Floral abundance and richness drive beneficial arthropod conservation and biological control on golf courses

Dale, Adam G.; Perry, Rebecca L.; Cope, Grace; Benda, Nicole

doi:10.1007/s11252-019-00907-0

Cited by 19 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…Several studies focused on conservation biological control have demonstrated a positive effect of floral diversity on insect natural enemies and predation or parasitism of nearby herbivores [ 9 , 57 , 58 , 59 ]. Dale et al [ 9 ] found that diverse wildflower plantings on golf courses increased both natural enemy abundance and their associated predation of fall armyworm caterpillars up to 18 m away compared to less diverse wildflower plantings and areas with no floral resources. Similarly, Blaauw and Isaacs [ 24 ] showed that as the size of wildflower patches increased, natural enemy density almost doubled, and diversity increased with plot size and wildflower presence compared to mown grass areas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The North American monarch population provides an excellent model system to optimize conservation strategies that may be applicable to other specialist herbivores and butterflies [ 1 , 2 , 5 ]. Agricultural and urban land use types are leveraging the multifunctionality of conservation plantings by converting areas to flowering habitats to conserve pollinators while promoting top-down regulation of economic pests [ 9 , 23 , 24 , 69 , 70 ]. Recent work and this study suggest that monarch conservation plantings may also serve this multifunctionality.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…After adding monarch larvae to each caged and uncaged planting, we recorded survival by counting the number of alive, dead, partially eaten, parasitized, or missing larvae on each focal planting every other day until larvae reached fifth instar, about seven–ten days. We combined the latter four categories to calculate the percentage of larvae lost from the initial total, or the disappearance rate, which we use as a metric of biological control [ 9 ]. Monarchs have a wandering stage at the end of the 5th instar during which they leave their host plant to find a place to pupate [ 37 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This decline is driven by a multitude of anthropogenic factors (i.e., habitat loss, agricultural production, pesticide use, climate change), several of which are linked to rapid urbanization [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]. Encouragingly, urban green spaces that remain can provide valuable conservation services for monarchs and other beneficial insects if created and maintained properly [ 8 , 9 ]. In addition, small urban gardens are valuable for monarch conservation [ 8 , 10 ] and may help increase public awareness and involvement in conservation efforts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most research to date has investigated these effects in the context of increasing biological control of agronomic or economic pests [ 23 , 24 , 25 ]. Recent evidence on golf courses in cities found that more diverse wildflower habitats supported nearly twice as many natural enemies and a more consistent increase in biological control of caterpillar pests compared to less diverse wildflower plantings [ 9 ]. Although the same concept may apply, the objective of monarch conservation plantings is to increase specialist herbivore abundance and success, not reduce it.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mixed-Species Gardens Increase Monarch Oviposition without Increasing Top-Down Predation

Nestle

Daniels

Dale

2020

Insects

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Monarch butterfly populations have declined by over 80% in the last 20 years. Conservation efforts focus on the creation of milkweed habitats to mitigate this decline. Previous research has found monarchs lay more eggs per milkweed stem in urban gardens than natural habitats and recent work identified specific garden designs that make urban gardens more attractive to monarchs. Increasing plant diversity can reduce specialist insect herbivore colonization via bottom-up (e.g., plant) and top-down (e.g., predation) regulatory factors. Although this is beneficial for pest management efforts, it contradicts conservation efforts. In this study, we explored if adding multiple flowering species to garden-sized milkweed plantings affected monarch oviposition or top-down regulation of larvae. We compared monarch egg abundance, natural enemy abundance and richness, and biological control of monarch larvae in milkweed monocultures and milkweed mixed with four additional wildflower species. We found that monarchs laid 22% more eggs on sentinel milkweed plants in mixed-species plots with no effect of plant diversity on monarch survival. We also found higher natural enemy richness, wasp, and predatory bug abundance in the mixed-species plots and this did not translate to higher biological control rates. Our results provide more evidence that plant selection and habitat design are important for monarch conservation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mixed-Species Gardens Increase Monarch Oviposition without Increasing Top-Down Predation

Nestle

Daniels

Dale

2020

Insects

Self Cite

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Golf course living leads to a diet shift for American alligators

Rosenblatt,

Greco,

Beal

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

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Human‐driven land use change can fundamentally alter ecological communities, especially the diversity and abundance of large‐bodied predators. Yet, despite the important roles large‐bodied predators play in structuring communities through feeding, there have been only a few investigations of how the feeding patterns of large‐bodied predators change in human‐dominated landscapes. One group of large‐bodied predators that has been largely overlooked in the context of land use change is the crocodilians. To help fill these gaps, we studied the feeding patterns of juvenile American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) on neighboring barrier islands on the southeast coast of Georgia, USA. Jekyll Island has multiple golf courses and substantial amounts of human activity, while Sapelo Island does not have any golf courses and a much smaller amount of human activity. We found that juvenile alligator populations on both islands ate the same types of prey but in vastly different quantities. Sapelo Island alligators primarily consumed crustaceans while alligators that lived on Jekyll Island's golf courses ate mostly insects/arachnids. Furthermore, the Jekyll Island alligators exhibited a much more generalist feeding pattern (individuals mostly ate the same types of prey in the same quantities) than the more specialized Sapelo Island alligators (diets were more varied across individuals). The most likely explanation for our results is that alligators living on golf courses have different habitat use patterns and have access to different prey communities relative to alligators in more natural habitats. Thus, land use change can strongly alter the feeding patterns of large‐bodied predators and, as a result, may affect their body condition, exposure to human‐made chemicals, and role within ecological communities.

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Presence of pollinator‐friendly habitat on pollinator communities in managed turfgrass systems

Billeisen

Kilpatrick

Seth-Carley

et al. 2021

Intl Turfgrass Soc Res J

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Insect pollinator community dynamics in established turfgrass systems is a topic of continuing study. This research examines pollinator abundance and diversity in two turfgrass environments (golf courses and home lawns) and whether populations are affected by the establishment of pollinator-friendly habitat. Sites adjacent to managed green spaces were selected based on site suitability for management and monitored monthly from July through October 2018 for insect pollinators using a combination of sweep netting and pan traps prior to habitat establishment. Insect sampling was repeated in 2019 post-establishment. Wildflower presence increased bee abundance but did not impact species richness.

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Floral abundance and richness drive beneficial arthropod conservation and biological control on golf courses

Cited by 19 publications

References 64 publications

Mixed-Species Gardens Increase Monarch Oviposition without Increasing Top-Down Predation

Mixed-Species Gardens Increase Monarch Oviposition without Increasing Top-Down Predation

Golf course living leads to a diet shift for American alligators

Presence of pollinator‐friendly habitat on pollinator communities in managed turfgrass systems

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