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Short Term Response of Ants to the Removal of Ground Cover in Organic Olive Orchards

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Short Term Response of Ants to the Removal of Ground Cover in Organic Olive Orchards Eur. J. Entomol. 108: 417–423, 2011 http://www.eje.cz/scripts/viewabstract.php?abstract=1632 ISSN 1210-5759 (print), 1802-8829 (online) Short term response of ants to the removal of ground cover in organic olive orchards MERCEDES CAMPOS1, LUISA FERNÁNDEZ1, FRANCISCA RUANO3, BELÉN COTES1, MANUEL CÁRDENAS1 and JUAN CASTRO2 1Department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, (CSIC) C/Profesor Albareda n° 1, 18008 – Granada, Spain; e-mail: [email protected] 2IFAPA Centro Camino de Purchil, CAP (Junta de Andalucia), P.O. Box 2027, 18080 – Granada, Spain 3Department of Animal Biology, University of Granada, 18071 – Granada, Spain Key words. Hymenoptera, Formicidae, disturbance, biodiversity, soil management Abstract. Ants are the most abundant group of soil arthropods in olive groves where they are involved in various trophic relation- ships of great importance for crops. The system of soil management is one agricultural practice that has a great effect on ants, so the objective of this study was to compare ant populations in organic olive orchards with a ground cover of natural vegetation and others where this natural vegetation is mechanically removed at the beginning of June. Ants were sampled using pitfall traps at 14, 30, 70 and 90 days after the removal of the ground vegetation. Overall, ant biodiversity did not change. However, changes were observed in the abundance of ant species, in particular, in those species that build shallow nests in the soil, both between the rows of trees and under the canopy of olive trees. In contrast, deep nesting species, such as Messor barbarus, were not affected. The response also dif- fered between the various genera: the abundance of Cataglyphis increased, due to there being more of the species C. rosenhaueri, while there was a significant fall in Aphaenogaster, due to the decline in abundance of A. senilis. Thirty days after the removal of vegetation, the response of most of the genera was clearly noticeable, due to the increased activity of workers, and in some cases there were still differences after 90 days. INTRODUCTION maintenance of the functional biodiversity in agroecosys- Ants make up a large proportion of the arthropod fauna tems is a key ecological strategy for sustaining pro- in many land ecosystems, where they play a key role in duction. In general, the degree of biodiversity in these determining the structure and functioning of local com- systems depends on four main characteristics of the munities (Hölldobler & Wilson, 1990). They are often agroecosystem: the diversity of vegetation within and used as indicators, because they show a rapid response to around the system, the permanence of the different crops environmental changes, are abundant and diverse in many within the system, the intensity of management and the environments and easily sampled, and serve a wide extent of the separation of the system from natural vege- variety of ecosystem functions (Peck et al., 1998; Ander- tation (Southwood & Way, 1970). In relation to the inten- sen, 1990; Alonso & Agosti, 2000). sity of management in conventional olive farming, in Olive orchard agroecosystems are inhabited by a rich which synthetic pesticides and fertilizer are allowed and and varied arthropod fauna and ants are one of the most the soil is frequently deeply ploughed, the abundance and abundant and diverse groups (Morris et al., 1999; Morris richness of ant species is lower than on land organically & Campos, 1999; Redolfi et al., 1999; Santos et al., farmed (Redolfi et al., 1999; Santos et al., 2007b). 2007a). Most species of ants build their nests in the Research has demonstrated that the timing of spraying is ground either under the tree canopy or between the rows of utmost importance if negative side effects are to be of olive trees, although some species such as Cremato- minimized (Santos et al., 2007b), but in the case of soil gaster scutellaris (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) build their management the effect of different strategies on benefi- nests under bark (Redolfi et al., 1999). Ants play an cial arthropods is less well known. If available, this type important role within the arthropod community in olive of information could be used to plan any necessary distur- orchards as they consume larvae of pests, such as Prays bances (Gliessman, 2007). oleae (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) (Arambourg, 1986; Currently in organic olive orchards the use of natural or Morris et al., 2002; Pereira et al., 2002), but can also have planted ground cover is considered to be an important harmful effects on natural enemies because ants eat the factor for improving soil water balance and preventing eggs of the predator Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: soil erosion (Pastor et al., 1997). However, in areas with a Chrysopidae) (Morris et al., 1998) and the parasitoid Tri- Mediterranean climate, ground cover is removed in order chogramma cacoeciae (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammati- to reduce competition and associated loss of production. dae) used for the biological control of Prays oleae Ground cover is controlled by mechanical methods, either (Pereira et al., 2004). According to Altieri (1999), the ploughing or clearing it with a mower, or by livestock grazing, mainly using sheep. At present, the effects of 417 Fig. 1. Experimental design. these methods on soil biological activity are not well tilled into the soil to a depth of a few centimetres, i.e., the litter known, so it is difficult to provide specific practical rec- and seed remained in the soil, though partially buried. Under the ommendations. In particular, to improve organic cultiva- canopy of the trees, vegetation and plant litter were cleared by tion it is important to determine the timing and method of hand. Samples were collected 14, 30, 75 and 90 days after the the removal ground cover as it can have an effect on the removal of natural vegetation. biological and physicochemical characteristics of the soil (Guzmán Casado & Alonso Mielgo, 2004; Cárdenas et Field-experiment al., 2006). The study was conducted in a large olive orchard in southern This study is part of a wider project whose objective is Spain, located at 3°38´36˝W, 37°51´38˝N. The organically man- to measure the short term changes in the abundance and aged orchard consisted of single-trunk olive trees (Picual culti- var), with a crown diameter of 1.5–3 m, each planted in 8 × 8 m diversity of epigeal arthropod populations caused by the grid. A randomized complete block design was adopted with removal of ground cover of natural vegetation in organic two treatments, covered (CS) and uncovered soils (US) grouped olive orchards. It has already revealed that family rich- into three blocks. Within each separate block, the conditions ness, dominance and abundance of epigeal beetles are were as uniform as possible, but between blocks, there were greater in uncovered soil, and that the family Silvanidae marked differences. In the in-line array of blocks the distance can be used as an indicator of the effect of this type of between them was 0.5 km (Fig. 1). agricultural practice (Cotes et al., 2009). In the case of Each block, with 242 trees (88 × 176 m), consisted of two spiders, the removal ground cover has a positive effect on plots representing the two treatments. In each plot of 121 trees Zodarion styliferum (Simon, 1870) but diversity and (88 × 88 m), a total of 20 pitfall traps were set under the canopy dominance are not affected (Cárdenas, 2008). This survey of 20 selected trees. The sampling unit consisted of a row of five trees separated by one unsampled row, and each sampling seeks to determine how weed cover and weed- unit was separated from others by two unsampled rows of trees management practices (mowing and removal) influence (Fig. 1). abundance and composition of ant species. Ant collection MATERIAL AND METHODS The ants were collected in pitfall traps, which were set on the Ground cover management north-facing side of each tree. The traps consisted of plastic cups, 11 cm in diameter, filled with Scheerpeltz liquid (60% Two soil treatments were compared: covered (CS) and uncov- ethanol 97°, 38% distilled water, 1% pure acetic acid, 1% glyc- ered soil (US) management. In the covered soil-treatment man- erine) and were left in the soil for 48 h. agement, no plants were sown, the ground was spontaneously Captured arthropods were separated from the plant and inor- colonized by native annual Gramineae (e.g. Bromus sp., Hor- ganic matter, and the ants identified to species under a stereomi- deum sp., and Diplotaxis sp.) and no herbicide was applied. In croscope (Stemi SV8, Zeiss). For the assessment of ant species the uncovered soil treatment, the pre-sampling intervention, diversity, the following measures were calculated: dominance, during the first week of June 2005, to manage the ground cover Hurlbert’s PIE (probability of interspecific encounters) index was as follows: (1) a mower was used to cut any vege- and the Shannon index. Dominance is one of the most com- tation, then (2) a tine harrow to remove the coarser material, monly used measures of biodiversity, Hurlbert’s PIE index indi- and, finally, (3) the remaining organic matter was shredded and cates the probability of two individuals randomly sampled from 418 TABLE 1. Number of individuals of the different species of ants captured. Formicidae Ground cover present Ground cover removed Days 14 30 70 90 Total 14 30 70 90 Total Subfamily Myrmicinae Aphaenogaster senilis 802 468 574 438 2282 235 294 163 102 694 A. gibbosa 32 4 5 7 48 3 37 0 11 51 Messor barbarus 194 114 130 24 462 192 244 135 172 743 Pheidole pallidula 97 66 91 58 312 196 327 121 215 859 Tetramorium semilaeve 10 10 2 6 28 49 67 42 42 200 Crematogaster scutellaris 41 0 4 8 53 0 2 0 0 2 Subfamily Formicinae Cataglyphis rosenhaueri 555 820 103 57 1535 829 2150 67 39 3085 C.
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