Effects of cover crops on the structure and function of soil arthropod communities

Cover crops are among the alternative agricultural practices being increasingly adopted for their benefits to agricultural soils, productivity, and sustainability. Although soil arthropods are key components of soil ecosystems they are relatively understudied in agricultural systems, including how they respond to cover cropping. A better understanding of these effects can help improve implementation of alternative agricultural practices. Here, we present results from an ongoing field study investigating the relationship between cover crop identity and diversity on soil arthropod community composition and function (measured via litter decomposition dynamics). In a replicated small plot field study with four individual cover crop species, a mixture of all four species (polyculture cover crop), and a fallow control, soil arthropod communities were characterized and their contributions to litter decomposition dynamics assessed. Our results suggest that cover crop species identity and diversity affect soil arthropod diversity. Polyculture cover crops increased the diversity of predatory soil arthropods compared to monocultures. Soil arthropod communities also contributed differently to litter decomposition dynamics, which were evaluated using litterbags with mesh sizes intended to exclude or admit soil arthropods. Preliminary results from this ongoing research suggest that cover crop identity and diversity have the potential to modulate the diversity of soil arthropod communities and the ecosystem services they provide, with implications for agroecosystem productivity and sustainability.