@misc{10481/105840,
year = {2025},
month = {5},
url = {https://hdl.handle.net/10481/105840},
abstract = {Semi-tilling is an extended practice in olive groves aiming to manage the water
competition between ground cover and olive trees while maintaining the soil
structure in the crop. However, the effect of semi-tilling on the arthropod community and biological pest control is still uncertain. This study assesses the impact
of semi-tilling on the arthropod community and biological pest control in olive
groves. It was approached by analysing the arthropod food web composition and
structure as well as the arthropod distribution among the three strata of the crop
(tree canopy, ground cover and epigeal soil). Stable isotope (δN15 and δC13) analysis was used to predict the trophic position of arthropods in the food web and to
establish trophic links between predators and prey. The food web structure was
measured by estimating the unweighted and node-weighted quantitative descriptors in both cases (mowing and semi-tilling). In addition, we evaluated the effect
of ground cover management on the abundance of arthropods in the three strata
of the crop. Results showed that although the structure of the food web is maintained in semi-tilled crops in summer, mowing enhances the predation pressure
on the olive grove pests Euphyllura olivina (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) and Prays oleae
(Lepidoptera: Praydidae). Thus, we observed a lower abundance of pests potentially related to the migration of predators to the olive tree canopy facilitated by
mowing. Furthermore, isotopic distances showed that Anthocoris nemoralis from
the tree and the ground cover (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) preys on E. olivina in
the mowed olive grove, while in the semi-tilled olive grove, this trophic link disappears in the ground cover. The overall results showed that semi-tillage during late
spring–early summer negatively affects arthropod biological pest control in organic
olive groves.},
organization = {European Union Next Generation - Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (TED2021.130632B.100)},
organization = {Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (AGL2009–09878)},
publisher = {John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.},
keywords = {Anthocoris nemoralis},
keywords = {Euphyllura olivina},
keywords = {food web structure},
keywords = {mowing},
keywords = {Prays oleae},
keywords = {semi-tilling},
title = {Semi-tilling maintains the arthropod food web structure but decreases biological pest control in olive groves},
doi = {10.1111/aab.70017},
author = {Morente, Marina and Ruano Díaz, Francisca Del Carmen},
}