engleski

Carabid beetle assemblages and functional traits distribution in olive orchards and vineyards within Mediterranean basin

Ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) are common generalist predators who provide valuable ecosystem services including biocontrol on pest species in the agroecosystems. These services are connected to species traits such as feeding preferences, body size, and wing development. The aim of this study was to analyze the functional diversity of gound beetles in Mediterranean vineyards and olive orchards based on the selected traits. Previous studies show that trait composition in ground beetle assemblages is affected by habitat structure. Our hypothesis was that the agricultural management type, integrated pest management (IPM) and organic management (OM), would have an effect on the proportion of the traits in the ground beetle community and that the proportion would differ from unmanaged habitats. To analyze this effect, we used the published data from vineyards and olive orchards from Mediterranean countries where similar management practices and beetle sampling methods have been applied. Unmanaged habitats supported significantly more carnivorous species compared to OM sites, while there were no significant differences for ground beetles feeding preferences between OM and IPM sites. Large, brachypterous species had the highest proportion at unmanaged sites and lowest at IPM sites. Contrary, unmanaged sites displayed significantly lower functional diversities in feeding preferences and size ranges. These findings could help in the development of the management that promotes sustainability of predatory carabids, and prevent biodiversity losses in the susceptible Mediterranean region.

Biocontrol ; Carabid beetles ; Mediterranean ; olive orchards ; vineyards

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