Creation of paddy levees to enhance the ecosystem service of weed seed predation by crickets

Autor: Hitoshi Sawada, Hidehiro Inagaki, Shunsuke Mizumoto, Masayuki Yamashita, Kazuo Matsuno, Minoru Ichihara, Chieko Saiki, Shou Yamaguchi
Rok vydání: 2014
Předmět:
Zdroj: Landscape and Ecological Engineering. 11:227-233
ISSN: 1860-188X
1860-1871
DOI: 10.1007/s11355-014-0254-y
Popis: The influence of ground cover plants on the ecosystem service of weed seed predation by crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) was evaluated on paddy field levees in Japan in 2010 and 2011. We compared the activity density of crickets and invertebrate seed predation on Lolium multiflorum, a non-native grass weed, among five vegetation types grown on paddy levees: the ground covers Eremochloa ophiuroides, Phyla canescens, Phlox subulata, and Zoysia japonica, and weedy vegetation dominated by Digitaria ciliaris. Camera recordings showed that crickets were the predominant invertebrate seed predators. Cricket density tended to be higher on levees with E. ophiuroides, Phyla canescens, and Phlox subulata [5.8–7.2 individuals/trap/day (individuals/trap/d) (2010); 5.4–7.6 individuals/trap/d (2011)] than in those with Z. japonica and weedy vegetation [1.0–2.2 individuals/trap/d (2010); 2.2–3.2 individuals/trap/d (2011)]. Invertebrate seed predation on levees with Phyla canescens and Phlox subulata tended to be relatively high in both years. These results suggest that E. ophiuroides, Phyla canescens, and Phlox subulata can increase cricket density, and that Phyla canescens and Phlox subulata, in particular, can stably enhance weed seed predation on paddy field levees.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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