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Weeds and endangered herbs have unforeseen dispersal helpers in the agri-environment: gastropods and earthworms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2013

Manfred Türke ,
Tamara Blattmann ,
Eva Knop ,
Anne Kindermann ,
Julia Prestele ,
Leonardo Marquez ,
Nico Eisenhauer  and
Christina Fischer
Manfred Türke*
Affiliation:
Research Department Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Terrestrial Ecology, Technische Universität München, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, D-85354 Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany.
Tamara Blattmann
Affiliation:
Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
Eva Knop
Affiliation:
Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
Anne Kindermann
Affiliation:
Research Department Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Terrestrial Ecology, Technische Universität München, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, D-85354 Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany.
Julia Prestele
Affiliation:
Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture (LfL), Institute for Agro-Ecology, Organic Farming and Soil Protection, Lange Point 12, D-85354 Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany. Research Department Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Restoration Ecology, Technische Universität München, Emil-Ramann-Strasse 6, D-85354 Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany.
Leonardo Marquez
Affiliation:
Crop Protection Division, Philippine Rice Research Institute, Maligaya, Science City of Muñoz, PH-3119 Nueva Ecija, Philippines.
Nico Eisenhauer
Affiliation:
Research Department Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Terrestrial Ecology, Technische Universität München, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, D-85354 Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany.
Christina Fischer
Affiliation:
Research Department Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Landscape Ecology, Technische Universität München, Emil-Ramann-Strasse 6, D-85354 Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany.
*
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
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Abstract

Agri-environmental schemes involving organic farming or set-aside management aim at promoting biodiversity and restoring ecosystem functioning in agrarian landscapes. Application of pesticides in these crop fields is strongly regulated facilitating the spread of weeds but also allowing for the establishment of endangered herbs and a variety of animals. Recent studies found gastropods and earthworms to be legitimate dispersers of seeds of wild plants. We assumed that both groups also play a significant role in the spread and establishment of wild plants within crop fields. Therefore, we are conducting a series of experiments in three different study systems on (1) the role of earthworms and gastropods as dispersers of rare herbs and weeds in an organic rye field in Germany, (2) the seed feeding behavior of gastropods of plants sown in fallow ground in Switzerland, and (3) weed dispersal in irrigated rice fields by golden apple snails in the Philippines.

Keywords

seed dispersalslugssnailscrop fieldfeeding trial
Type
From the Field
Information
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems , Volume 28 , Issue 4 , December 2013 , pp. 380 - 383
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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References

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