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Grass Strip Corridors in Agricultural Landscapes Enhance Nest-Site

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Grass Strip Corridors in Agricultural Landscapes Enhance Nest-Site Grass Strip Corridors in Agricultural Landscapes Enhance Nest-Site Colonization by Solitary Wasps Author(s): Andrea Holzschuh, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter and Teja Tscharntke Source: Ecological Applications, Vol. 19, No. 1 (Jan., 2009), pp. 123-132 Published by: Ecological Society of America Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27645953 Accessed: 25-05-2015 10:41 UTC REFERENCES Linked references are available on JSTOR for this article: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27645953?seq=1&cid=pdf-reference#references_tab_contents You may need to log in to JSTOR to access the linked references. Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/ info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Ecological Society of America is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Ecological Applications. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 130.92.9.58 on Mon, 25 May 2015 10:41:50 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Ecological Applications, 19(1), 2009, pp. 123-132 ? 2009 by theEcological Society of America Grass corridors in enhance strip agricultural landscapes nest-site colonization by solitary wasps Andrea Holzschuh,1,3 Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter,2 and Teja Tscharntke1 xAgroecology, Georg-August University, Waldweg 26, D-37073 G?ttingen, Germany 2Animal Ecology I, University of Bayreuth, Universit?tsstr. 30, D-95447 Bayreuth, Germany Abstract. Corridors that connect otherwise isolated habitats have often been proposed as a to management strategy mitigate negative effects of habitat fragmentation. Non-crop corridors may have the potential to enhance the connectivity for arthropod predators in cropland landscapes, especially for species that require multiple habitats, such as cavity use nesting wasps which wooded habitat for nesting and grassland habitat for foraging. However, the effects of corridors in nonexperimental landscapes have been rarely examined. We studied the species richness and abundance of cavity-nesting wasps and their parasitoids in standardized trap nests located in three habitat types (forest edge, hedge, grass strip) and in three grass-strip types (connected to a forest edge, slightly isolated, highly isolated from a forest edge). Species richness and the abundance of wasps (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae, Eumenidae, Pompilidae) were highest at forest edges, which provide natural nesting sites, and lowest in grass strips, with few natural nesting sites. Wasp abundance in grass strips connected to forest edges was 270% higher than in slightly isolated grass strips and 600% higher than in highly isolated grass strips. The abundance of caterpillar-hunting eumenid wasps was 600% higher in connected grass strips than in slightly and highly isolated grass strips. Species richness of wasps was enhanced by 180% in connected grass strips compared to highly isolated grass strips. Parasitism rates were not directly influenced by habitat or grass-strip type, but increased was with increasing parasitoid diversity that higher at forest edges than in grass strips. We conclude that grass-strip corridors enhance the colonization of nesting sites, presumably by facilitating wasp movements. In agricultural landscapes, where nesting sites are limited and food availability changes frequently, rapid colonization of nests may enhance population viability. Higher wasp abundance in connected nesting sites may be directly linked to higher biocontrol of pest caterpillars within the foraging range around nests. Although grass strips can reduce the negative effects of habitat fragmentation, non-crop habitats such as forest habitats and hedges providing nesting sites are required within the home range of wasps to allow reproduction in agricultural landscapes. Key words: cereal fields; connectivity; dispersal; fallow strips; field margins; forest edges; habitat fragmentation; hedges; natural enemies; parasitoids; predators; trap nests. Introduction strip corridors that connect remnant non-crop habitats in a crop field matrix may help to conserve insect Habitat loss and fragmentation are considered as the diversity and associated ecosystem functions in inten main threats to biodiversity (Saunders et al. 1991, sively used agricultural landscapes. Fahrig 2003). Corridors consisting of small habitat Traditionally, agricultural landscapes consisted of a strips connecting otherwise isolated habitat patches have small-scale patchwork of crop fields, non-crop habitats, been proposed as a management strategy to mitigate and connecting non-crop strips such as hedges and grass negative effectsof habitat fragmentation (Simberloffet strips. Many of these non-crop habitats were lost during al. 1992, Rosenberg et al. 1997, Beier and Noss 1998). the last 50 years, when agricultural production was They are expected to facilitate movements between intensified and the area of crop fields expanded in many habitats, to increase population sizes in habitat patches, regions (Tilman et al. 2001, Benton et al. 2003). The loss and to extinction of small The prevent populations. of non-crop area in agricultural landscapes and the of this was to purpose landscape-scale study quantify resulting decline of species diversity have been well corridor effects on nest colonization of cavity-nesting documented (Kremen et al. 2002, Steffan-Dewenter wasps and their interactions with parasitoids. Grass 2003, Clough et al. 2005, Gabriel et al. 2005, Hendrickx et al. 2007, Holzschuh et al. 2007, ?ckinger and Smith 2007, Kohler et al. 2008). Even small non-crop strips, Manuscript received 22 February 2008; revised 22 May 2008; such as field that are established accepted 29 May 2008. Corresponding Editor: J. A. Powell. margin strips easily 3 E-mail: [email protected] along the borders of crop fields, have been shown to be 123 This content downloaded from 130.92.9.58 on Mon, 25 May 2015 10:41:50 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions ANDREA124 HOLZSCHUH ET AL. Ecological Applications Vol. 19,No. 1 important habitats for many species (e.g., Pywell et al. quently affected by local population extinctions (Kruess 2005, Marshall et al. 2006, Holzschuh et al. 2008). and Tscharntke 1994, Holt 2002). Furthermore, para However, there are few studies focusing on whether sitoids may have more restrictive dispersal abilities and grass strips are effective in reducing isolation for insects often perceive isolation at smaller scales than their hosts in agricultural landscapes (but see Joyce et al. 1999, (van Nouhuys and Hanski 2002). Thus, corridors may alter in of the Collinge et al. 2000, Berggren et al. 2002, Baum et al. trophic interactions favor parasitoids. 2004, S?derstr?m and Hedblom 2007). The only Further knowledge about corridor effects on trophic use interactions be critical for corridors replicated study assessing the of grass strips by may implementing no as successful conservation that aim to flying insects in agricultural landscapes found strategies promote corridor effects for butterflies (?ckinger and Smith one specific trophic level such as wasps as predators of insects. 2008). Most corridor studies on species of open habitats pest a in real were performed in modified landscapes consisting of Using large-scale approach agricultural we established standardized nests to cleared land surrounded by forest (reviewed in Beier and landscapes, trap Noss 1998, Debinski and Holt 2000, ?ckinger and study how habitat type (forest edge, hedge, grass strip) Smith 2008). However, these results cannot be trans and grass-strip type (connected, slightlyisolated, highly a influenced the colonization of these ferred to agricultural landscapes that consist of isolated) nesting patchwork of habitats differing in habitat quality and sites. First, we hypothesized that species richness and disturbance level. abundances of wasps in trap nests should increase with are a of natural sites and Organisms in agricultural landscapes adapted to increasing availability nesting thereforeshould be in than in highly variable environment and are often characterized higher hedges grass strips use. and at forest than in by high mobility and multi-habitat Cavity-nesting higher edges hedges. Second, richness and abundances of in nests in wasps depend on tunnel nests in tree trunks and species wasps trap should be most similar to forest when branches in non-crop habitats. Additionally, they visit grass strips edges a corridor connects nests and forest We multiple non-crop habitats and crop fields for provi trap edge. and of sioning theirbrood with arthropod prey and for feeding hypothesized that species richness abundance should be in connected than in on floral nectar (Klein et al. 2004, Tylianakis et al. 2005). wasps higher grass strips isolated with no connection to a For multi-habitat users, movements do not only allow slightly grass strips forest in 200 m and lowest in colonization of new habitat patches and exchanges edge distance, highly isolated without forest in the between populations, but are required for daily foraging grass strips edge vicinity we that nest colonization in patches separated from the nesting habitat. In this (>600 m). Third, expected trap of way,
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