Effects of pasture improvement and management on the ground beetle and spider communities of upland grasslands.
Abstract
The effects of pasture improvement procedures and subsequent pesticide use on the carabid and spider faunas of semi- natural upland grasslands in northern England in 1985-87 were analysed using pitfall trapping and multivariate techniques. Species composition of improved sites was poor and similar to that on intensively managed pastures at lower altitudes. The frequency of use of the insecticide chlorpyrifos appeared to be an important factor influencing species composition.