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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Roy SandersonORCiD
This is the authors' accepted manuscript of an article that has been published in its final definitive form by Wiley-Blackwell, 2020.
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Abstract.1. Upland moors and bogs in the United Kingdom are peatlands of highnature conservation value, many designated under the European Union’s Habitat Direc-tive, with internationally important bird populations, which depend on abundant inverte-brate populations when breeding.2. Moorland management in the United Kingdom traditionally employs controlledburning in 10–30 year rotations of heather,Calluna vulgaris, creating habitat mosaicsof different species composition and physical structure. This can increase overall inver-tebrate biodiversity and abundance, for certain key invertebrate groups. Burning haspotential negative environmental effects, including peat erosion and contamination ofdrinking-water supplies.3. Rotational cutting of vegetation is now being trialled as an alternative to burning,but its long-term effects on invertebrates are poorly understood. We surveyed inverte-brates on a 16-year chronosequence of rotational cutting on an extensive area of dwarfshrub vegetation on upland peat soils in Northern England.4. Invertebrate Simpson diversity was greatest on intermediate-aged patches, and alongedges between cut and uncut areas. Older patches, cut between 2000 and 2008, were domi-nated by ants (Hymenoptera-Formicidae), plant-feeding bugs (Hemiptera-Auchenor-rhyncha) and parasitic wasps (Hymenoptera-Parasitica). Patches cut more recently,between2009and2016,hadsignificantlylowerinvertebrateabundance,andweredominatedby predatory ground beetles (Coleoptera-Carabidae), ants and harvestmen (Opiliones).5. There were significant relationships between vegetation and invertebrate commu-nity composition under both invertebrate sampling methods. We recommend that rota-tional cutting is used as the primary means of management, it should be undertaken inapproximately 15–20 year rotations, in irregularly shaped mosaics, to maximise the ben-efits to invertebrates and associated wildlife.
Author(s): Sanderson RA, Newton S, Selvidge J
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Insect Conservation and Diversity
Year: 2020
Volume: 13
Issue: 3
Pages: 239-249
Print publication date: 01/05/2020
Online publication date: 08/10/2019
Acceptance date: 24/09/2019
Date deposited: 08/11/2019
ISSN (print): 1752-458X
ISSN (electronic): 1752-4598
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/icad.12384
DOI: 10.1111/icad.12384
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