Abstract
We investigated the impact of neighborhood non-crop habitats (NCHs) and cover vegetation in the Douro Demarcated Region terraced vineyards on ground-dwelling arthropods communities. Arthropods were sampled using pitfall traps located either in NCH as inside vineyards, at three distances (5, 25 and 50 m from NCH). Vegetation cover and plant species richness were evaluated around each trap. Omnivores (Formicidae) and detritivores (mainly Collembola), accounted for 42.0% and 33.7% of the sample, respectively. Predators, mainly dominated by Scydmaenidae (Coleoptera) and Araneae, accounted for 19.4% of the sample. The abundance of omnivores and predators was higher in NCH than in vineyards. In Formicidae, the generalist/opportunist group dominated, being highly represented by Pheidole pallidula. This group occurred mainly in NCH and its abundance was positively correlated either with plant richness as with percentage of fresh and total cover vegetation. This study indicates that preserving NCH close to the vineyards, as well as promoting native vegetation, enhances the presence of ground-dwelling arthropods.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
