Orthoptera of crossfield and headland footpaths in arable farmland

A study was made of Orthoptera assemblages of crossfield and headland (field-edge) public footpaths in the Chelmsford area of Essex, UK, in 2006. Orthoptera populations were monitored using a standardised transect counting procedure in both footpath types to determine whether headland footpaths provided benefits to Orthoptera on intensively managed farmland. Species richness of Orthoptera was significantly higher on headland footpaths (6 species) than on crossfield rights of way (3 species), suggesting that footpaths along the edges of fields may provide refuges in arable farmland. It seems that the absence of regular ploughing on the headland footpaths may be beneficial to mesophilous grasshopper species, the crossfield footpaths constituting too much of an ephemeral habitat (due to annual ploughing and cropping) to support the full range of species. Abundance of all Orthoptera and of individual species was not significantly higher on headland footpaths, although replicates on the sheltered and sunny eastern side of hedgerows had relatively high densities.