Experimental small‐scale grassland fragmentation alters aphid population dynamics

Abstract

Theory predicts that at higher trophic levels species are especially vulnerable to habitat fragmentation due to small population size and dependence on particular prey species. Using aphids as model organism, we tested the hypothesis that herbivore abundance increases in fragmented habitats as a result of reduced predator and parasitoid densities. In a 3 year‐study, we examined the population dynamics of aphids with respect to host plant abundance and ant nest density in experimentally fragmented calcareous grasslands at two sites in the northern Jura mountains. Fragments of different size (area: 20.25 m2, 2.25 m2 and 0.25 m2) were isolated by a 5 m wide strip of frequently mown vegetation and corresponding control plots were situated in the adjacent undisturbed grassland. Aphid density was higher in fragments than in control plots. This was a combined result of a higher frequency of aphid‐infested plants and larger aphid colonies in fragments than in control plots. Furthermore, a larger proportion of aphid colonies was ant‐attended in fragments than in control plots. Aphid colonies were also more frequently visited by ants in fragments than in control plots in one of the 3 years. Parasitoid pressure on aphids was not influenced by the experimental fragmentation. Neither were aphid species richness and diversity affected by the fragmentation. Our study shows that even small‐scale habitat fragmentation can have profound effects on the abundance of herbivorous insects. The effect on aphid density was consistent over 3 years and two sites with slightly different aphid communities.