Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Spider Fauna Of Semiarid Eastern Colorado Agroecosystems: Diversity, Abundance, And Effects Of Crop Intensification, Lauren M. Kerzicnik, Frank B. Peairs, Paula E. Cushing, Michael L. Draney, Scott C. Merrill

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

Spiders are critical predators in agroecosystems. Crop management practices can influence predator density and diversity, which, in turn, can influence pest management strategies. Crop intensification is a sustainable agricultural technique that can enhance crop production although optimizing soil moisture. To date, there is no information on how crop intensification affects natural enemy populations, particularly spiders. This study had two objectives: to characterize the abundance and diversity of spiders in eastern Colorado agroecosystems, and to test the hypothesis that spider diversity and density would be higher in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in crop-intensified rotations compared with wheat in conventional rotations. We …