caa a22 4500 605526818 CHVBK 20210128100805.0 cr unu---uuuuu 210128e20150701xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s10531-015-0901-0 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10531-015-0901-0 Plant and arthropod diversity patterns of maize agro-ecosystems in two grassy biomes of South Africa [Elektronische Daten] [M. Botha, S. Siebert, J. van den Berg, B. Maliba, S. Ellis] Intensive, large-scale cultivation has led to a postulated decrease in biodiversity worldwide, which has been ascribed to fragmentation and degradation of natural habitat bordering crop fields. Maize is the most widely planted grain crop in Grassland and Savanna Biomes of South Africa, but the effect that crop production has on surrounding species diversity and composition is unknown. This study intends to address this knowledge gap by comparing diversity patterns and species assemblages between maize fields and margins of six localities in South Africa across two biomes for plants and associated arthropods. A total of 15,019 individuals and 824 native and exotic plant species were recorded and 39 497 individuals and 1 629 morpho-species for arthropods. Although biodiversity loss was apparent in maize fields, plant and arthropod diversity remained the same for rangeland at shorter (30-100m) and longer (100-400m) distances from maize fields, suggesting that distance from maize fields had no effect on biodiversity patterns beyond 30m. Plant species assemblages were best correlated with agricultural disturbance while arthropod communities were mainly correlated with biome. Our results suggest that the crop field margins (30-100m from field edge) were not species poor ecosystems, but were surprisingly rich in plant and arthropod diversity. Field margins may therefore be of conservation value in the agricultural landscape with a diversity of species supporting important ecosystem services. Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht, 2015 Agriculture nationallicence Diversity indices nationallicence Ecosystem services nationallicence Grassland nationallicence Field margin nationallicence Savanna nationallicence Botha M. Unit of Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, 2520, Potchefstroom, South Africa aut Siebert S. Unit of Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, 2520, Potchefstroom, South Africa aut van den Berg J. Unit of Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, 2520, Potchefstroom, South Africa aut Maliba B. Unit of Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, 2520, Potchefstroom, South Africa aut Ellis S. Statistical Consultation Services, Unit for Business Mathematics and Informatics, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, 2520, Potchefstroom, South Africa aut Biodiversity and Conservation Springer Netherlands 24/7(2015-07-01), 1797-1824 0960-3115 24:7<1797 2015 24 10531 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-015-0901-0 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-015-0901-0 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Botha M. Unit of Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, 2520, Potchefstroom, South Africa aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Siebert S. Unit of Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, 2520, Potchefstroom, South Africa aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- van den Berg J. Unit of Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, 2520, Potchefstroom, South Africa aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Maliba B. Unit of Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, 2520, Potchefstroom, South Africa aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Ellis S. Statistical Consultation Services, Unit for Business Mathematics and Informatics, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, 2520, Potchefstroom, South Africa aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Biodiversity and Conservation Springer Netherlands 24/7(2015-07-01), 1797-1824 0960-3115 24:7<1797 2015 24 10531