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Grassland Leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha) as Indicators of Habitat Condition – A Comparison of between-site and between-year differences in Assemblage Composition

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Abstract

The Auchenorrhyncha (leafhoppers) show great potential as indicators of grassland habitat quality, which would make them useful as a conservation tool. However, they are known to have labile populations. The relative importance of site identity and the year of sampling in the composition of leafhopper assemblages on chalk grassland are assessed for two sets of sites sampled twice. The study included a total of 95 sites (one set of 54, the other of 41), and demonstrated that for both sets the vegetation community and geographical location had high explanatory value, while the influence of year was small. The conclusion is that, notwithstanding population fluctuations, the leafhopper assemblages are a good indicator of habitat quality, and represent a potentially valuable tool in grassland conservation and restoration.

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Author notes

  1. J. A. Hollier

    Present address: J.A. Hollier, 42 Virginio Malnati, 1217, Meyrin, Switzerland

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ecology, Systematics & Biodiversity, CABI Bioscience, Bakeham Lane, TW20 9TY, Surrey, Egham, UK

    J. A. Hollier, N. Maczey & G. J. Masters

  2. Centre for Agri-Environmental Research (CAER), University of Reading, Earley Gate, P.O. Box 237, RG6 6AR, Reading, UK

    S. R. Mortimer

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  1. J. A. Hollier
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  2. N. Maczey
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Correspondence to J. A. Hollier.

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Hollier, J.A., Maczey, N., Masters, G.J. et al. Grassland Leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha) as Indicators of Habitat Condition – A Comparison of between-site and between-year differences in Assemblage Composition. J Insect Conserv 9, 299–307 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-005-8821-z

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