Biodiversity in agricultural landscapes: different non-crop habitats increase diversity of ground-dwelling beetles (Coleoptera) but support different communities

AbstractAgricultural intensification poses a major threat to the conservation of biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. Since non-crop habitats are regarded as important refuges for farmland biodiversity, various greening measures have been proposed to halt biodiversity loss. However, the effectiveness of these measures for biodiversity conservation is still under debate. Therefore, we here compared ground-dwelling beetle (Coleoptera) assemblages of different non-crop habitats (field margins, set-aside fields sown with wildflowers, and permanent grassland fallows) and wheat fields within an intensively used agricultural landscape in western Germany. Taxonomic diversity of Carabidae, Staphylinidae and other coleopteran families and their conservation value were higher in all non-crop habitats than on wheat fields. Surprisingly, though, different types of non-crop habitats did not differ in species richness or the number of threatened species. Thus, field margins and sown wildflower fields were as effective in promoting beetle diversity as grassland fallows. However, different non-crop habitats supported different species assemblages, and several species, in particular especially large ones, were restricted to grassland fallows. These results suggest that different greening measures are effective in promoting the biodiversity of beetles, and that permanent grassland fallows are essential for nature conservation. The fact that habitat types harbored different assemblages stresses the need to combine a variety of greening measures to yield the highest benefit for biodiversity.

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Farmland biodiversity: wildflower-sown islands within arable fields and grassy field margins both promote spider diversity

Journal of Insect Conservation ◽

10.1007/s10841-021-00363-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tamara Rischen ◽

Katharina Geisbüsch ◽

Daniel Ruppert ◽

Klaus Fischer

Keyword(s):

Agricultural Landscape ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Added Value ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Small Scale ◽

Conservation Value ◽

Field Margins ◽

Farmland Biodiversity ◽

Power Pole

Abstract Agricultural intensification and the concomitant landscape homogenization is leading to a worldwide decline in farmland biodiversity. Non-crop habitats in agroecosystems may counteract the loss of arthropods such as spiders and thus contribute to sustainable agriculture. However, the effectiveness of field margins and set-aside wildflower-sown patches in maintaining spider diversity is not well understood. Here, we investigated the effects of three different non-crop habitats, namely field margins, set-aside wildflower-sown patches under power poles (‘power pole islands’), and grassland fallows on spider diversity as compared to wheat fields in an agricultural landscape in western Germany. Using pitfall trapping and suction sampling, we show that species richness and overall conservation value were higher in non-crop habitats than in wheat fields. Interestingly, field margins and power pole islands differed from long-term grassland fallows only in conservation value, which was significantly higher in grassland fallows. Species assemblages differed considerably between grassland fallows, field margins and power pole islands, and wheat fields, documenting the added value of using different conservation strategies. Implications for insect conservation Small-scale non-crop habitats adjacent to wheat fields were surprisingly effective in promoting spider diversity in an agricultural landscape, with field margins and power pole islands being equally effective. To maximize overall diversity in agricultural landscapes, we propose a combination of larger long-term fallows and smaller non-crop habitats such as field margins or set-aside wildflower-sown patches.

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The effect of Agricultural Landscape Type on Field Margin Flora in South Eastern Poland

Acta Botanica Croatica ◽

10.1515/botcro-2016-0027 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 75 (2) ◽

pp. 217-225 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Małgorzata Wrzesień ◽

Bożena Denisow

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Species Diversity ◽

Plant Species ◽

Agricultural Landscape ◽

Vascular Plant ◽

Detrended Correspondence Analysis ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Plant Species Diversity ◽

Field Margins ◽

Landscape Type

Abstract Plant species diversity is threatened in many agricultural landscapes due to the changes it has to undergo. Although the modification of the agricultural landscape pattern is observed across Europe, both extensive and intensive agricultural landscapes still co-exist in Poland. The objective of the study was to examine the flora in field margins in intensively and extensively managed agricultural landscapes, located across three regions in SE Poland. The flora was compared with respect to species richness, diversity, and evenness indices. Detrended correspondence analysis was employed to characterise variation in species composition. Agricultural landscape type made a higher contribution than the topography or geology to species richness and composition in field margins. Field margins function as important habitats for general vascular plant species diversity and are useful for the conservation of rare, threatened, endangered or bee plants. A significant decline in species diversity was observed over a distance of 1000 m from the habitat elements. Plants growing on field margins are mainly perennials; however participation of annuals clearly increases in intensive landscapes. The participation of wind-dispersed species decreased in an open-spaced intensive landscape. Animal-dispersed plants predominated in an extensive landscape with forest islands. Irrespective of landscape type, native species predominated. However, these habitats create the biota and corridors for alien-invasive species as well.

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Past, Present and Future of Hay-making Structures in Europe

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11205581 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (20) ◽

pp. 5581 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Špulerová ◽

Kruse ◽

Branduini ◽

Centeri ◽

Eiter ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cultural Values ◽

Agricultural Landscape ◽

New Technologies ◽

Geographical Area ◽

Distribution Patterns ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Hay Meadows ◽

Regional Features ◽

Current State ◽

Different Types

Hay-making structures are part of the agricultural landscape of meadows and pastures. Hay meadows are still used and found all over Europe, but their distribution patterns as well as their characteristics and regional features depend on geographical area, climate, culture, and intensity of agriculture. Intensively used hay meadows are the most dominant, using heavy machinery to store hay mostly as rounded or square bales. Traditional hay-making structures represent structures or constructions, used to quickly dry freshly cut fodder and to protect it from humidity. The ‘ancient’ forms of traditional hay-making structures are becoming a relic, due to mechanisation and the use of new technologies. Both the need for drying hay and the traditional methods for doing so were similar across Europe. Our study of hay-making structures focuses on their current state, their development and history, current use and cultural values in various European countries. Regarding the construction and use of hay-making structures, we have distinguished three different types, which correlate to natural and regional conditions: (1) temporary hay racks of various shapes; (2) hay barracks, a special type of shelters for storing hay and (3) different types of permanent construction and buildings for drying and storing hay. Hay-making structures have been mostly preserved in connection with traditional agricultural landscapes, and particularly in the more remote regions or where associated with strong cultural identity.

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Collation of indigenous and local knowledge as evidence base for herpetofauna conservation outside protected areas: Case study from an agricultural landscape in Eastern India

10.1101/2021.05.26.445747 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Deyatima Ghosh ◽

Parthiba Basu

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Agricultural Intensification ◽

Agricultural Landscape ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Control Agent ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Rural Landscape ◽

Biological Pest Control ◽

Farming Community ◽

The Impact

Systematic appraisal of community knowledge as evidence for biodiversity conservation has been widely recognized. For conserving the rich biodiversity in the rural landscape outside the protected areas, it is important to document the knowledge and perception of the farming community. Although such appraisal is available for different taxa, no such systematic study is available for herpetofauna- one of the most vulnerable faunal groups. Our study attempts to document the impact of agricultural intensification on herpetofauna in an agricultural landscape through knowledge and perception appraisal of the farming community. A semi-structured questionnaire survey and validation was conducted in areas of low, medium, and high agricultural intensification. In all areas, farmers indicated an overall decrease in herpetofauna abundance. Farmers at the mid and high agricultural intensification zones reported a more significant decrease in herpetofauna sightings specifically for amphibians and snakes compared to those under low intensification regions. Farmers at low intensification areas recognized significantly more herpetofauna. Farmers attributed five major threats to herpetofauna and ranked pesticide as the most significant reason, especially those in higher intensification. The majority were aware of the importance of herpetofauna as a biological pest control agent. The level of education or farming experience did not seem to have any influence on the farmers knowledge. Our findings integrated with other quantitative studies will facilitate future community-driven conservation in the studied agricultural landscapes.

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The Relict Ecosystem of Maytenus senegalensis subsp. europaea in an Agricultural Landscape: Past, Present and Future Scenarios

Land ◽

10.3390/land10010001 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 1

Author(s):

Antonio J. Mendoza-Fernández ◽

Fabián Martínez-Hernández ◽

Esteban Salmerón-Sánchez ◽

Francisco J. Pérez-García ◽

Blas Teruel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Communities ◽

Ecological Niche ◽

Agricultural Landscape ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Eastern Coast ◽

Ecological Value ◽

Distribution Models ◽

European Continent ◽

Major Interest ◽

Maytenus Senegalensis

Maytenus senegalensis subsp. europaea is a shrub belonging to the Celastraceae family, whose only European populations are distributed discontinuously along the south-eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula, forming plant communities with great ecological value, unique in Europe. As it is an endangered species that makes up plant communities with great palaeoecological significance, the development of species distribution models is of major interest under different climatic scenarios, past, present and future, based on the fact that the climate could play a relevant role in the distribution of this species, as well as in the conformation of the communities in which it is integrated. Palaeoecological models were generated for the Maximum Interglacial, Last Maximum Glacial and Middle Holocene periods. The results obtained showed that the widest distribution of this species, and the maximum suitability of its habitat, occurred during the Last Glacial Maximum, when the temperatures of the peninsular southeast were not as contrasting as those of the rest of the European continent and were favored by higher rainfall. Under these conditions, large territories could act as shelters during the glacial period, a hypothesis reflected in the model’s results for this period, which exhibit a further expansion of M. europaea’s ecological niche. The future projection of models in around 2070, for four Representative Concentration Pathways according to the fifth report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, showed that the most favorable areas for this species would be Campo de Dalías (southern portion of Almería province) as it presents the bioclimatic characteristics of greater adjustment to M. europaea’s ecological niche model. Currently, some of the largest specimens of the species survive in the agricultural landscapes in the southern Spain. These areas are almost totally destroyed and heavily altered by intensive agriculture greenhouses, also causing a severe fragmentation of the habitat, which implies a prospective extinction scenario in the near future.

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Predation on Drosophila suzukii within Hedges in the Agricultural Landscape

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects12040305 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 305

Author(s):

Alexandra Siffert ◽

Fabian Cahenzli ◽

Patrik Kehrli ◽

Claudia Daniel ◽

Virginie Dekumbis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Agricultural Landscape ◽

Vital Role ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Gut Content ◽

Drosophila Suzukii ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Host Fruit ◽

Molecular Gut Content Analysis ◽

Wild Fruits ◽

Diverse Community

The invasive Drosophila suzukii feeds and reproduces on various cultivated and wild fruits and moves between agricultural and semi-natural habitats. Hedges in agricultural landscapes play a vital role in the population development of D. suzukii, but also harbor a diverse community of natural enemies. We investigated predation by repeatedly exposing cohorts of D. suzukii pupae between June and October in dry and humid hedges at five different locations in Switzerland. We sampled predator communities and analyzed their gut content for the presence of D. suzukii DNA based on the COI marker. On average, 44% of the exposed pupae were predated. Predation was higher in dry than humid hedges, but did not differ significantly between pupae exposed on the ground or on branches and among sampling periods. Earwigs, spiders, and ants were the dominant predators. Predator communities did not vary significantly between hedge types or sampling periods. DNA of D. suzukii was detected in 3.4% of the earwigs, 1.8% of the spiders, and in one predatory bug (1.6%). While the molecular gut content analysis detected only a small proportion of predators that had fed on D. suzukii, overall predation seemed sufficient to reduce D. suzukii populations, in particular in hedges that provide few host fruit resources.

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Tree Swallow selection for wetlands in agricultural landscapes predicted by central-place foraging theory

The Condor ◽

10.1093/condor/duaa039 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Andrew S Elgin ◽

Robert G Clark ◽

Christy A Morrissey

Keyword(s):

Habitat Selection ◽

Central Place ◽

Foraging Theory ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Tree Swallow ◽

Field Margins ◽

Central Place Foraging ◽

Prairie Pothole ◽

Prairie Wetlands ◽

Selection For

Abstract Millions of wetland basins, embedded in croplands and grasslands, are biodiversity hotspots in North America’s Prairie Pothole Region, but prairie wetlands continue to be degraded and drained, primarily for agricultural activities. Aerial insectivorous swallows are known to forage over water, but it is unclear whether swallows exhibit greater selection for wetlands relative to other habitats in croplands and grasslands. Central-place foraging theory suggests that habitat selectivity should increase with traveling distance from a central place, such that foragers compensate for traveling costs by selecting more profitable foraging habitat. Using global positioning system (GPS) tags, we evaluated habitat selection by female Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) at 4 sites containing wetlands and where terrestrial land cover was dominated by grasslands (grass, herbaceous cover) and/or cultivated cropland. We also used sweep-net transects to assess the abundance and biomass of flying insects in different habitats available to swallows (wetland pond margins, grassy field margins, and representative uplands). As expected for a central-place forager, GPS-tagged swallows selected more for wetland ponds (disproportionate to availability), and appeared to increasingly select for wetlands with increasing distance from their nests. On cropland-dominated sites, insect abundance and biomass tended to be higher in pond margins or grassy field margins compared to cropped uplands, while abundance and biomass were more uniform among sampled habitats at sites dominated by grass and herbaceous cover. Swallow habitat selection was not clearly explained by the distribution of sampled insects among habitats; however, traditional terrestrial sampling methods may not adequately reflect prey distribution and availability to aerially foraging swallows. Overall, our results underscore the importance of protecting and enhancing prairie wetlands and other non-crop habitats in agricultural landscapes, given their disproportionate use and capacity to support breeding swallow and insect populations.

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Determinants of bird assemblage composition in riparian vegetation on sugarcane farms in the Queensland Wet Tropics

Pacific Conservation Biology ◽

10.1071/pc14904 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

pp. 60 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Anita F. Keir ◽

Richard G. Pearson ◽

Robert A. Congdon

Keyword(s):

Riparian Vegetation ◽

Wildlife Conservation ◽

Agricultural Landscape ◽

Riparian Zone ◽

Riparian Forest ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Generalist Species ◽

Assemblage Composition ◽

Bird Assemblages ◽

Wet Tropics

Remnant habitat patches in agricultural landscapes can contribute substantially to wildlife conservation. Understanding the main habitat variables that influence wildlife is important if these remnants are to be appropriately managed. We investigated relationships between the bird assemblages and characteristics of remnant riparian forest at 27 sites among sugarcane fields in the Queensland Wet Tropics bioregion. Sites within the remnant riparian zone had distinctly different bird assemblages from those of the forest, but provided habitat for many forest and generalist species. Width of the riparian vegetation and distance from source forest were the most important factors in explaining the bird assemblages in these remnant ribbons of vegetation. Gradual changes in assemblage composition occurred with increasing distance from source forest, with species of rainforest and dense vegetation being replaced by species of more open habitats, although increasing distance was confounded by decreasing riparian width. Species richness increased with width of the riparian zone, with high richness at the wide sites due to a mixture of open-habitat species typical of narrower sites and rainforest species typical of sites within intact forest, as a result of the greater similarity in vegetation characteristics between wide sites and the forest proper. The results demonstrate the habitat value for birds of remnant riparian vegetation in an agricultural landscape, supporting edge and open vegetation species with even narrow widths, but requiring substantial width (>90 m) to support specialists of the closed forest, the dominant original vegetation of the area.

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The influence of field margins on the presence and spatial distribution of the European mole Talpa europaea L. within the agricultural landscape of northern Poland

Archives of Biological Sciences ◽

10.2298/abs1203971z ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 64 (3) ◽

pp. 971-980 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Ewa Zurawska-Seta ◽

T. Barczak

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

Agricultural Development ◽

Agricultural Landscape ◽

Field Margins ◽

Talpa Europaea ◽

Northern Poland ◽

European Mole ◽

Arable Fields ◽

Physical And Chemical ◽

The Impact

European moles are widespread in both cultivated and uncultivated areas in Poland. Their occurrence and distribution in relation to the physical and chemical characteristics of soil has been already studied in previous research. However, there is still an open question about the impact of the structure of anthropogenic habitats produced by agriculture on moles. The main aim of this study is to assess the influence of different kinds of field margins on the presence and spatial distribution of the European mole Talpa europaea L. in farmlands. Methods included the monitoring of six investigative sites in northern Poland. Observations were made during three six-month periods in 2005-2008 of the presence or absence of moles as recognized by recent molehills and surface tunnels. There was a very clear tendency by moles to occupy areas within arable fields close to field boundaries with wide verges containing ruderal and woodland communities with a spacious zone of ecotones. Narrow boundary strips were avoided by moles. In conclusion, the conducted research confirms that field margins have an impact on the presence and spatial distribution of moles within ploughed lands. Our results may be helpful in improving the relation between agricultural development and biodiversity conservation, and the rational use of nature by humankind.

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The Assessment of the Tourism Potential of the Tagus International Nature Reserve Landscapes Using Methods Based on the Opinion of the Demand

Land ◽

10.3390/land11010068 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 68

Author(s):

Dora Isabel Rodrigues Ferreira ◽

José-Manuel Sánchez-Martín

Keyword(s):

Agricultural Landscape ◽

Nature Reserve ◽

Pairwise Comparison ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Agricultural Activity ◽

Aesthetic Value ◽

Analytic Hierarchy ◽

Natural Protected Areas ◽

Double Approach ◽

Tourism Potential

There are different methodologies to assess landscape preferences, however there is no consensual methodology that can be replicated to identify their tourism potential. Recent studies have focused on agricultural landscape preferences due to their cultural characteristics. Although agricultural activity conflicts with the management models of natural protected areas, traditional models and sustainable practices reveal opportunities to boost tourism in this area, both for their aesthetic value, and for the opportunity to preserve biodiversity and maintain “lively landscapes”. The present study focuses on a double approach to collect data to measure the preferences for landscape typologies to realize outdoor/recreative activities in Tagus International Nature Reserve (TINR), among them, agricultural landscapes, such as the agro-silvopastural system “Dehesa/Montado” or olive grove. The preference of the landscapes were evaluated through photographs with pairwise comparison and without photographs observation, in which 174 respondents were consulted with. The different methodologies applied allowed for the extraction of different results, which led to the assumption that in fact there is no single methodology to assess preferences. However, the application of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) methodology with photographical pairwise comparison allowed for the extraction of more robust results when considering attractions with tourism typologies, revealing that “Cultural tourism/Rural mixed” and “Agritourism” were the most valued. This information is pertinent to support TINR managers and local tourism promoters to plan and structure products and services based on button-up methodologies.

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