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Research project:
Arthropod Mediated Ecosystem Services

Researcher: Megan Woltz, PhD student

Ecosystem services are ecological functions that support human existence. Insects provide ecosystem services including decomposition, pollination, and biological control of crop pests by predator and parasitoid natural enemies. Landscape structure affects insect abundance and community composition, which, in turn, affects ecosystem services provided by insects. In particular, diverse landscapes with greater proportions of non-crop habitat have been shown to have higher biocontrol rates and less crop damage than more simplified landscapes.

Vegetation structure also affects insect communities and biocontrol services on a local scale. Non-crop habitat adjacent to crop fields provides resources to natural enemies contributing to greater pest control. Additionally, local habitat can be manipulated to provide natural enemies with resources like alternative prey and refuge habitat to optimize their performance, a practice known as habitat management. However, the ability of habitat management to increase biocontrol services likely depends on a landscape context. Highly diverse landscapes may already supply natural enemies with necessary resources, while extremely simplified landscapes may not support sufficient natural enemy populations to measure significant effects of habitat management. We predict that the ability of habitat management to improve biocontrol services in crop fields will be maximized at some intermediate level of landscape diversity. 

Soybean aphid, Aphis glycines, and its coccinellid predators will serve as a model system to elucidate the effects of habitat management and landscape on biocontrol services in soybean fields. To assess these effects, I will manipulate floral resources adjacent to soybean fields situated in landscapes of varying complexity and composition and measure resultant changes in levels of biocontrol services. Broadly, this project will inform us about the relative influences of landscape and local scale resources on predator-prey relationships. Additionally, this study can inform growers about the types of landscapes in which habitat management is likely to make a significant contribution to pest control.