Grazing by domestic stock is widely used in nature reserve management to maintain or restore characteristics of the flora. While the effects on plants are well understood, grazing effects on arthropods are in need of further investigation. We studied the effects of management on grassland arthropod communities at Needingworth, a mixture of grassland and wetland, created after gravel extraction. We hypothesised arthropod abundance and the species richness of Hemiptera and Coleoptera, would be no greater in fenced, ungrazed areas than in cattle-grazed grassland. We used suction sampling to collect grassland arthropods which were initially identified to order level, and then to species or genus level for the Coleoptera and Hemiptera. Abundance of total invertebrates and of all orders, except for Diptera, was greater in ungrazed than grazed grassland. We estimated that the presence of ungrazed grassland resulted in 14.9% greater invertebrate abundance at Needingworth. Community structure showed strong differences in relation to management, particularly in terms number of detritivores. Even the small amount of grassland management at Needingworth had distinct negative impacts arthropod abundance and community structure, and leaving ungrazed areas has the potential to benefit invertebrate biodiversity. We recommend that some grassland patches should remain unmanaged for long periods, as part of a mixed management strategy. Conservation grazing is not the only approach that should be used.

中文翻译：

---

放牧总是解决节肢动物生物多样性草原管理的方法吗？砾石坑修复项目的经验教训

家畜放牧广泛用于自然保护区管理，以保持或恢复植物群的特征。虽然对植物的影响已广为人知，但放牧对节肢动物的影响还需要进一步研究。我们研究了管理对 Needingworth 草地节肢动物群落的影响，这是在砾石提取后形成的草地和湿地的混合物。我们假设半翅目和鞘翅目的节肢动物丰度和物种丰富度在围栏、未放牧的地区不会比在放牧的草地上大。我们使用抽吸采样来收集草原节肢动物，这些节肢动物最初被鉴定为目级别，然后是鞘翅目和半翅目的种或属级别。除双翅目外，所有无脊椎动物和所有目的丰度在未放牧的草地上都大于放牧的草地。我们估计未放牧草地的存在导致 Needingworth 的无脊椎动物丰度增加了 14.9%。社区结构在管理方面表现出很大的差异，特别是在破坏者的数量方面。即使在 Needingworth 进行少量的草地管理，也会对节肢动物丰度和群落结构产生明显的负面影响，离开未放牧的地区有可能使无脊椎动物的生物多样性受益。作为混合管理策略的一部分，我们建议一些草地斑块应长期无人管理。保护性放牧不是应该使用的唯一方法。尤其是在有害物质的数量方面。即使在 Needingworth 进行少量的草地管理，也会对节肢动物丰度和群落结构产生明显的负面影响，离开未放牧的地区有可能使无脊椎动物的生物多样性受益。作为混合管理策略的一部分，我们建议一些草地斑块应长期无人管理。保护性放牧不是应该使用的唯一方法。尤其是在有害物质的数量方面。即使在 Needingworth 进行少量的草地管理，也会对节肢动物丰度和群落结构产生明显的负面影响，离开未放牧的地区有可能使无脊椎动物的生物多样性受益。作为混合管理策略的一部分，我们建议一些草地斑块应长期无人管理。保护性放牧不是应该使用的唯一方法。