PARENT SESSION
Oral Session # 80: Urban Ecology II: Soils and Streams.
Presiding: J Ehrenfeld
Thursday, August 7. 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM, SITCC Meeting Room 105.
The effects of lawn management on soil arthropods.
Byrne, Loren*,1, Bruns, Mary Ann1, Kim, Ke Chung1, 1 Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA
ABSTRACT- Turfgrass lawns are ubiquitous in urban landscapes, yet they have rarely been studied by ecologists. The objective of our research was to examine the effects of lawn management on soil arthropods. Arthropods were sampled using soil cores from pre-existing field locations of high- and low-maintenance lawn treatments and unmown reference sites in State College, PA in June 2001 and 2002. High-maintenance lawns received chemical inputs (pesticides and/or fertilizers) and were mown regularly. Low-maintenance lawns received no chemical applications but were mown while the reference fields received no human management inputs. Mites were nearly twice as abundant in high-maintenance lawns compared to the reference sites and intermediate in number in low-maintenance lawns. Entomobryomorpha collembolans were four and 15 times more numerous in low-maintenance lawns compared to reference sites and high-maintenance lawns respectively. Sminthurid collembolans and insects were more abundant in the unmown reference sites. Although few statistically significant differences were found among the data, results may reflect biologically important trends. We conclude that lawn management affects soil arthropod taxa in different ways. Insects and collembolans appear to be negatively affected by chemical applications but mites do not. However, data indicate that entomobryomorpha collembolans and mites are not reduced in abundance by mowing. Opportunities exist for developing sustainable lawn management practices that conserve backyard biodiversity. Lawns may also serve as an effective focal point for urban ecology research and education.
Key words: urban ecology, collembola, lawns, urban soils