environ 103:473–479

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pellet J (2009) Does delaying the first mowing date increase biodiversity in European farmland meadows? http://www.environmentalevidence.org/Documents/Protocol72.pdf. Accessed 21 Sep 2010

  • Potts SG, Woodcock BA, Roberts SPM, Tscheulin T, Pilgrim ES, Brown VK, Tallowin JR (2009) Enhancing pollinator biodiversity in intensive grasslands. J Appl Ecol 46:369–379

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poyry J, Luoto M, Paukkunen J, Pykala J, Raatikainen K, Kuussaari M (2006) Different responses of plants and herbivore insects to a gradient of vegetation height: an indicator of the vertebrate grazing intensity and successional age. Oikos 115:401–412

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Purvis G, Curry JP (1978) The effects of grazing and silage production systems on the epigeal fauna of grassland. Sci Proc R Dublin Soc A 6:317–325

    Google Scholar 

  • Purvis G, Curry JP (1981) The influence of sward management on foliage arthropod communities in a ley grassland. J Appl Ecol 18:711–725

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pywell RF, James KL, Herbert I, Meek WR, Carvell C, Bell D, Sparks TH (2005) Determinants of overwintering habitat quality for beetles and spiders on arable farmland. Biol Conserv 123:79–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenzweig ML (2003) Win-win ecology: how the earth’s species can survive in the midst of human enterprise. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Roth T, Amrhein V, Peter B, Weber D (2008) A swiss agri-environment scheme effectively enhances species richness for some taxa over time. Agric Ecosyst Environ 125:167–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rundlof M, Bengtsson J, Smith HG (2008) Local and landscape effects of organic farming on butterfly species richness and abundance. J Appl Ecol 45:813–820

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Šálek M, Schröpfer L (2008) Population decline of the little owl in the Czech Republic. Pol J Ecol 56:527–534

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt MH, Tscharntke T (2005) The role of perennial habitats for Central European farmland spiders. Agric Ecosyst Environ 105:235–242

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt MH, Rocker S, Hanafi J, Gigon A (2008) Rotational fallows as overwintering habitat for grassland arthropods: the case of spiders in fen meadows. Biodivers Conserv 17:3003–3012

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sjodin NE, Bengtsson J, Ekbom B (2008) The influence of grazing intensity and landscape composition on the diversity and abundance of flower-visiting insects. J Appl Ecol 45:763–772

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skaloš J (2006) Patterns and changes of intensively utilised agricultural landscape in the Czech Republic between 1937 and 2002, aerial photography analysis. Ekologia 21:232–248

    Google Scholar 

  • Southwood TRE, van Emden HF (1967) A comparison of the fauna of cut and uncut grasslands. Z Angew Entomol 60:188–198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spitzer L, Benes J, Dandova J, Jaskova V, Konvicka M (2009) The large blue butterfly, Phengaris [Phengaris] arion, as a conservation umbrella on a landscape scale: the case of the Czech Carpathians. Ecol Indicators 9:1056–1063

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stoate C, Baldi A, Beja P, Boatman ND, Herzon I, van Doorn A, de Snoo GR, Rakosy L, Ramwell C (2009) Ecological impacts of early 21st century agricultural change in Europe—a review. J Environ Manag 91:22–46

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ter Braak CJF, Smilauer P (2002) CANOCO reference manual and CanoDraw for Windows user’s guide: software for canonical community ordination (version 4.5). Microcomputer Power, Ithaca

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas JA, Morris MG, Hambler C (1994) Patterns, mechanisms and rates of extinction among invertebrates in the United-Kingdom. Philos Trans R Soc London Biol 344:47–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Dijk G (1991) The status of semi-natural grasslands in Europe. In: Goriup PD, Batten LA, Norton JA (eds) The conservation of lowland dry grassland birds in Europe. Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough, pp 15–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Dyck H, Van Strien AJ, Maes D, Van Swaay CAM (2009) Declines in common, widespread butterflies in a landscape under intense human use. Conserv Biol 23:957–965

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • WallisDeVries MF, Poschlod P, Willems JH (2002) Challenges for the conservation of calcareous grasslands in northwestern Europe: integrating the requirements of flora and fauna. Biol Conserv 104:265–273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wrbka T, Schindler S, Pollheimer M, Schmitzberger I, Peterseil J (2008) Impact of the Austrian agri-environmental scheme on diversity of landscapes, plants and birds. Community Ecol 9:217–227

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study originated during the preparation of the management plan for the Babiččino údolí reserve. We would like to thank T. Bury, S. Korinkova and M. Kubiczkova for help with data collection; A. Kodadkova, T. Lamosova, J. J. Michalek and K. Novakova for material sorting; J. Benes and J. Blizek for ground beetles determination; P. Smilauer for help with analyses design; M. Sweney for English corrections; and J. Benes and P. Vrba for valuable comments; and two anonymous referees for useful suggestions. Funding was provided by the Czech Agency for Nature Conservation (PPK-35a/62/06), the Czech Ministry of Education (LC 06073, MSM 6007665801) and Environment (SP/2D3/62/08) and the Czech Science Foundation (208/08/H044).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hutur NGO, J. Purkyne 1616, 500 02, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic

    O. Cizek & J. Zamecnik

  2. Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic

    O. Cizek, R. Tropek & M. Konvicka

  3. Museum of Eastern Bohemia in Hradec Kralove, Eliscino nabrezi 465, 500 01, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic

    J. Zamecnik

  4. Institute of Entomology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branisovska 31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic

    R. Tropek & M. Konvicka

  5. Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Chittussiho 10, 701 00, Ostrava, Czech Republic

    P. Kocarek

Authors
  1. O. Cizek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. Zamecnik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R. Tropek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. P. Kocarek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. M. Konvicka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to O. Cizek.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cizek, O., Zamecnik, J., Tropek, R. et al. Diversification of mowing regime increases arthropods diversity in species-poor cultural hay meadows. J Insect Conserv 16, 215–226 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-011-9407-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-011-9407-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation