The within-field spatial and temporal distribution of arthropods in winter wheat.

Abstract

The within-field spatial distribution of some common farmland arthropods from the Carabidae, Araneae and Collembola was assessed using two-dimensional grids of pitfall traps distributed across whole winter wheat fields. In the first year, the extent to which arthropod capture was influenced by location within the field and sampling intensity was examined using a nested grid design (1.5 m, 7.5 m and 30 m spacings). In the second year, distributions within two different-sized winter wheat fields were compared. Spatial pattern and association between arthropods and weed cover were analysed using SADIE and trend surfaces were used to visualize distributions. Many of these arthropod groups exhibited aggregated distributions within the fields in clusters larger than 30 m across, demonstrating that the numbers captured will vary depending on the location of sampling within a field. Amara species, Bembidion lampros Herbst, Carabidae and Lycosidae were predominantly found within 60 m of the field edge. Nebria brevicollis Fabricius and Pterostichus madidus Illiger were found within the field in patches of one and two hectares, respectively. Linyphiidae were relatively homogeneously distributed across the fields. There was some evidence of clustering by Collembola. The spermophagous Carabidae and Lycosidae were positively associated with the degree of weed cover. SADIE analytical techniques were useful for identifying the importance and location of patches with greater and less than average numbers, although a minimum of 36 sample points is recommended.