Causes and consequences of changes in the arthropod community

Arthropods are the most species-rich group of animals on earth. They are also at the centre of many food webs, linking producers with higher trophic levels. In the managed systems of the Biodiversity Exploratories, arthropod communities shift in diversity and composition following changes in their resources. As certain functional groups react more strongly than others to changes in management, arthropod-mediated processes are also affected. The reaction of arthropod communities to anthropogenic changes in an ecosystem is hence crucial for the stability and functioning of those ecosystems.