Natural enemy–herbivore networks along local management and landscape gradients in urban agroecosystems

Urban Farm DB summary

This study investigated natural-enemy-herbivore co-occurrence networks associated with Brassica oleracea in 24 urban vegetable gardens in the California, USA central coast region. Increased floral richness and B. oleracea abundance were associated with increased parasitoid and non-aphid herbivore abundance, and increased network vulnerability. Increased vegetation complexity suppressed parasitoid abundance but boosted network vulnerability. High agricultural land-use cover around urban gardens was associated with lower predator, parasitoid, and non-aphid herbivore abundance, lower natural-enemy:herbivore ratios, lower interaction richness, and higher trophic complementarity.