| Grant number: | 19/00923-8 |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation |
| Start date: | March 01, 2019 |
| End date: | December 31, 2019 |
| Field of knowledge: | Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology |
| Principal Investigator: | Andrea Larissa Boesing |
| Grantee: | Mariana Polesso Machado |
| Host Institution: | Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil |
| Associated research grant: | 13/23457-6 - Interface project: relationships among landscape structure, ecological processes, biodiversity and ecosystem services, AP.BTA.TEM |
Abstract The organismal cross-habitat spillover from natural habitats to agriculture systems is one of the main processes driving pest control provision by natural enemies. Cross-habitat spillover may be affected by different co-dependent mechanisms, associated with organismal movement within agricultural matrices, with resource availability across different environments, and with landscape characteristics. We will apply a novel methodology (plasticine models) in a spatio-temporal replicated sampling design to test three hypothesis: i) that resource availability in-matrix affects natural enemies predation intensity; ii) that the effect of distance from natural remnants will be mediated by the resource availability in- matrix; and iii) that resource availability will determine the forest cover effects on predation intensity. We selected nine circular landscapes (1,254 ha) varying from 6% to 50% of remaining forest cover, where we will allocate artificial caterpillars (in grids with 10 models) in six sample sites along a distance gradient from the inner of the forest remnant (~100 m) to the inner of the matrix (~100 m) - composed by sun coffee plantations. We will perform this experiment in two temporal seasons: during coffee borer beetle peak of infestation (May-July 2019) and out of the peak of infestation of coffee borer beetle (January-March 2019). We will use generalized linear mixed models and a model selection (AIC) approach to test our hypothesis. This study will provide important information for a better understanding of the mechanisms linked to cross-habitat spillover of natural enemies to agricultural systems and its relationship with natural pest control, contributing to a more sustainable management of agricultural landscapes. | |
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