Effects of newly planted hedges on ground-beetle diversity (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in an agricultural landscape

Published source details Fournier E. & Loreau M. (1999) Effects of newly planted hedges on ground-beetle diversity (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in an agricultural landscape. Ecography, 22, 87-97.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Plant new hedges Action Link
	Plant new hedges Action Link

Plant new hedges

A trial in 1996 in Ouarville, France (Fournier & Loreau 1999) found higher numbers of a predatory ground beetle Pterostichus cupreus in a newly planted hedge (273 catches/trap) than 10 m and 110 m into the adjacent barley Hordeum vulgare crop (23 catches). Other ground beetle (Carabidae) species, including Pterostiehus melanarius, had similar numbers or were only slightly more numerous in the hedge than the crop. Ground beetle diversity in the crop declined with distance from the hedge. The hedge was planted in 1995 and comprised two 200 m sections of shrubs divided by a 100 m section of mixed fodder crops (oat Avena sativa and cabbage Brassica oleracea). It was separated from the adjacent barley crop by a 9 m-wide zone planted with oats and sorghum Sorghum bicolor. Ground beetles were sampled using pitfall traps in the hedge (15 traps) and at intervals between 10-110 m from the hedge in the adjacent crop (four traps at each of five distances). Traps were emptied every 2-4 weeks (April to mid-October 1996). Fenced pitfall traps (12 in the hedge and three 110 m into the crop) were used to estimate absolute densities and were emptied every day for eight days in June 1996.
Plant new hedges

A small-scale study in 1996 in France (Fournier & Loreau 1999) found that ground beetle (Carabidae) diversity declined with distance from a newly planted hedge in intensive arable farmland. Rare ground beetle species decreased and the most abundant species Pterostichus melanarius became more dominant with distance from the hedge. The hedge was planted in 1995 and comprised two 200 m sections of shrubs divided by a 100 m section of mixed fodder crop (oats and cabbages). It was separated from the adjacent barley crop by a 9 m-wide zone planted with oats and sorghum. Ground beetles were sampled using pitfall traps in the hedge (15 traps) and at 10-110 m from the centre of the hedge (four traps at each of five distances). Traps were emptied every 2-4 weeks (April to mid-October 1996). Fenced pitfall traps (12 in the hedge and three 110 m into the crop) were used to estimate absolute densities and were emptied every day for eight days in June 1996.