Effects of farming system and simulated drought on biodiversity, food webs and ecosystem functions in the DOK trial

Summary

Organic agriculture promotes overall biodiversity in arable fields, with well-documented positive effects on plant and pollinator diversity and abundance. Responses of soil-living decomposers, aboveground herbivores and predators to organic farming are less uniform and not equally well understood. The DOK trial offers ideal conditions to assess the long-term effects of organic compared to conventional farming practices on these above- and belowground invertebrate communities. Organic treatments in the DOK trial have a pronounced effect on abundances, diversity and species composition across taxonomic borders. Application of farmyard manure promotes nematode and earthworm numbers, whereas mineral fertilizers detrimentally affected potworm and fly larvae numbers. Aboveground predators are more abundant under organic agriculture and herbivores show an opposite response. However, effects go beyond simple numeric responses as organic agriculture alters the species composition of local communities significantly.