Spider community shift in response to farming practices in a sub-humid agroecosystem of southern Africa

Mashavakure, Nilton; Mashingaidze, A. B.; Musundire, Robert; Nhamo, Nhamo; Gandiwa, Edson; Thierfelder, Christian; Muposhi, Victor K.

doi:10.1016/j.agee.2018.11.020

Cited by 33 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Cultivation practices often result in the reduction of invertebrate abundance [69][70][71][72] with reduced tillage having beneficial impacts on invertebrate populations [65,[73][74][75][76][77][78]. In our research sensitivity of particular invertebrate taxa to topsoil disturbance, as expressed by a decline in abundance, as agricultural management regimes intensified such as greater frequency of cultivation or more frequent use (shorter periods of fallow), showed few consistent trends across invertebrate orders.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 56%

The Effect of Increasing Topsoil Disturbance on Surface-Active Invertebrate Composition and Abundance under Grazing and Cropping Regimes on Vertisols in North-West New South Wales, Australia

Nkem

Bruyn

King

2020

Insects

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Agricultural intensification practices involve varying degrees of disturbance to the soil ecosystem. This study evaluated six agricultural management regimes with increasing levels of topsoil disturbance, on the composition and abundance of surface-active invertebrates on Vertisols at a sub-catchment scale. Two grazing (native and introduced pastures), and four cropping (combining short and long fallow, with zero and conventional tillage) management regimes were examined. Surface-active invertebrates were collected seasonally with pitfall traps over 2 years (8 seasons), and identified to order, while ants (Formicidae) that comprised 47% of total invertebrates collected, were identified to genera. Season had a significant effect on ant abundance and number of genera recorded with higher abundance and twice the number of genera in summer than all other seasons. Ants, particularly Iridomyrmex, were mainly active in summer, while other invertebrates especially Coleoptera, were more active in winter. Surface-active invertebrates were 30% more abundant in grazing than cropping land use types. Native pasture, with little surface soil disturbance, recorded the highest number of invertebrates, mainly ants, compared to other agricultural management regimes. Coleoptera and Dermaptera were higher in abundance under conventional tillage compared with those agricultural management regimes that disturb the topsoil less. Optimizing surface-active invertebrate activity on Vertisols for most taxa will require reducing topsoil disturbance. However, the research findings also suggest that the impact of agricultural management regimes on invertebrate activity was difficult to predict with any certainty as the three main ant genera, and most abundant invertebrate collected, did not respond in a consistent manner.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 56%

The Effect of Increasing Topsoil Disturbance on Surface-Active Invertebrate Composition and Abundance under Grazing and Cropping Regimes on Vertisols in North-West New South Wales, Australia

Nkem

Bruyn

King

2020

Insects

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“…In this study, Araneae was positively correlated to application rate, soil organic carbon, resource total N and lignin content which explain high abundance under maize stover and Crotalaria as more prey was stimulated by the higher mulch. Mashavakure et al. (2019) noted similar results as high mulch provided the best hunting and foraging ground (refuge and cover) and habitat for Araneae.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 55%

Soil macrofauna response to integrated soil fertility management under maize monocropping in Zimbabwe

Tauro

Mtambanengwe

Mpepereki

et al. 2021

Heliyon

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The continued decline in both populations and diversity of soil macrofauna in agroecosystems remains a major concern for sustainable food production in Southern Africa. Macrofauna abundance and diversity were examined in a maize monocropping system following repeated incorporation of Calliandra calothyrsus , Crotalaria juncea , cattle manure, maize stover, and Pinus patula sawdust at 1.2 or 4.0 t C ha −1 with or without nitrogen (120 kg N ha −1 ) for 13 years (seasons). All treatments received phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and sulphur (S) at 16.0, 14.7 and 4.6 kg ha −1 , respectively, at each planting time in December. Using the ISO/TSBF (Tropical Soils Biology and Fertility Institute) monoliths procedure, macrofauna were collected to a depth of 0.30 m fortnightly from February to mid-May 2016. Lumbricus terrestris and Isoptera were significantly (P < 0.001) affected by organic treatment and seasonal time, while organic treatment alone significantly affected Elateridae. A fluctuating trend characterised Diplopoda, L. terrestris and Isoptera with two general peaks for L. terrestris and a significant Isoptera peak under maize stover. Rainfall significantly influenced L. terrestris and Isoptera abundance, while within-season sampling time explained the observed fluctuations in Diplopoda, Holotrichia serrata , Araneae, Acrididae, and Formicidae. While Araneae was prevalent under maize stover, Elateridae, H. serrata and Araneae showed no distinct pattern in abundance. At low application rate, higher Shannon-Wiener diversity indices were apparent except for maize stover. Increasing application rate of the different organics amplified stimulation, abundance and persistence of macrofauna, and significantly increased diversity relative to the control. Application of N-based mineral fertiliser appeared to be detrimental to selective macrofauna (e.g., L. terrestris, Isoptera and Elateridae). Monte Carlo permutation test identified ammonium nitrate as the most influential and detrimental variable followed by organic resource quality, soil organic carbon (SOC) and application rate. Long-term co-application of organic and inorganic resources thus stimulated macrofaunal populations and maintained diversity. To sustain the productivity of the predominantly maize-based smallholder cropping systems, it is proposed that extension packages promote the inclusion of a minimum of at least 1.2 t carbon ha −1 annually towards improved soil health.

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“…In addition, CA systems need to be supported by good management to function (Thierfelder et al ., 2018). CA has many benefits such as improved and more stable yields, improved rain water use efficiency, increased microbial activity and, in the longer term, improved soil fertility (Twomlow et al ., 2008; Kassam et al ., 2009; Mashavakure et al ., 2019 a , 2019 b ). Improvement in soil biology is associated with increases in soil organic carbon, which may sequester under CA in the longer term (Guo et al ., 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tillage and crop rotations enhance populations of earthworms, termites, dung beetles and centipedes: evidence from a long-term trial in Zambia

et al. 2019

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Macro-organisms contribute significantly to soil fertility improvement. The influence of conservation agriculture (CA) in southern Africa on their populations has not yet been fully understood. Thus, the objective of the current study was to evaluate the effects of CA and conventional tillage on below ground biological activity in a CA long-term trial in Monze, Zambia from 2011 to 2013. The study had ten treatments which differed by tillage systems (conventional ploughing, planting basins and direct seeding) and crop diversification intensity (sole cropping, 2- or 3-year crop rotations) involving maize, cotton and sunn hemp. These factors were combined to create rotation-tillage (RotTill) treatments. Sampling of macrofauna was done once per year using a metal frame measuring 0.25 m2, hand-sorted to 30-cm depth. RotTill treatments had a significant effect on earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris), termites (Coptotermes formosanus), dung beetles (Scarabaeus viettei) and centipedes (Lithobius forficatus). Earthworms and termites were more abundant in CA treatments than in conventionally ploughed (CP) treatments. Biota diversity was generally higher in CA treatments than in CP controls. Conventional mouldboard ploughing generally reduced macrofauna, thus affecting biological soil fertility and the beneficial effect of the interactions of these organisms with the soil. CA treatments had the highest maize grain yields throughout the study period. Based on the results, reduced tillage systems and crop rotations increase biological activity shown by increased densities of termites and earthworms.

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Spider community shift in response to farming practices in a sub-humid agroecosystem of southern Africa

Cited by 33 publications

References 36 publications

The Effect of Increasing Topsoil Disturbance on Surface-Active Invertebrate Composition and Abundance under Grazing and Cropping Regimes on Vertisols in North-West New South Wales, Australia

The Effect of Increasing Topsoil Disturbance on Surface-Active Invertebrate Composition and Abundance under Grazing and Cropping Regimes on Vertisols in North-West New South Wales, Australia

Soil macrofauna response to integrated soil fertility management under maize monocropping in Zimbabwe

Tillage and crop rotations enhance populations of earthworms, termites, dung beetles and centipedes: evidence from a long-term trial in Zambia

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