Sown grass strip-A stable habitat for grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in dynamic agricultural landscapes

This study assessed the benefits of sown grass strips on grasshopper communities in intensive farmland, and the effects of farming practices and landscape context. Results showed that sown grass strips were high quality habitats for grasshoppers compared to grasslands. Farming practices influenced grasshopper densities in sown grass strips while landscape context affected more the species richness of grasshoppers. Sown mixture and cutting export option were the main factors driving grasshopper density. Mixtures composed of grasses without legumes were the best, as well as hay export compared to no export. Increased grasshopper species richness occurred in sown grass strips located in landscapes with low grassland field availability and high connectivity. Enhanced use of sown grass strips by grasshoppers can be seen as a direct effect of establishment and management options, but also as an effect of the rarity and instability of other grassland habitats in agricultural landscapes. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.