Authors: Bitzer, Royce J.; Rice, Marlin E.; Pilcher, Clinton D.; Pilcher, Carol L.; Lam, Wai-ki frankie

Source: Environmental Entomology, Volume 34, Number 5, October 2005 , pp. 1346-1376(31)

Publisher: Entomological Society of America

Abstract:

Springtails are an integral and beneficial part of the soil community. As part of an extensive study of the effect of rootworm Bt corn (Cry3Bb1) on nontarget invertebrates, we evaluated both the abundance and diversity of surface-active (epedaphic) and subsurface (euedaphic) springtails at Ames, IA, and Monmouth, IL, in 2-yr field trials during 2000-2002. Springtails were collected from pitfall traps and soil cores in plots planted with rootworm Bt corn and its non-Bt isoline. Few differences were observed in the abundance of individual species in Bt and isoline corn. Nor did the estimated species richness or the Shannon or Simpson diversity indices differ significantly between Bt and isoline corn at either location during 2000-2002, indicating no effect of Bt corn on springtail diversity. In soil insecticide-treated plots, however, springtails were consistently more abundant than in check plots, perhaps because of adverse insecticide effects on springtail predators. Soil insecticide also reduced both Shannon and Simpson diversity in the Iowa euedaphic and Illinois epedaphic populations. Such consistent insecticide effects on both abundance and diversity of springtails provide a positive control by which to assess the power of the experimental design to detect a comparable impact of Bt corn on springtails. They also show that insecticide use more strongly impacts springtails and their predators than does the practice of growing transgenic crops to control the same pests.

Keywords: soil mesofauna; microarthropods; nontarget organisms; population ecology

Document Type: Research article

Publication date: 2005-10-01

More about this publication?

• Environmental Entomology is published bimonthly in February, April, June, August, October, and December. The journal publishes reports on the interaction of insects with the biological, chemical, and physical aspects of their environment and is divided into the following sections: physiological ecology; chemical ecology; population ecology; quantitative ecology; community and ecosystem ecology; biological control­-parasitoids and predators; biological control--microbials; biological control--weeds; behavior; pest management; sampling; plant-insect interactions; molecular ecology and evolution; transgenic plants and insects. In addition to research papers, Environmental Entomology publishes Letters to the Editor, interpretive articles in a Forum section, and Book Reviews.
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