TY - JOUR
T1 - Development of insects in newly established grassland over six years
T2 - Increased conservation benefits through diverse plant communities
AU - Peer, Maria
AU - Kratschmer, Sophie
AU - Bürgler, Manuela
AU - Hussain, Raja Imran
AU - Rabl, Dominik
AU - Walcher, Ronnie
AU - Schernhammer, Tobias
AU - Maas, Bea
AU - Schuller, Norbert
AU - Vogel, Nora
AU - Heer, Matthias
AU - Zwatz, Simon
AU - Krautzer, Bernhard
AU - Moser, Dietmar
AU - Frank, Thomas
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024
PY - 2024/10/1
Y1 - 2024/10/1
N2 - Agri-environmental schemes seek to mitigate the loss of biodiversity by subsidizing the restoration of grassland in Europe. However, little is known about the colonization of newly established grasslands by insects, especially over periods exceeding 1–2 years. Therefore, we investigated the development of species richness, abundance and species assemblages of wild bees, syrphids, butterflies, orthopterans and true bugs in two types of newly established grassland strips in an agricultural landscape in Austria over a six-year time span. We compared currently subsidized plant-species poor grassland strips (SG; Ecological Focus Areas) with newly established grassland strips (NG) that were created with a diverse, regionally adapted seed mixture, to find out whether diverse seed mixtures can ensure lasting improvements in the insect species richness of grassland strips over a 6-year period. We used permanent seminatural grasslands (old grassland OG) as reference habitat. From the first year after establishment, we found no differences in syrphid assemblages between OG and NG. In contrast, true bug assemblages in NG differed significantly from those in OG still five years after establishment. Wild bee, butterfly and orthopteran species composition differences between grassland strips (NG, SG) and permanent grasslands (OG) were decreasing over time. However, we found no evidence of a successional change in insect species assemblages in NG and SG. NG promoted a significantly higher wild bee richness and equivalent syrphid, butterfly, orthoptera and true bug richness compared with OG. Over the study period, NG showed sustained insect diversity, outperforming plant species-poor SG in promoting wild bee, syrphid and true bug richness. Therefore, we suggest that diverse and regional seed mixtures could enhance the effectiveness of grassland restoration for insect conservation and could make re-sowing within the first 6 years after establishment unnecessary.
AB - Agri-environmental schemes seek to mitigate the loss of biodiversity by subsidizing the restoration of grassland in Europe. However, little is known about the colonization of newly established grasslands by insects, especially over periods exceeding 1–2 years. Therefore, we investigated the development of species richness, abundance and species assemblages of wild bees, syrphids, butterflies, orthopterans and true bugs in two types of newly established grassland strips in an agricultural landscape in Austria over a six-year time span. We compared currently subsidized plant-species poor grassland strips (SG; Ecological Focus Areas) with newly established grassland strips (NG) that were created with a diverse, regionally adapted seed mixture, to find out whether diverse seed mixtures can ensure lasting improvements in the insect species richness of grassland strips over a 6-year period. We used permanent seminatural grasslands (old grassland OG) as reference habitat. From the first year after establishment, we found no differences in syrphid assemblages between OG and NG. In contrast, true bug assemblages in NG differed significantly from those in OG still five years after establishment. Wild bee, butterfly and orthopteran species composition differences between grassland strips (NG, SG) and permanent grasslands (OG) were decreasing over time. However, we found no evidence of a successional change in insect species assemblages in NG and SG. NG promoted a significantly higher wild bee richness and equivalent syrphid, butterfly, orthoptera and true bug richness compared with OG. Over the study period, NG showed sustained insect diversity, outperforming plant species-poor SG in promoting wild bee, syrphid and true bug richness. Therefore, we suggest that diverse and regional seed mixtures could enhance the effectiveness of grassland restoration for insect conservation and could make re-sowing within the first 6 years after establishment unnecessary.
KW - Agri-environmental schemes
KW - Agroecology
KW - Diverse seed mixtures
KW - Insect conservation
KW - Re-establishment of grassland
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85195655434&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.agee.2024.109113
DO - 10.1016/j.agee.2024.109113
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85195655434
SN - 0167-8809
VL - 373
JO - Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment
JF - Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment
M1 - 109113
ER -