The effect of agricultural land-use on bush-cricket and grasshopper diversity

Abstract: The amount of habitat suitable for grasshoppers and crickets has decreased due to the human expansion and use of the Swedish agricultural landscape. This literature study covers the effect on grasshopper – and cricket diversity from different features on grassy field islands and the surrounding agricultural landscape. Knowledge about species’ requirements of their habitats is important for conservation management and to keep the species from going extinct. This study tries to get an insight in eleven species of orthopterans presence and abundance on field islands in Sweden according to eleven variables based on facts about the species ecology. This could give us an indication on how to manage agricultural land to protect the species and their habitats. The result of this study shows the importance of keeping various kinds of habitats since different species have different habitat requirements. Also the result suggests that closely related species prefers similar habitats, an experience that might affect future conservation and protection. To protect species from going extinct humans must use land with consciousness to avoid fragmentation.