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Spatial sampling to detect slug abundance in an arable field
Author(s) -
ARCHARD GABRIELLE A,
BOHAN DAVID A,
HUGHES LOUISE,
WILTSHIRE CHRISTOPHER W
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.2004.tb00372.x
Subject(s) - arable land , slug , sampling (signal processing) , biology , abundance (ecology) , ecology , spatial analysis , statistics , mathematics , computer science , filter (signal processing) , computer vision , agriculture
Summary Overuse of molluscicides by farmers in arable systems can lead to environmental and product contamination. Here we assess a simple and inexpensive surface trapping method for monitoring populations of slugs (Deroceras reticulatum and Arion intermedius) . This method was biased against small slugs, and against A. intermedius , when compared to direct soil sampling. Regression was used to model the relationship between the results of surface trapping and soil sampling methods. Spatial Analysis by Distance IndicEs (SADIE) algorithms were used to describe the spatial relationships between the two sets of samples. Using both traditional statistical methods and spatial statistics, the spatial information collected from surface traps was sufficient to identify patches and gaps in slug numbers and possibly to allow the spot application of slug control, and thus provide land managers who experience slug damage with a way of reducing molluscicides use, whilst maintaining slug control. Further improvements and applications of the model are discussed.