Arthropods in grassy field margins in the Wieringermeer: Scope, population development and possible consequences for farm practice

Published source details Canters K.J. & Tamis W.L.M. (1999) Arthropods in grassy field margins in the Wieringermeer: Scope, population development and possible consequences for farm practice. Landscape and Urban Planning, 46, 63-69.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Plant grass buffer strips/margins around arable or pasture fields Action Link
	Plant grass buffer strips/margins around arable or pasture fields Action Link

Plant grass buffer strips/margins around arable or pasture fields

A replicated, controlled, before-and-after study in 1996 in arable farmland in the Netherlands (Canters & Tamis 1999) found that mowing planted grass margins did not affect the abundance of moths and butterflies. After mowing, the abundance of moths and butterflies generally, and diamondback moth Plutella xylostella specifically, was similar to before mowing. Ten grass margins (3 × 900 m) on five farms were sown with grasses, including giant fescue Festuca gigantea, timothy Phleum pratense and cocksfoot Dactylis glomerata. Grassy margins were mown on approximately half of the farms at the beginning of July 1996. Moths and butterflies were sampled using two pyramid traps/margin, installed for a three-week period five times during the 1996 growing season.

(Summarised by: Andrew Bladon, edited from Farmland synopsis)
Plant grass buffer strips/margins around arable or pasture fields

A replicated study in 1996 in the Netherlands (Canters & Tamis 1999) found that different arthropod populations responded differently to mowing. After mowing, populations of bugs (Heteroptera), aphids (Aphidoidea), parasitic wasps (Ichneumonidae), hoverflies (Syrphidae) and rove beetles (Staphylinidae) increased to between >1.5 and nearly 2.5 times their population size prior to mowing. Mowing had the opposite effect on populations of spiders (Araneae), harvestmen (Opiliones), and moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera), reducing these populations by half or more. Ten grass margins (3 m x 900 m) on five farms were sown with grasses, including giant fescue Festuca gigantea, timothy Phleum pratense and cocksfoot Dactylis glomerata. Grassy margins were mown on approximately half of the farms at the beginning of July. Arthropods were sampled using two pyramid traps/margin installed for a three-week period five times during the 1996 growing season.