Timing of grazing and vegetation type modulate the effect of traditional pastoral land use on arthropod communities.
Traditional grazing is a key management practice in grasslands, yet its effects on arthropod communities depend strongly on timing and habitat conditions. We investigated how grazing influences true bug (Heteroptera) communities in Pannonian saline grasslands, focusing on seasonal variation and vege...
Elmentve itt :
| Szerzők: | |
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| Dokumentumtípus: | Cikk |
| Megjelent: |
2026
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| Sorozat: | JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
406 |
| Tárgyszavak: | |
| doi: | 10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.129709 |
| mtmt: | 37154291 |
| Online Access: | http://publicatio.bibl.u-szeged.hu/40321 |
| Tartalmi kivonat: | Traditional grazing is a key management practice in grasslands, yet its effects on arthropod communities depend strongly on timing and habitat conditions. We investigated how grazing influences true bug (Heteroptera) communities in Pannonian saline grasslands, focusing on seasonal variation and vegetation type. We conducted a full-factorial experiment including two vegetation types (dry vs. wet), grazing treatment (grazed vs. ungrazed), and two grazing periods (spring vs. early summer). We hypothesised that grazing effects are (i) stronger in spring than in early summer, (ii) more pronounced in wet than in dry saline vegetation, and (iii) vegetation-dwelling species are more sensitive than ground-dwelling ones. Using generalized linear mixed models and trait-based analyses, we found that grazing effects were context-dependent and primarily driven by changes in the abundance of dominant grass-feeding species. In spring, grazing effects differed between vegetation types, whereas in early summer responses were consistently negative and more closely associated with vegetation characteristics. Overall, grazing reduced abundance by 19%, although responses varied with season and vegetation type, with increased abundance in wet vegetation in spring. Functional traits of vegetation-dwelling true bugs were affected by grazing only in wet saline vegetation in spring. Ground-dwelling communities showed little response. Our results suggest that grazing effects are mediated by both direct (e.g. trampling, incidental ingestion) and indirect (vegetation-mediated) mechanisms, with their relative importance varying seasonally. We highlight that careful timing of grazing and the maintenance of spatial heterogeneity, including ungrazed patches, are crucial for conserving arthropod diversity in grazed grasslands. |
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| Terjedelem/Fizikai jellemzők: | 9 |
| ISSN: | 0301-4797 |