The effect of management by wheat for animal feeding and human food purposes on biodiversity of epigeic beetles

Communities of epigeic beetles were studied in 2 wheat fields (food wheat and feed wheat) in the southern part of the Czech Republic. Climatic and soil conditions on both fields were similar. There were differences between fields regarding field management of wheat: amount of artificial fertilizer, amount of pesticide, preceding crop, surrounding landscape. The higher amount of artificial fertilizer (+ 50 kg/ha of nitrate and + 50kg/ha DAM) and the Karben flo stefes fungicide was applied in food wheat. An intensive conventional system of cultivation is used in surrounding landscape. Epigeic beetles were caught by pitfall traps, 24 species, 6 families and 245 individuals were determined. The family Carabidae was dominant on both fields. Higher species diversity was observed in feed wheat, but this difference was imperceptible. Species were divided according to their ecological preference and human impact on communities was assessed. The field of feed wheat was less anthropogenic influenced but the difference was also imperceptible