Taxon- and functional group-specific responses of ground beetles and spiders to landscape complexity and management intensity in apple orchards of the North China Plain

Agricultural intensification has caused severe declines in ground-dwelling arthropods and associated ecosystem services. The conservation re-establishment of semi-natural habitats agricultural landscapes represent widely accepted measures to counter these declines. effectiveness nonetheless varies between target taxa their functional traits, while also being affected by local management. Here, we studied how species richness abundance different groups carabid beetles spiders apple orchards were landscape complexity (% habitat) management intensity (mowing soil total nitrogen (STN) content). Both non-carnivorous carabids overall negatively STN, the carnivorous was interactive effects mowing complexity, showing a positive response where are scarce, but negative responses with higher proportion habitats. ground-hunting generally positively related % habitats, web-building showed correlation STN at low or medium more abundant. Non-carnivorous diversity benefitted from application, especially simple structurally homogenous landscapes. responded applications intermediate complexity. Overall, promoted beetles, favored increasing We conclude that taxon- group-specific, multi-scale strategies therefore required conserve invertebrate predators orchards.