Field Edge Plant Community Diversity in an Intensively Managed Agricultural Landscape
Open Access
Author:
Kammerer, Melanie Anne
Area of Honors:
Agroecology
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
David A Mortensen, Thesis Supervisor David A Mortensen, Thesis Supervisor Dr. Heather D Karsten, Thesis Honors Advisor David M Sylvia, Faculty Reader
Keywords:
landscape ecology plant community diversity ecosystem services
Abstract:
Field edges are important non-crop areas in agricultural landscapes because they foster biodiversity in the landscape. Field edges also support important ecosystem services like pollination by providing floral resources and habitat for pollinators. The main goal of this study was to examine how field edge management and occurrence of adjacent crop influences plant community diversity in the field edge. Twenty-eight field edges in Selommes, France were surveyed in the summer of 2010. Plant species richness and abundance data were collected and analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistical methods. Field edge management was found to be a significant determinant of plant diversity in field edges, with untreated edges hosting the most diverse plant communities, and chemically treated edges the least diverse. These findings are evidence to support a shift in field edge management toward less herbicide application in order to increase the plant community diversity and provision of ecosystem services.
