Abstract
In crops, invertebrate natural enemies such as spiders have been documented as responding to non-crop vegetation at the local and landscape scales, particularly in northern Europe. Much of this information is based on data from arable or annual crops and it is possible that spider numbers in more persistent perennial systems including vineyards may be less dependent on non-crop vegetation. To test the relationship between spider abundance and non-crop vegetation within the context of Australian vineyards, we sampled spiders in 54 vineyards with adjacent non-crop vegetation, from three different regions. Landscape composition in the area surrounding each of the 54 sites was characterized at 11 spatial scales from 95 m to 3 km radius and spiders were sampled monthly using canopy sticky traps and ground pitfall traps. There were only weak relationships between pasture or woody vegetation and the abundance of spiders in vineyards at all spatial scales. At the local scale, abundance of most spider families tended to be greater in vineyards with adjacent pasture. At the landscape scale there were inconsistent patterns. We discuss possible reasons for these apparent contrasting patterns between perennial and annual crops and European compared to Australian agroecosystems.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bailey D, Schmidt-Entling MH, Eberhart P, Herrmann JD, Hofer G, Kormann U, Herzog F (2010) Effects of habitat amount and isolation on biodiversity in fragmented traditional orchards. J Appl Ecol 47:1003–1013
Bayram A, Luff ML (1993) Winter abundance and diversity of lycosids (Lycosidae, Araneae) and other spiders in grass tussocks in a field margin. Pedobiologia 37:357–364
Bell JR, Wheater CP, Cullen WR (2001) The implications of grassland and heathland management for the conservation of spider communities: a review. J Zool 255:377–387
Bianchi F, van der Werf W (2003) The effect of the area and configuration of hibernation sites on the control of aphids by Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in agricultural landscapes: a simulation study. Environ Entomol 32:1290–1304
Bianchi F, Goedhart PW, Baveco JM (2008) Enhanced pest control in cabbage crops near forest in The Netherlands. Landsc Ecol 23:595–602
Bishop L, Riechert SE (1990) Spider colonization of agroecosystems: mode and source. Environ Entomol 19:1738–1745
Brust GE, Stinner BR, McCartney DA (1986) Predation by soil inhabiting arthropods in intercropped and monoculture agroecosystems. Agric Ecosyst Environ 18:145–154
Clough Y, Kruess A, Kleijn D, Tscharntke T (2005) Spider diversity in cereal fields: comparing factors at local, landscape and regional scales. J Biogeogr 32:2007–2014
Cooper T, Arblaster K, Baldock D, Farmer M, Beaufoy G, Jones G, Poux X, McCracken D, Bignal E, Elbersen B, Washer D, Angelstam P, Roberge JM, Pointereau P, Seffer J, Galvanek D (2007) Final report for the study on HNV indicators for evaluation. Institute for European Environmental Policy, London, UK, 190 pp
Costello MJ, Daane KM (1999) Abundance of spiders and insect predators on grapes in central California. J Arachnol 27:531–538
Denys C, Tscharntke T (2002) Plant-insect communities and predator-prey ratios in field margin strips, adjacent crop fields and fallows. Oecologia 130:315–324
Drapela T, Moser D, Zalle JG, Frank T (2008) Spider assemblages in winter oilseed rape affected by landscape and site factors. Ecography 31:254–262
Duffield SJ, Jepson PC, Wratten SD, Sotherton NW (1996) Spatial changes in invertebrate predation rate in winter wheat following treatment with dimethoate. Entomol Exp Appl 78:9–17
Eilers EJ, Klein A-M (2009) Landscape context and management effects on an important insect pest and its natural enemies in almond. Biol Control 51:388–394
Entling W, Schmidt MH, Bacher S, Brandl R, Nentwig W (2007) Niche properties of Central European spiders: shading, moisture and the evolution of the habitat niche. Global Ecol Biogeogr 16:440–448
Frank T, Drapela T, Moser D, Zaller JG (2010) Insect pests and spiders in oilseed rape and their response to site and landscape factors. In: Williams IH (ed) Biocontrol-based integrated management of oilseed rape pests. Springer, Netherlands, pp 285–304
Gardiner MM, Landis DA, Gratton C, Schmidt N, O’Neal M, Mueller E, Chacon J, Heimpel GE (2010) Landscape composition influences the activity density of Carabidae and Arachnida in soybean fields. Biol Control 55:11–19
Greenstone MH (2001) Spiders in wheat: first quantitative data from North America. BioControl 46:439–454
Halley JM, Thomas CFG, Jepson PC (1996) A model for the spatial dynamics of linyphiid spiders in farmland. J Appl Ecol 33:471–492
Hawkeswood TJ (2003) Spiders of Australia: an introduction to their classification, biology and distribution. Pensoft, Moscow, Russia
Hogg BN, Daane KM (2010) The role of dispersal from natural habitat in determining spider abundance and diversity in California vineyards. Agric Ecosyst Environ 135:260–267
Huusela-Veistola E (1998) Effects of perennial grass strips on spiders (Araneae) in cereal fields and impact on pesticide side-effects. J Appl Entomol 122:575–583
Isaia M, Bona F, Badino G (2006) Influence of landscape diversity and agricultural practices on spider assemblage in Italian vineyards of Langa Astigiana (northwest Italy). Environ Entomol 35:297–307
Korenko S, Pekar S (2010) Is there intraguild predation between winter-active spiders (Araneae) on apple tree bark? Biol Control 54:206–212
Landis DA, Wratten SD, Gurr GM (2000) Habitat management to conserve natural enemies of arthropod pests in agriculture. Annu Rev Entomol 45:175–201
Le Viol I, Julliard R, Kerbiriou C, de Redon L, Carnino N, Machon N, Porcher E (2008) Plant and spider communities benefit differently from the presence of planted hedgerows in highway verges. Biol Conserv 141:1581–1590
Lemke A, Poehling HM (2002) Sown weed strips in cereal fields: overwintering site and “source” habitat for Oedothorax apicatus (Blackwall) and Erigone atra (Blackwall) (Araneae: Erigonidae). Agric Ecosyst Environ 90:67–80
Mansour F, Rosen D, Shulov A (1981) Disturbing effect of a spider on larval aggregation of Spodoptera littoralis. Entomol Exp Appl 29:234–237
Marc P, Canard A, Ysnel F (1999) Spiders (Araneae) useful for pest limitation and bioindication. Agric Ecosyst Environ 74:229–273
Maudsley MJ (2000) A review of the ecology and conservation of hedgerow invertebrates in Britain. J Environ Manag 60:65–76
Nyffeler M, Sunderland KD (2003) Composition, abundance and pest control potential of spider communities in agroecosystems: a comparison of European and US studies. Agric Ecosyst Environ 95:579–612
Öberg S, Ekbom B (2006) Recolonisation and distribution of spiders and carabids in cereal fields after spring sowing. Ann Appl Biol 149:203–211
Olson D, Andow A (2008) Patch edges and insect populations. Oecologia 155:549–558
Perovic DJ, Gurr GM, Raman A, Nicol HI (2010) Effect of landscape composition and arrangement on biological control agents in a simplified agricultural system: a cost-distance approach. Biol Control 52:263–270
Prasifka JR, Heinz KM, Minzenmayer RR (2004) Relationships of landscape, prey and agronomic variables to the abundance of generalist predators in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) fields. Landsc Ecol 19:709–717
Rand TA, Tscharntke T (2007) Contrasting effects of natural habitat loss on generalist and specialist aphid natural enemies. Oikos 116:1353–1362
Raven RJ, Baehr BC, Harvey MS (2002) Spiders of Australia CD-Rom. Interactive identification to subfamily. CSIRO Publishing/Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS), Melbourne, Australia
Samu F, Sunderland KD, Szinetar C (1999) Scale dependent dispersal and distribution patterns of spiders in agricultural systems: a review. J Arachnol 27:325–332
Schmidt MH, Tscharnkte T (2005) Landscape context of sheetweb spider population dynamics in cereal fields. J Biogeogr 32:467–473
Schmidt MH, Lauer A, Purtauf T, Thies C, Schaefer M, Tscharntke T (2003) Relative importance of predators and parasitoids for cereal aphid control. Proc Roy Soc B Biol Sci 270:1905–1909
Schmidt MH, Roschewitz I, Thies C, Tscharntke T (2005) Differential effects of landscape and management on diversity and density of ground dwelling farmland spiders. J Appl Ecol 42:281–287
Schmidt MH, Thies C, Nentwig W, Tscharntke T (2008) Contrasting responses of arable spiders to the landscape matrix at different spatial scales. J Biogeogr 35:157–166
Schweiger O, Maelfait JP, van Wingerden W, Hendrikx F, Billeter R, Speelmans M, Augenstein I, Aukema B, Aviron S, Bailey D, Bukacek R, Burel F, Diekotter T, Dirksen J, Frenzel M, Herzog F, Liira J, Roubalova M, Bugter R (2005) Quantifying the impact of environmental factors on arthropod communities in agricultural landscapes across organizational levels and spatial scales. J Appl Ecol 42:1129–1139
Thomson LJ (2006) Influence of reduced irrigation on beneficial invertebrates in vineyards. Aust J Exp Agr 46:1389–1395
Thomson LJ, Hoffmann AA (2006) Field validation of laboratory-derived IOBC toxicity ratings for natural enemies in commercial vineyards. Biol Control 39:507–515
Thomson LJ, Hoffmann AA (2007) Effects of ground cover (straw and compost) on the abundance of natural enemies and soil macro invertebrates in vineyards. Agric Forest Entomol 9:173–179
Thomson LJ, Hoffmann AA (2009) Vegetation increases the abundance of natural enemies in vineyards. Biol Control 49:259–269
Thomson LJ, Hoffmann AA (2010) Natural enemy responses and pest control: importance of local vegetation. Biol Control 52:160–166
Thomson LJ, McKenzie J, Sharley DJ, Nash MA, Tsitsilas A, Hoffmann AA (2010) Effect of woody vegetation at the landscape scale on the abundance of natural enemies in Australian vineyards. Biol Control 54:248–254
Thorbek P, Topping CJ (2005) The influence of landscape diversity and heterogeneity on spatial dynamics of agrobiont linyphiid spiders: an individual based model. BioControl 50:1–33
Tsitsilas A, Stuckey S, Hoffmann AA, Weeks AR, Thomson LJ (2006) Shelterbelts in agricultural landscapes suppress invertebrate pests. Aust J Exp Agr 46:1379–1388
Tsitsilas A, Hoffmann AA, Weeks AW, Umina PA (2011) Impact of groundcover manipulations within windbreaks on mite pests and their natural enemies. Aust J Entomol 50:37–47
Weibull A-C, Ostman O, Granqvist A (2003) Species richness in agroecosystems: the effect of landscape, habitat and farm management. Biodivers Conserv 12:1335–1355
Williams JL, Wise DH (2003) Avoidance of wolf spiders (Araneae: Lycosidae) by striped cucumber beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae): laboratory and field studies. Environ Entomol 32:633–640
Wissinger SA (1997) Cyclic colonization in predictably ephemeral habitats: a template for biological control in annual crop systems. Biol Control 10:4–15
Zar JH (1996) Biostatistical analysis. Prentice Hall, New Jersey
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation with support from Australia’s grape growers and winemakers. Additional financial support was provided by an Albert Shimmer scholarship to CFD, the Holsworth Foundation and the Australian Research Council through their fellowship scheme. Landscape-use analysis and data were provided by Emily Thomson. Assistance with extensive field collections was provided by Michael Nash, David Sharley and Chee Seng Chong. We thank two anonymous reviewers whose constructive comments assisted in improvement of an earlier version of the manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Handling Editor: Arne Janssen
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
D’Alberto, C.F., Hoffmann, A.A. & Thomson, L.J. Limited benefits of non-crop vegetation on spiders in Australian vineyards: regional or crop differences?. BioControl 57, 541–552 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-011-9435-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-011-9435-x