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Data for: Perennial flower strips increase pollinator and natural enemy abundance but show limited efficacy in pest control for adjacent crops

https://doi.org/10.5878/38na-y098
We sampled pollinators, natural enemies, and herbivores using visual observations, yellow sticky traps, pitfall traps and tiller counts, as well as estimated predation and decomposition rates using sentinel prey cards and bait lamina strips in ten pairs of pollinator attractive perennial flower strips and control field margins, and their adjacent cereal fields in Skåne, Sweden in 2021. Field margins (flower strip vs spontaneous vegetation control) were characterized by estimating the percentage of plant cover and the total floral area (for each species we calculated the number of floral units x average floral area) in eight 0.6 x 0.6 m quadrats evenly distributed along a 100 m transect. Data was collected twice during the main growing period of the flower mixture. Pollinators (hoverflies, honey bees, bumblebees, solitary bees and butterflies) visiting flowers were surveyed for 10 minutes along a 100 m long and 1 m wide transect in each field margin type. Pollinators were surveyed twice during the main period of the flower mixture on the same days as the margin characterization was done. Leaf-dwelling natural enemies and herbivores were sampled using yellow sticky traps (20 cm x 12.6 cm). Four traps of each type were placed along the 100 m transect in the field margins and another four in the adjacent crop area, at 10 m from the margins, for a total of 16 traps per site. Traps were spaced 20 m apart within each transect and remained in the field for seven days. Data was collected twice during the main period of the flower mixture. Ground-dwelling natural enemies were sampled using pitfall traps made from polypropylene beakers (12 cm diameter) filled with 200 mL of soapy water. Four traps of each type were placed along the 100 m transect in the field margins and another four in the adjacent crop area, at 10 m from the margins, for a total of 16 traps per site. Traps were spaced 20 m apart within each transect and remained in the field for seven days. Data was collected twice during the main period of the flower mixture. We counted and identified all arthropods found on four groups of five tillers located along each adjacent crop transect, spaced every 20 m, resulting in 80 crop tillers per site. Data was collected twice during the main period of the flower mixture. Sentinel aphid cards were set up in the field to estimate aphid predation rates. Four groups of two cards at ground level and two cards at vegetation level were set up along each adjacent crop transect, spaced every 20 m, resulting in 32 cards per site. Sentinel prey cards were exposed simultaneously during the first sampling interval of the tiller counts. After 24 hours of exposure, the sentinel prey cards were collected, and the remaining aphids were counted. Decomposition rates were estimated by setting up bait lamina strips filled with a standardized bait mixture. Four groups of five strips were placed along each 100 m transect, with groups spaced every 20 m, resulting in 80 strips per site. Within each group, strips were spaced 20 cm apart. The lamina strips were buried in the ground for 15 days, coinciding with the end of the surveys. After this exposure period, we recorded the number of pierced holes and calculated the decomposition rate by dividing the number of pierced holes by the total number of bait-filled holes. All data were aggregated across samples and survey rounds for each field margin habitat and the adjacent in-crop area. For further information, see methods in the manuscript Rodríguez-Gasol et al. ’Perennial flower strips increase pollinator and natural enemy abundance but show limited efficacy in pest control for adjacent crops’.
Download data and documentation (10 files / 225.06 KiB)

Data files

  • SZ_Aphidcards.csv
    13.84 KiB
  • SZ_Baitlaminastrips.csv
    27.63 KiB
  • SZ_Pitfall.csv
    10.66 KiB
  • SZ_Pollinators.csv
    1.64 KiB
  • SZ_Tillercounts.csv
    9.92 KiB
  • SZ_Vegetation.csv
    8.83 KiB
  • SZ_YST.csv
    21.38 KiB

Documentation files

  • readme.txt
    12.78 KiB
  • Samzones_perennial_flower_strips.R
    116.04 KiB
  • SessionInfo.txt
    2.33 KiB

Citation and access

Data access level:

Creator/​Principal investigator(s):

Research principal:

Principal's reference number:

  • SLU.ekol.2025.4.2.IÄ-7

Data contains personal data:

Yes

Type of personal data:

Pseudonymised data including codes that correspond to field sites belonging to landowners.

Code key exists:

Yes

Citation:

License:

Language:

Method and outcome

Unit of analysis:

Population:

- Field margin characterization: perennial flower strip and sponatenous vegetation controls were characterized by estimating the proportion of vegetation cover and the total floral area in 8 quadrats along a transect. - Pollinators: flower visitors (hoverflies, honey bees, bumblebees, solitary bees and butterflies) to the field margins were counted and identified with visual transects. - Natural enemies and herbivores collected in yellow sticky traps. - Natural enemies collected in pitfall traps. - Natural enemies and herbivores observed in crop tillers adjacent to the field margins. - Predation rates of sentinel prey cards placed at ground level (targeting ground-dwellers) and 70cm height (targeting vegetation-dwellers). - Decompostion rates estimated by the bait lamina strip method.

Study design:

  • Observational study
  • Ecological study
  • Experimental study
  • Field trial

Description of study design:

We sampled pollinators, natural enemies, and herbivores using visual observations, yellow sticky traps, pitfall traps and tiller counts, and estimated predation and decomposition rates using sentinel prey cards and bait lamina strips in ten pairs of pollinator attractive perennial flower strips and control field margins, and their adjacent cereal fields in Skåne, Sweden in 2021. All surveys were conducted twice during the main blooming period of the flower mixture, except for sentinel prey cards (exposed simultaneously during the first sampling interval of the tiller counts) and bait lamina strips (buried at the end of the surveys).

Sampling procedure:

Description of sampling:

Pollinators (hoverflies, honey bees, bumblebees, solitary bees and butterflies) visiting flowers were surveyed for 10 minutes along a 100 m long and 1 m wide transect in each field margin type. Pollinators were surveyed twice during the main blooming period of the flower mixture on the same days as the margin characterization was done. Leaf-dwelling natural enemies and herbivores were sampled using yellow sticky traps (20 cm x 12.6 cm). Four traps of each type were placed along the 100 m transect in the field margins and another four in the adjacent crop area, at 10 m from the margins, for a total of 16 traps per site. Traps were spaced 20 m apart within each transect and remained in the field for seven days. Data was collected twice during the main blooming period of the flower mixture. Ground-dwelling natural enemies were sampled using pitfall traps made from polypropylene beakers (12 cm diameter) filled with 200 mL of soapy water. Four traps of each type were placed along the 100 m transect in the field margins and another four in the adjacent crop area, at 10 m from the margins, for a total of 16 traps per site. Traps were spaced 20 m apart within each transect and remained in the field for seven days. Data was collected twice during the main blooming period of the flower mixture. We counted and identified all arthropods found on four groups of five tillers located along each adjacent crop transect, spaced every 20 m, resulting in 80 crop tillers per site. Data was collected twice during the main blooming period of the flower mixture. Sentinel aphid cards were set up in the field to estimate aphid predation rates. Four groups of two cards at ground level and two cards at vegetation level were set up along each adjacent crop transect, spaced every 20 m, resulting in 32 cards per site. Sentinel prey cards were exposed simultaneously during the first sampling interval of the tiller counts. After 24 hours of exposure, the sentinel prey cards were collected, and the remaining aphids were counted. Decomposition rates were estimated by setting up bait lamina strips filled with a standardized bait mixture. Four groups of five strips were placed along each 100 m transect, with groups spaced every 20 m, resulting in 80 strips per site. Within each group, strips were spaced 20 cm apart. The lamina strips were buried in the ground for 15 days, coinciding with the end of the surveys. After this exposure period, we recorded the number of pierced holes and calculated the decomposition rate by dividing the number of pierced holes by the total number of bait-filled holes.

Time period(s) investigated:

Variables:

91

Number of individuals/​objects:

1972

Data format/​data structure:

Species and taxons:

Data collections 7 collections

Data collection Field observation

Mode of collection:

Field observation

Description of the mode of collection:

We counted and identified all arthropods found on four groups of five tillers located along each adjacent crop transect, spaced every 20 m, resulting in 80 crop tillers per site. Data was collected twice during the main blooming period of the flower mixture.

Time period(s) for data collection:

2021-06-01 - 2021-07-31

Data collector:

Source of the data:

  • Other

Temporal resolution:

1 month

Spatial resolution:

kilometres scale

Instrument

Name:

Entomological loupe

Data collection Field observation

Mode of collection:

Field observation

Description of the mode of collection:

Pollinators (hoverflies, honey bees, bumblebees, solitary bees and butterflies) visiting flowers were surveyed for 10 minutes along a 100 m long and 1 m wide transect in each field margin type. Pollinators were surveyed twice during the main blooming period of the flower mixture on the same days as the margin characterization was done.

Time period(s) for data collection:

2021-06-01 - 2021-07-31

Data collector:

Source of the data:

  • Other

Temporal resolution:

1 month

Spatial resolution:

kilometres scale

Sample

Name:

Pollinators

Description of sample:

Captured individuals from pollinator observations. Pinned, identified and stored

Instrument

Name:

Pollinator net

Description of the instrument:

Pollinator net used to collect the unkown pollinators observed during the visual observations

Data collection Field observation

Mode of collection:

Field observation

Description of the mode of collection:

Ground-dwelling natural enemies were sampled using pitfall traps made from polypropylene beakers (12 cm diameter) filled with 200 mL of soapy water. Four traps of each type were placed along the 100 m transect in the field margins and another four in the adjacent crop area, at 10 m from the margins, for a total of 16 traps per site. Traps were spaced 20 m apart within each transect and remained in the field for seven days. Data was collected twice during the main blooming period of the flower mixture.

Time period(s) for data collection:

2021-06-01 - 2021-07-31

Data collector:

Source of the data:

  • Other

Temporal resolution:

1 month

Spatial resolution:

kilometres scale

Sample

Name:

Arthropods

Description of sample:

Arthropods fallen in the pitfall traps and preserved in 70% ethanol

Instrument

Name:

Polypropylene beakers

Description of the instrument:

polypropylene beakers (12 cm diameter) filled with 200 mL of soapy water

Data collection Field observation

Mode of collection:

Field observation

Description of the mode of collection:

Leaf-dwelling natural enemies and herbivores were sampled using yellow sticky traps (20 cm x 12.6 cm). Four traps of each type were placed along the 100 m transect in the field margins and another four in the adjacent crop area, at 10 m from the margins, for a total of 16 traps per site. Traps were spaced 20 m apart within each transect and remained in the field for seven days. Data was collected twice during the main blooming period of the flower mixture.

Time period(s) for data collection:

2021-06-01 - 2021-07-31

Data collector:

Source of the data:

  • Other

Temporal resolution:

1 month

Spatial resolution:

kilometres scale

Sample

Name:

Arthropods

Description of sample:

Arthropods glued in the yellow sticky traps. Preserved in the freezer.

Instrument

Name:

Yellow sticky traps

Description of the instrument:

20 cm x 12.6 cm

Data collection Field observation

Mode of collection:

Field observation

Description of the mode of collection:

Vegetation characterization of the field margins by estimating the proportion of plant cover and total floral area (for each species we calculated the number of floral units x average floral area) in eight 0.6 x 0.6 m quadrats evenly distributed along the 100 m transect. Data was collected twice during the main period of the flower mixture.

Time period(s) for data collection:

2021-06-01 - 2021-07-31

Data collector:

Source of the data:

  • Other

Temporal resolution:

1 month

Spatial resolution:

kilometres scale

Instrument

Name:

Caliper

Description of the instrument:

To estimate the floral area. We measured the diameter (actinomorphic or composite flowers) or length and width (zygomorphic flowers) of five floral units of the target plant species in each plot. Surveys were performed twice on the same day as pollinator observations.

Name:

Quadrat

Description of the instrument:

0.6m by 0.6m quadrat located at the center of the margin transect. 8 replicates along the 100m transect

Data collection Field observation

Mode of collection:

Field observation

Description of the mode of collection:

Sentinel aphid cards were set up in the field to estimate aphid predation rates. Four groups of two cards at ground level and two cards at vegetation level were set up along each adjacent crop transect, spaced every 20 m, resulting in 32 cards per site. Sentinel prey cards were exposed simultaneously during the first sampling interval of the tiller counts. After 24 hours of exposure, the sentinel prey cards were collected, and the remaining aphids were counted.

Time period(s) for data collection:

2021-06-01 - 2021-06-30

Data collector:

Source of the data:

  • Other

Temporal resolution:

0 month

Spatial resolution:

kilometres scale

Instrument

Name:

Aphid cards

Description of the instrument:

Live bird cherry-oat aphids glued alive with egg white onto 2 × 8 cm sandpaper cards (BOSCH 2608606820, grain 120) using a brush. Eight aphids were affixed to each card, leaving 1.5 cm from the lateral edges and 0.5 cm between each aphid and from the front and hind edges.

Data collection Field observation

Mode of collection:

Field observation

Description of the mode of collection:

Decomposition rates were estimated by setting up bait lamina strips filled with a standardized bait mixture. Four groups of five strips were placed along each 100 m transect, with groups spaced every 20 m, resulting in 80 strips per site. Within each group, strips were spaced 20 cm apart. The lamina strips were buried in the ground for 15 days, coinciding with the end of the surveys. After this exposure period, we recorded the number of pierced holes and calculated the decomposition rate by dividing the number of pierced holes by the total number of bait-filled holes.

Time period(s) for data collection:

2021-07-01 - 2021-07-31

Data collector:

Source of the data:

  • Other

Temporal resolution:

0 month

Spatial resolution:

kilometres scale

Instrument

Name:

Bait lamina strips

Description of the instrument:

Bait lamina strips consisted of 160 mm × 6 mm × 1.5 mm plastic strips, with 16 holes of 2 mm diameter arranged at 5 mm intervals (terra protecta GmbH, Germany). These holes were filled with a standardized bait mixture of cellulose, wheat bran and activated carbon (ISO 18311-2016).

Geographic coverage

Geographic location:

Geographic description:

The study was conducted in ten pairs of pollinator attractive perennial flower strips and control field margins, and their adjacent cereal fields in Skåne, Sweden in 2021.

Administrative information

Responsible department/​unit:

Department of Ecology

Funding

Funding agency:

Award number:

O-19-23-298

Award title:

SamZoner 2.0 – Optimization of multifunctional buffer zones for improved biological control and pollination

Topic and keywords

Standard för svensk indelning av forskningsämnen 2025:

Keywords:

Publications

Citation:

Rodríguez-Gasol, N., Viketoft, M., Chapurlat, E., Stenberg, J.A., Jonsson, M., Lundin, O. (2026). Perennial flower strips increase pollinator and natural enemy abundance but have limited effects on pest control in adjacent crops. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 296: 110025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2025.110025Opens in a new tab

Contact

Neus Rodriguez-Gasolneus.rodriguez.gasol@slu.seOpens in a new tab
SLU Arkivarkiv@slu.seOpens in a new tab

Metadata

Version 1
doris
slu
Published:|Updated: