Carabid composition in different agricultural landscapes

Abstract: Carabids are the most abundant and diverse group of beneficial insects inhabiting agricultural crops all over the world. They are known as bioindicators of ecosystem stability, since they can indicate the field quality caused by anthropogenic influence. In order to preserve carabid biodiversity in intensively managed agro-ecosystems, it is important to monitor their composition, abundance, dominance and diversity in agricultural landscapes. The carabid populations were investigated during the vegetation season 2015 in IPM perennial (orchard) and IPM annual (arable) agro-ecosystems. Altogether, 1612 individuals belonging to 38 species were collected. In perennial agro-ecosystem, 17 species were recorded, mostly belonging to genera Harpalus, Pterostichus and Calathus. In arable agro-ecosystem, 26 species were recorded with the most represented genera of Harpalus, Brachinus, Pterostichus and Amara. Only four species were registered in both agricultural landscapes. The orchard landscape can be characterized as having relatively low species richness in comparison with arable landscape. Presented results confirm that anthropogenically influenced agricultural landscapes generate different disturbance degrees in the carabid communities resulting in decreased biodiversity in long established landscape compared to variable annual landscape.