Developing grassland conservation headlands: response of carabid assemblage to different cutting regimes in a silage field edge

Prescriptions for the management of arable field edges are an established component of many agri-environment schemes that aim to enhance the wildlife value of farmed land, yet there are few analogous recommendations for the margins of intensively managed grassland. An experiment examined the response of a carabid beetle assemblage to three cutting regimes (uncut, one cut, three cuts per annum) applied in the headland area of a silage field. In the third year of management, diversity in the uncut plots was significantly greater than in the one and three cuts plots. Ordinations showed distance from field edge and cutting regime effects in species composition. Relaxation of cutting management increased the effective area of the inter-crop habitat and species that responded positively were those that preferred shaded or moist conditions. Results are discussed in the context of individual species requirements and in relation to management options for agricultural grassland. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.