engleski

Predatory arthropod in IPM and ecologically managed olive orchards: the impact on the strengths of trophic interactions

Understanding how changes in soil fauna diversity can affect ecosystem functions, with special concern on the trophic network interactions, is among key questions in ecology. Predatory arthropods that occupy higher trophic levels can be negatively affected by pesticides used in the field, directly or/and through reduction of prey. Our aim is to determine predator and prey diversity and abundance in two olive orchards characterized by different type of agricultural management (IPM or ecological) and to analyze predation in both field types. In order to see the differences in trophic interactions among invertebrate fauna (mollusks, earthworms, arthropods), complex sampling has been carried out through vegetation season in 2018. Extensive DNA barcoding of predators and potential prey will be provided, after which complex trophic network will be created using acquired metagenomic data. Biodiversity study has shown that the main predators in soil through late spring and summer were ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and spiders (Arachnida: Aranea). On the other hand, in canopy layer dominant predators were spiders and harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones). The dominant prey were springtails (Collembola), Diptera, ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and mites (Arachnida: Acarina). Differences in predatory fauna between study sites and impact of management type on predators’ diversity in the field will be discussed with the purpose of improving biocontrol potential by predation.

predatory arthropods, agricultural management type, olive orchard, trophic network

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