Ecosystem effects, parasitoid communities and multitrophic relationships | Boln. Asoc. esp. Ent. 21 (Supl.): 89 | 1997
Effects of cultivation and habitat structure on enemy-victim interactions
B. A. Hawkins
ABSTRACT
The effects of cultivation and vegetation structure on parasitoid assemblage size? the mortal i ty rates that they inflict on their hosts. and the potential for biological control of pests are quantified. My main goals are to determine the net effects of hahitat simplifícation and habitat stability by comparing natural v.s. cultivated habitáis and habitáis dominated by herbaceous vs. vvoody vegetation. The results indícate that. in general. (1) parasitoid diversity is unrelated to their impact on host populations, (2) top-down effects of enemies on victims are increased by habitat simplifícation, and (3) vegetation structure per se is not critical to enemyvictim interactions. whereas correlated habitat features, such as stability, are.
