HABITAT PREFERENCES OF GENERALIST PREDATORS IN REDUCED-TILLAGE CORN

Habitat preferences of generalist predators were evaluated by comparin g their abundance among four reduced-tillage corn systems which differ ed in the degree of soil disturbance, quantity and structure of the su rface mulch due to tillage, and cover crop management practices. Two s ampling methods were used to collect predators, pitfall trapping and v acuum sampling. Although there was considerable difference in the comp osition of species collected with each method, similar trends in overa ll predator abundance were observed. Generalist predator abundance fol lowed the gradient of ground cover. The treatment with the highest deg ree of mulch ground cover had the highest overall predator abundance w hile the treatment which was disked and without surface mulch had the lowest. Although most of the common species preferred those systems wi th the most ground cover, several species preferred the system with th e least amount of ground cover.