An evaluation of farmers’ experiences planting native trees in rural Panama: implications for reforestation with native species in agricultural landscapes

Clearing of native vegetation and changes to disturbance regimes have resulted in dense regeneration of native trees and shrubs in parts of Australia. The conversion of open vegetation to dense woodlands may result in changes to the composition of plant communities and ecosystem function if structure, composition and function are tightly linked. Widespread clearing of the floodplain tree Eucalyptus coolabah subsp. coolabah (coolibah), in New South Wales, Australia, has led to state and federal listings of coolibah woodland as an endangered ecological community. Dense regeneration of coolibah in the mid 1970s, however, also resulted in its listing as an ‘invasive native species’ in NSW, meaning it can be legally cleared under certain conditions. Dense regeneration could be a novel state dissimilar to the threatened community or it could represent the next generation of coolibah woodlands and may contribute to passive restoration of heavily cleared landscapes. This study investigated if dense stands are distinct from remnant woodland by comparing floristic composition of the ground-storey community and top-soil properties of four coolibah vegetation states: derived grassland, derived degraded grassland, dense regeneration and remnant woodland. Ground-storey composition was found to overlap broadly among states regardless of tree density. Most species were common to all states, although dense regeneration contained characteristic woodland species that were absent from grasslands. The carbon : nitrogen ratio of the soil was significantly higher in dense regeneration and remnant woodland than in either of the grassland states, indicating that the woody states are broadly similar in terms of nutrient cycling. The study demonstrates that structurally different vegetation states (grasslands, woodlands and dense regeneration) are not associated with distinct plant communities. The results also suggest that grazing management has a more pronounced effect on ground-storey composition of plant communities than tree density and that well managed derived grasslands and dense regeneration are floristically similar to remnant woodlands. Since dense regeneration and remnant woodlands are not floristically distinct from one another, dense regeneration could contribute to the conservation of endangered coolibah woodlands in cleared agricultural landscapes.

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Detritivores as indicators of landscape stress and soil degradation

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1071/ea05297 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 47 (4) ◽

pp. 412 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Maurizio G. Paoletti ◽

Graham H. R. Osler ◽

Adrianne Kinnear ◽

Dennis G. Black ◽

Linda J. Thomson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Native Species ◽

Western Europe ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Close Association ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Oribatid Mites ◽

The Body ◽

Intensively Managed

Detritivores are small- to medium-sized invertebrates that comminute and break down organic materials such as leaves, twigs and roots, especially within or upon the soil surface, or nearby. Detritivores constitute the majority of the invertebrate biomass pyramid in most environments and provide a key role in organic matter turnover; they also provide alternative food for polyphagous predators that can be active in pest control on crops. Many arthropod taxa are detritivores in soil and litter layers. Here, we focus on the bioindicator potential of three key detritivore groups: slaters, millipedes and oribatid mites. There are possibly 300 species of slaters (terrestrial isopods or Oniscidea) in Australia with 13 of these being introduced, mostly from north-western Europe. These non-native species are the dominant species in disturbed environments such as intensively managed forests and agricultural fields. Slaters are promising indicators of landscape disturbance, soil contamination and tillage. Millipedes are potentially important indicators of stress in agricultural landscapes, given their sensitivity to litter and soil moisture gradients and to physical and chemical perturbations. However, because there is a close association between the millipede fauna and moist plant communities in Australia, they are generally absent from drier landscapes and, therefore, their use as bioindicators in agricultural environments here is problematic. An exception to this association is the increasingly ubiquitous introduced Black Portuguese millipede. This species is tolerant of much drier conditions than most natives, and is likely to change the nature of nutrient cycling processes in pastures and native grasslands in much of southern Australia. Oribatid mites are present in all Australian terrestrial ecosystems. The few studies that have examined their response to disturbance and land use in Australia are consistent with the body of work conducted outside Australia. This consistent response means that the oribatids may be developed as indicators in agricultural, pasture and forested environments. However, the paucity of information on oribatids over appropriate spatial scales in Australia makes the use of this group extremely difficult at this time.

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A direct benefit of native saltbush revegetation for an endemic lizard (Tiliqua rugosa) in southern Australia

Australian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1071/zo12063 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 60 (3) ◽

pp. 192 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Melanie L. Lancaster ◽

Michael G. Gardner ◽

Alison J. Fitch ◽

Talat H. Ansari ◽

Anita K. Smyth

Keyword(s):

Native Species ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Intensive Agriculture ◽

Life Stages ◽

Direct Benefit ◽

Australian Species ◽

Statistical Confidence ◽

Tiliqua Rugosa ◽

Significant Life ◽

Perennial Shrubs

Land alteration for intensive agriculture has been a major cause of species decline and extinction globally. In marginal grazing regions of southern Australia, native perennial shrubs are increasingly being planted to supplement pasture feeding of stock. Such revegetation has the benefits of reducing erosion and salinity, and importantly, the potential provision of habitat for native fauna. We explored the use of revegetated native saltbush by the sleepy lizard (Tiliqua rugosa) an endemic Australian species common in the region. We repeatedly sampled revegetated saltbush throughout 2010 and 2011 for adults (n = 55) and juveniles (n = 26). Using genotypes from eight microsatellite loci, parents were assigned to half of all juveniles with high statistical confidence. Parents were sampled in the same patch of revegetated saltbush as their offspring, thus supporting the observation that juvenile sleepy lizards remain within the home range of their parents before dispersal. Most importantly, our findings indicate that revegetated saltbush provides important habitat for T. rugosa at significant life stages – before and during breeding for adults, and before dispersal for juveniles. We conclude that revegetation using simple, monoculture plantations provides beneficial habitat for T. rugosa and may also be beneficial habitat for other native species in human-altered agricultural landscapes.

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Australian Trees for the Rehabilitation of Waterlogged and Salinity-damaged Landscapes

Australian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1071/bt96110 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 47 (5) ◽

pp. 697 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

David T. Bell

Keyword(s):

Water Balance ◽

Native Species ◽

Salt Water ◽

Economic Value ◽

Woody Species ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Annual Rainfall ◽

Detailed Knowledge ◽

Australian Species ◽

Excess Water

The revegetation of damaged agricultural landscapes requires a detailed knowledge of appropriate species and their adaptations to cope with the stresses of environments altered by humans. A range of Australian species has a role in the restoration of water and salt balances of catchments and can provide income diversity to agricultural properties damaged by increased frequencies of flooding, rising groundwaters and increased salinities. This review concentrates on the ecologically significant attributes of Australian woody species in waterlogged and saline habitats, and responses of species particularly suited to the restoration of water balance in cleared catchments. Australian catchments yield little water under natural vegetation, the trees and shrubs being especially resourceful in utilising much of the annual rainfall input. Replacing native, deep-rooted perennial species with annual crops always results in a net gain in catchment water. To redress these problems, cleared landscapes must be partially restored to tree and shrub cover to utilise the excess water remaining when crops are harvested or lie dormant over summer. Upland regions of restored landscapes should be planted to tree crops, particularly those that are luxuriant water users, of commercial value to farmers. Tree plantations for paper pulp, soft-wood timber and eucalypt oils are possibilities. Lowland sites in damaged catchments must be revegetated with trees which have waterlogging adaptations, such as aerenchyma, and tolerance to the products of anaerobic respiration. Areas of waterlogging that are additionally affected by excess salts must have exceptional trees. Australia has a number of native species which are well suited to survive these conditions, produce biomass and utilise excess water, while restricting or coping with the uptake of over-abundant salts. Most tolerant Australian species have a range of anatomical, morphological and physiological attributes to contribute to these adaptive qualities. This review highlights some of these features and describes various combinations that are successful. Australia now has a range of genotypes to bring to bear in the battle to rehabilitate landscapes damaged by disruption of the soil–salt–water balance. Only by redressing these problems can we ensure that future generations will have land capable of retaining economic value and producing potable water.

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Biotic threats for 23 major non-native tree species in Europe

Scientific Data ◽

10.1038/s41597-021-00961-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Elisabeth Pötzelsberger ◽

Martin M. Gossner ◽

Ludwig Beenken ◽

Anna Gazda ◽

Michal Petr ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Risk ◽

Tree Species ◽

Native Species ◽

Temporal Trends ◽

European Countries ◽

Current Health ◽

Native Trees ◽

Native Tree ◽

Native Tree Species

AbstractFor non-native tree species with an origin outside of Europe a detailed compilation of enemy species including the severity of their attack is lacking up to now. We collected information on native and non-native species attacking non-native trees, i.e. type, extent and time of first observation of damage for 23 important non-native trees in 27 European countries. Our database includes about 2300 synthesised attack records (synthesised per biotic threat, tree and country) from over 800 species. Insects (49%) and fungi (45%) are the main observed biotic threats, but also arachnids, bacteria including phytoplasmas, mammals, nematodes, plants and viruses have been recorded. This information will be valuable to identify patterns and drivers of attacks, and trees with a lower current health risk to be considered for planting. In addition, our database will provide a baseline to which future impacts on non-native tree species could be compared with and thus will allow to analyse temporal trends of impacts.

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Invertebrate and Plant Community Diversity of an Illinois Corn–Soybean Field with Integrated Shrub Willow Bioenergy Buffers

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su132112280 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (21) ◽

pp. 12280

Author(s):

Colleen Zumpf ◽

John Quinn ◽

Jules Cacho ◽

Nora Grasse ◽

Maria Cristina Negri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Native Species ◽

Crop Production ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Nutrient Loss ◽

Community Diversity ◽

Bioenergy Crops ◽

Crop Species ◽

Shrub Willow ◽

Grain Crops ◽

Intensively Managed

Perennial bioenergy crop production within intensively managed agricultural landscapes has the potential to improve the sustainability, resiliency, and diversity of these landscapes. Perennial crops are ideal because of their high production potential on marginal lands relative to grain crops (e.g., corn and soybean) and their ability to provide additional ecosystem service benefits. When agricultural landscapes are designed to target specific services, determining the non-targeted services of perennial bioenergy crops can further promote their adoption. This 3-year study addresses this proposition by evaluating the canopy invertebrates and understory plant (non-target crop) communities using bee bowls and point measurement of ground coverage, respectively, within a grain field integrated with shrub willow buffer systems designed for nutrient loss reduction. Greater plant diversity and richness were observed under willow than under grain, resembling that of the surrounding riparian community with more perennial, native species. However, the same relationship did not hold true for invertebrates, with seasonality having a significant influence resulting in similar communities observed in willow and grain plots. The presence of unique plant and invertebrate species in both willow and grain crops as well as foraging pollinators on both crop and non-target crop species highlights the importance of habitat heterogeneity for supporting biodiversity and the potential benefits of buffer bioenergy landscape designs.

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Choosing favorites: the host preference of a vascular epiphyte (Didymoglassum tahitense)

10.7287/peerj.preprints.2679v1 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Zoe Klein

Keyword(s):

Wood Density ◽

Tree Species ◽

Native Species ◽

Host Preference ◽

Dry Mass ◽

Native Trees ◽

Invasive Trees ◽

Mass Volume ◽

The Relationship ◽

Vascular Epiphyte

Background. The specific relationships between hosts and epiphytes are fairly unknown. Biotic factors contributing to epiphytic distribution have generally been considered secondary predictors to epiphyte growth and range. Invasive species pose risk to the biodiversity of epiphytes by altering the very specific environments epiphytes require to grow, which could ultimately harm the ecosystem as a whole. This study investigates the relationship between a tropical island vascular epiphyte, Didymoglassum tahitense, to wood density, bark phosphorus and host species in order to understand the specific interactions between host and epiphyte. Methods. Epiphytic surveys were conducted on the two native trees N. forsteri and I. fagifer and two invasive trees S. campanulata and P. falcataria to test for D. tahitense abundance and presence. Wood density for all tree species was calculated with the equation density=mass/volume, where volume was found using the displacement method and the mass by calculating dry mass. Phosphorus concentrations in the bark and epiphyte were found using an elemental analyzer. Results. The study found that D. tahitense preferred to live on the two native species N. forsteri and I. fagifer and that no D. tahitense grew on the invasive trees S. campanulata and P. falcataria. Of these four tree species, the two native trees had lower bark density and higher phosphorus concentrations where the invasive trees had higher bark density and lower phosphorus amounts. Discussion. With these findings, I assume that D. tahitense is host specific to species with high phosphorus in their wood.

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Avian use of farm habitats, including windbreaks, on the New South Wales Tablelands

Pacific Conservation Biology ◽

10.1071/pc040180 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 180 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

DR. Cilla Kinross

Keyword(s):

Species Composition ◽

Native Species ◽

New South ◽

New South Wales ◽

Bird Species ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Canonical Variate ◽

Bird Conservation ◽

Avian Diversity ◽

South Wales

Many windbreaks are being planted on the Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia to provide shelter for stock and crops, but little is known of the effect of these linear plantations on the regional bird community. This paper compares the avian diversity, density and species composition in a range of habitats in agricultural landscapes, including farm windbreaks, and draws conclusions as to the benefits of windbreaks to bird conservation. The data were collected between 1993 and 1997 with 12 visits to each of 84 sites, placed a priori into seven habitat types on six grazing properties in the Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia and analysed using ANOVA and canonical variate analysis to identify bird-habitat relationships and patterns. Species diversity and density were found to be highest in remnant woodland and lowest in grassland, but differences between other habitats were less robust. Windbreaks >19 m wide were closer in diversity and species composition to remnant woodland than windbreaks =15 m wide. Of the 105 bird species observed, 17 were confined to remnant woodland and 67 native species were observed using planted sites. These species were not, as had been predicted, entirely composed of generalist-opportunistic species, but, particularly in the wider planted sites, included several woodland species identified as declining in this region. Although clearly not as important as remnant woodland, farm windbreaks, shelterbelts and woodlots of suitable size and composition appear to contribute significantly to avian diversity in agricultural areas and their planting should be encouraged and supported by the rural community and government.

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The farmer as conservationist

American Journal of Alternative Agriculture ◽

10.1079/ajaa200352 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 206-212 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Catherine Badgley

Keyword(s):

Native Species ◽

Forest Canopy ◽

Habitat Degradation ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Native Forest ◽

Land Area ◽

Ecological Processes ◽

Dominant Form ◽

Species Lists

AbstractAgricultural landscapes are essential for preserving biodiversity, even though agricultural activities are the leading cause of habitat degradation worldwide. About half of the Earth's productive land area is farmed or grazed, whereas only about 6% of the total land area is protected for native species and ecosystems. The ecological services of healthy ecosystems are fundamental to agriculture, and these services depend upon a large number of species interacting with each other and with inorganic nutrient cycles. Likewise, the quality of ecosystems between reserves is critical to the persistence of species and ecological processes within reserves. Thus, conservation-oriented farming methods are critically important for both agriculture and biodiversity. Three examples illustrate agricultural practices that benefit the farmers, the local ecosystem and the landscape: (1) In Minnesota, rotational grazing, evaluated by the collaborative research of farmers and scientists, improved soil, pasture and stream quality, and boosted the confidence of the farmers in developing more sustainable grazing practices. (2) Predator-friendly ranching in Montana, in which nonlethal methods are used to protect livestock from depredation by native predators, benefited the ranchers with premium prices for wool and meat. The persistence of native predators, many of which have been on endangered species lists for years, benefited the regional ecosystem. (3) Shade-grown coffee in Latin America, in which coffee shrubs grow under an intact forest canopy, often looks and behaves ecologically like native forest and may house high levels of native biodiversity. This system benefited farmers, as long as they received a price premium for shade-grown coffee. The economic viability of these conservation-oriented practices depends upon farmers receiving price premiums for their products and by society rewarding fanners for their practices. A vision of ecological farming as the dominant form of agriculture is presented, with benefits at the scale of the farm, the landscape and society.

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