Relative importance of predators and parasitoids for cereal aphid control in a gradient of landscape complexity (EuroDIVERSITY 260)

在欧洲许多地区，谷物上的蚜虫是重要的害虫。在这个项目中，我们通过对天敌、多食性捕食者和专门的寄生蜂的操纵进行实地实验，来展示多样化的天敌如何确保生物害虫控制。我们(1)估计了生物多样性和生物防治在欧洲不同尺度上受到农业集约化的影响——从田间（如当地植物多样性）到农场（如土地利用强度）和景观（如组成和配置）；(2)确定了物种（多）营养相互作用的功能空间尺度，这些物种在体型、觅食范围、资源专业化、种群规模变异性和营养地位等特征上存在差异；(3)分析潜在的机制，因为多年生栖息地的可用性提供了免受农业实践干扰的庇护，越冬地点和替代猎物。

Aphids on cereals are important insect pests in many parts of Europe. In this project we use field experiments with manipulations of natural enemies, polyphagous predators and specialised parasitoids, to show how the diverse natural enemies ensures biological pest control. We (1) estimate how biodiversity and biocontrol are affected by agricultural intensification at different scales across Europe ¿ from fields (e.g. local plant diversity) to farms (e.g. land-use intensity) and landscapes (e.g. composition and configuration), (2) determine functional spatial scales for (multi-)trophic interactions of species differing in traits such as body size, foraging range, resource specialization, population size variability and trophic position, and (3) analyse underlying mechanisms owing to the availability of perennial habitats providing shelter from disturbances by agricultural practices, overwintering sites, and alternative prey.