Within-field flower strips effect on Collembola assemblages over time

For several decades, techniques aimed at maximizing agricultural production have been developing rapidly. This has led to an intensification of cultural practices and concerns regarding the conservation of soil biodiversity and ecological functions and services it supports. A major challenge of agroecology is to define new methods for managing agroecosystems that enable a sustainable soil use and the preservation of its biodiversity. Sowing flower strips is often promoted in agri-environmental schemes, but their effect on soil biodiversity has yet been poorly considered. In this study, we followed the Collembola assemblages in response to the establishment of perennial wild flower strips within eight arable fields over four years (2018–2022). Collembola were sampled in the fields before the installation of the flower strips, in 2018 (y + 0), and in 2019 (y + 1), 2021 (y + 3) and 2022 (y + 4). Soil samples were taken within, at 5 m and at 30 m from the flower strips. Our results showed that there were no significant differences between the collembolan assemblages depending on the sampling distances from the flower strips. However, the age of the flower strips had an effect on Collembola assemblages, with y + 1 showing the lowest Collembola density and diversity. The differentiation between Collembola assemblages occurred three years after the flower strips sowing and was maintained for up to four years. Collembola appear to respond to environmental changes caused by flower strips sowing, since response traits such as sensory organs, pigmentation and sexual reproduction were the most dominant.