Comparison of beneficial insect communities and their services within turf-based open spaces and community gardens in urban landscapes

Plant pollination, above and below-ground biological control, and decomposition are critical Arthropod-Mediated Ecosystem Services (AMES). Enhancing the ability of landscapes to support beneficial arthropods and their services is critical, as many native predators and pollinators have declined dramatically in recent decades. The loss of pollinators, both native and managed species has resulted in a pollination crisis in several agricultural crops. The amount of pest control supplied by naturally occurring biological control agents is also jeopardized by the loss of native predators, potentially due to the introduction of exotic competitors. Urban landscapes offer an opportunity to design suitable habitat for the conservation of these beneficial arthropods and the services they provide. Current utilization of open space within urban landscapes is dominated by turf grass and exotic ornamental plantings. However, there is a growing interest among urban residents to developing open spaces to produce food, which will necessitate the availability of AMES within these sites. Within Akron and Cleveland OH, we are currently comparing the diversity and abundance of pollinators, natural enemies and biocontrol services supported in turf-based open spaces and community vegetable gardens. We are also examining the structure of the urban landscape surrounding each site to determine if the proportion, average patch size and connectivity of green space present within 2 km of each site influences beneficial arthropods or their services.