Arthropod biodiversity associated to European sheep grazed pastures
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We analysed the biodiversity of foliage arthropods in nine sheep grazed pasturelands in five
European countries. During the maximum flowering period in 2018, entomofauna was collected in 4-6 areas
within each pasture, performing 6 transects/area and 25 sweeps per transect. Multivariate analyses tested
the differences in total arthropod community composition among degrees of intensification, bioregions and
types of pastures. A total of 51,474 arthropods from 3 classes, 17 orders and 95 taxonomical groups were
recorded. Univariate analyses revealed that total arthropod abundance was higher in extensive than in intensive
systems (P<0.01). It also differed between bioregions (higher in Alpine than in Continental, P<0.05) and
between types of pastures (higher in mountain than in lowland pastures where animals are supplemented,
P<0.05). Total taxa richness was not influenced by any of the three factors. However, multivariate analyses
indicated that community composition differed among intensive and extensive systems, bioregions and types
of pastures (P<0.001). The greatest differences occurred between Alpine and Mediterranean (P<0.001), and
Mediterranean and Continental pastures (P<0.05), as well as between lowland seminatural and improved
pastures (P<0.05), and seminatural and mountain pastures (P<0.001). These results reveal the complex and
varied communities associated to the diverse sheep systems and valorise the role of the mo
