Gradient of decline of epigeic arthropods depending on ecotone distance and seasonal dynamics in agriculturally used land
Gradient of decline of epigeic arthropods depending on ecotone distance and seasonal dynamics in agriculturally used land

Summary/Abstract: Epigeic arthropods participate in the regulation of pest populations, the decomposition of organic matter, and the maintenance of soil structure and quality, thus playing an important role in the functioning of vineyards. During 2021–2023, we analysed the spatial dispersion of epigeic arthropods in different types of vineyard habitats (semi-intensive vineyard, intensive vineyard, abandoned vineyard and meadow). During the investigation, a total of 56,726 individuals belonging to 23 taxa were recorded. The highest numbers of taxa were recorded in traps located in the ecotone, while the number of taxa decreased toward the interior of each of the studied habitats. The redundancy analysis confirmed the significant influence of habitat type on the spatial distribution of taxa. We confirmed statistically significant differences in the abundance of individuals between individual seasons and traps in all studied habitats. Linear regression showed a strong to moderate relationship between the distance of pitfall traps from the field edge and the abundance of individuals, while we predictied a trend of decreasing numbers of individuals another 20 m into the field. The results point to the importance of ecotones for epigeic arthropods in the assessment of biodiversity in agroecosystems.

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