The contribution of spatial mass effects to plant diversity in arable fields.

ABSTRACT: In arable fields, plant species richness consistently increases at field edges. This potentially makes the field edge an important habitat for the conservation of the ruderal arable flora (or 'weeds') and the invertebrates and birds it supports. Increased diversity and abundance of weeds in crop edges could be owing to either a reduction in agricultural inputs towards the field edge and/or spatial mass effects associated with dispersal from the surrounding landscape.We contend that the diversity of weed species in an arable field is a combination of resident species, that can persist under the intense selection pressure of regular cultivation and agrochemical inputs (typically more ruderal species), and transient species that rely on regular dispersal from neighbouring habita

SUBMITTER: Metcalfe H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6618144 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature