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Insect community response to switchgrass intercropping and stand age of loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda ) plantations
Author(s) -
Lee MyungBok,
Campbell Joshua W.,
Miller Darren A.,
Martin James A.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
agricultural and forest entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.755
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1461-9563
pISSN - 1461-9555
DOI - 10.1111/afe.12247
Subject(s) - intercropping , panicum virgatum , biology , species richness , agronomy , canopy , loblolly pine , agroforestry , pinus <genus> , ecology , botany , bioenergy , biofuel
Intercropping switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum ) between rows in managed pine stands is a potential, emerging method for biofuel feedstock production in forestry systems. Switchgrass intercropping likely alters vegetation characteristics within a stand by increasing herbaceous vegetation cover and thus influences insect communities positively. However, its effect may vary with stand age, which often determines canopy closure and vegetation structure within a stand: effects of switchgrass intercropping may be stronger in old pine stands with a closed canopy than in young pine stands with an open canopy. We examined how switchgrass intercropping and stand age, namely 3–4‐year‐old pine ( YP ine) and 8–9‐year‐old pine ( OP ine), influenced insect abundance and diversity in loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda ) stands in M ississippi, U.S.A., during M ay to A ugust 2013–2014. We captured insects at 36 locations throughout 12 stands (three stands per each of four treatments; intercropping and non‐intercropping treatment in YP ine and OP ine stands), using pan traps. Abundance and family level richness were greater in YP ine stands and S hannon– W iener diversity and evenness at family level was higher in OP ine stands both years. However, insect abundance and diversity did not differ between intercropping and non‐intercropping treatments. Community composition was also influenced by stand age, which explained > 90% of constrained inertia, rather than switchgrass intercropping. Our findings suggest that switchgrass intercropping is unlikely to significantly affect insect communities in managed pine stands, whereas stand age, as well as associated successional changes, can be a main factor affecting insects, as often observed in other animal taxa in managed pine landscapes.