Losers and winners: Responses of grassland arthropods to land-use components for all grassland plots from 2008-2018

Intensified land-use in grasslands reduces biodiversity, particularly affecting arthropod populations. However, responses of individual species vary depending on their ecological traits and habitat requirements. Some species may tolerate or even benefit from intensive land-use, while others, particularly specialists or those with narrow niches, are likely to be negatively affected.<br>We used a quantitative niche model to evaluate species-specific responses to land-use intensity in four arthropod orders common in grasslands: Araneae, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and Orthoptera. From 2008 to 2018, a total of 214,416 individuals across 1352 species were collected on 150 grassland plots across three regions (Schorfheide-Chorin, Hainich-Dün, and Schwäbische Alb) of Germany. The effects of mowing, fertilizing, and grazing on species occurrence and abundance were evaluated with their niche optima to identify winners, losers, and neutrals. Further abundance weighted means of the species and the respective land-use component were compared with feeding guilds, body size, and Red List statuses (categories, short-term and long term population trends).