Arthropods at the Interface between Monoculture and Native Forest

HIGHLIGHTS

Species richness in monoculture decreases as the distance from natural areas increases.

Natural areas can act as refuge for pollinators, parasitoids, and predators.

Natural areas can act as source of ecosystem services for monocultures.

Natural areas can contribute economically for agriculture by providing pollination.

Abstract

The current study has investigated whether arthropod richness in soybean monoculture (Glycine max) decreases, whereas the abundance, mainly of herbivores, increases as distance from Parque Nacional do Iguaçu (PNI) increases. Active and passive arthropod collections were performed at different distances (5, 50, 300 and 600 m) from PNI. Arthropod richness in agricultural area decreased as distance from PNI increased. Results have shown that Conservation Units can act as source of ecosystem services for surrounding monocultures. The presence of pollinators in collections has confirmed the important role played by protected natural areas in agriculture, since they contribute to this economic activity by providing ecosystem services such as pollination.

Keywords:
Agricultural Pests; Commodities; Protected Areas; Parque Nacional do Iguaçu; Pollinator