Effects of grazing and mowing on ground-dwelling predatory arthropods in a semi-arid grassland

Yadong Wang; Jianwei Cheng; Siguleng Wuji; Haoxin Li; Yanan Wang; Jingpeng Guo; Xinmin Liu; Frank Yonghong Li

Ecological Indicators (Oct 2024)

Effects of grazing and mowing on ground-dwelling predatory arthropods in a semi-arid grassland

Yadong Wang,
Jianwei Cheng,
Siguleng Wuji,
Haoxin Li,
Yanan Wang,
Jingpeng Guo,
Xinmin Liu,
Frank Yonghong Li

Affiliations

Yadong Wang: Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau and Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security, Ministry of Education of China and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hohhot 010021, China
Jianwei Cheng: School of Geography Science, Taiyuan Normal University, Jinzhong, Shanxi, 030619, China
Siguleng Wuji: College of Life Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot 010022, China
Haoxin Li: Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau and Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security, Ministry of Education of China and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hohhot 010021, China
Yanan Wang: Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau and Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security, Ministry of Education of China and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hohhot 010021, China
Jingpeng Guo: Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau and Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security, Ministry of Education of China and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hohhot 010021, China
Xinmin Liu: College of Life Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot 010022, China
Frank Yonghong Li: Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau and Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security, Ministry of Education of China and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hohhot 010021, China; Corresponding author at: Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau and Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 167
p. 112733

Abstract

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The arthropod communities are important component in grassland ecosystems and are largely affected by management. However, the information on the effects of different grassland management on ground-dwelling predatory arthropods are very limited, especially for the natural steppe grasslands in semi-arid regions. Here we investigated the dynamic patterns of predatory arthropod communities (Carabidae and Araneida) using the Pitfall-trap method in the grasslands subject to 6 management treatments of full-season grazing, spring-summer grazing, summer grazing, summer-autumn grazing, autumn mowing, and unused grassland in a natural steppe grassland in central Inner Mongolia; each management treatment was replicated by three experimental paddocks. The results showed that (i) a total of 305 ground-dwelling predatory arthropods were captured, belonging to 31 genera, 11 families, 2 orders and 2 classes; and the dominant genera were Craspedonotus, Harpalus, Pardosa and Gnaphosa, accounting for 14.75%, 12.79%, 11.15% and 15.74% of the total genera, respectively. (ii) Compared to unused grassland, grazing significantly reduced the individual number, biomass and genus diversity of ground-dwelling predatory arthropods, and these inverse impacts were smaller under summer-autumn grazing than other grazing; while autumn mowing increased the biomass of the arthropods in summer. (iii) Grazing and mowing had bigger effects on the large than small ground-dwelling predatory arthropods. Our results deepen the understanding of the dynamic patterns of ground-dwelling predatory arthropods in grasslands subject to different management, and it is important to take these dynamic patterns in evaluating management effects on grassland ecosystems, especially for the development of sustainable grassland management systems.

Published in Ecological Indicators

ISSN: 1470-160X (Print); 1872-7034 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science: Biology (General): Ecology
Website: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/ecological-indicators

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