The heterogeneity and composition of agricultural landscapes influence native and exotic coccinellids in alfalfa fields

Abstract

1. The current trend toward simplification of agricultural landscapes, as well as the associated loss of perennial cover types, can decrease landscape heterogeneity and also natural enemy abundance and diversity, favouring exotic species.
2. We evaluated the effects of agricultural landscape composition and heterogeneity at two different spatial scales (radii of 250 and 1000 m), on the diversity and abundance of native and exotic coccinellids, associated with alfalfa fields located in two regions of Central Chile. Data were analyzed using partial least square regressions, considering the whole coccinellid assemblage and the three most abundant species.
3. In both regions, coccinellid diversity and the abundance and proportion of native coccinellids in alfalfa responded differentially from total abundance and the abundance of exotic coccinellids. The diversity and abundance of coccinellids in alfalfa increased with the compositional and configurational heterogeneity of the landscape. The abundance of both native and exotic coccinellids in alfalfa fields decreased as the area covered by cultivated lands, such as annual crops and orchards, increased. Nevertheless, the responses of native and exotic coccinellids were not consistent among regions, which may be explained by responses of the dominant species in each region.
4. The results of the present study suggest that variables related to a higher intensification of agricultural landscapes (lower compositional and configurational heterogeneity, as well as more annual crops) reduce coccinellid diversity and abundance in alfalfa fields. To maintain a higher abundance and diversity of these natural enemies in alfalfa, more heterogeneous landscapes with less annual crops should be promoted.