Foliage arthropod communities of crop and fallow fields

Two crop fields (alfalfa and orchard grass) and two fallow fields (bluegrass and old field) were compared on the basis of plant and foliage arthropod complexity. Plant species richness and foliage height diversity increased substantially from crop to fallow: bluegrass to fallow: old field. The trend in arthropod complexity paralleled this trend in plant complexity but dit not appear to be as striking. Fallow fields typically possessed more species, fever individuals, higher evenness in relative abundance patterns and proportionally more predators. However, crop fields had quite diverse foliage arthropod faunas, and we suggest that high primary productivity of crop fields may somewhat offset lowered plant habitat complexity.