Dryland organic farming increases floral resources and bee colony success in highly simplified agricultural landscapes

2019 ◽  
Vol 270-271 ◽  
pp. 9-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subodh Adhikari ◽  
Laura A. Burkle ◽  
Kevin M. O’Neill ◽  
David K. Weaver ◽  
Fabian D. Menalled
Keyword(s):  
Organic Farming ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Bee Colony

Dryland Organic Farming Partially Offsets Negative Effects of Highly Simplified Agricultural Landscapes on Forbs, Bees, and Bee–Flower Networks

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 826-835 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subodh Adhikari ◽  
Laura A Burkle ◽  
Kevin M O’Neill ◽  
David K Weaver ◽  
Casey M Delphia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Farming ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Conventional Farming ◽  
No Till ◽  
Bee Diversity ◽  
Bee Abundance

AbstractIndustrialized farming practices result in simplified agricultural landscapes, reduced biodiversity, and degraded species-interaction networks. Thus far, most research assessing the combined effects of farming systems and landscape complexity on beneficial insects has been conducted in relatively diversified and mesic systems and may not represent the large-scale, monoculture-based dryland agriculture that dominates many regions worldwide. Specifically, the effects of farming systems on forbs, bees, and their interactions are poorly understood in highly simplified dryland landscapes such as those in the Northern Great Plains, United States, an area globally important for conventional and organic small grain, pulse, forage, and oilseed production. During a 3-yr (2013–2015) study, we assessed 1) the effects of dryland no-till conventional and tilled organic farming on forbs, bees, and bee–flower networks and 2) the relationship between natural habitat and bee abundance. Flower density and richness were greater in tilled organic fields than in no-till conventional fields, and forb community composition differed between farming systems. We observed high bee diversity (109 taxa) in this highly simplified landscape, and bee abundance, richness, and community composition were similar between systems. Compared with tilled organic fields, bee–flower interactions in no-till conventional fields were poorly connected, suggesting these systems maintain relatively impoverished plant-pollinator networks. Natural habitat (11% of the landscape) did not affect small-bodied bee abundance in either farming system but positively affected large-bodied bees within 2,000 m of crop-field centers. In highly simplified agricultural landscapes, dryland organic farming and no-till conventional farming together support relatively high bee diversity, presumably because dryland organic farming enhances floral resources and bee–flower networks, and no-till management in conventional farming provides undisturbed ground-nesting habitats for wild bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea).

scholarly journals Modeling the Supporting Ecosystem Services of Depressional Wetlands in Agricultural Landscapes

Wetlands ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 1061-1069
Author(s):  
David M. Mushet ◽  
Cali L. Roth
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
System Modeling ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Depressional Wetlands ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Des Moines Lobe ◽  
Des Moines

Abstract We explored how a geographic information system modeling approach could be used to quantify supporting ecosystem services related to the type, abundance, and distribution of landscape components. Specifically, we use the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs model to quantify habitats that support amphibians and birds, floral resources that support pollinators, native-plant communities that support regional biodiversity, and above- and below-ground carbon stores in the Des Moines Lobe ecoregion of the U.S. We quantified services under two scenarios, one that represented the 2012 Des Moines Lobe landscape, and one that simulated the conversion to crop production of wetlands and surrounding uplands conserved under the USDA Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). While ACEP easements only covered 0.35% of the ecoregion, preserved wetlands and grasslands provided for 19,020 ha of amphibian habitat, 21,462 ha of grassland-bird habitat, 18,798 ha of high-quality native wetland plants, and 27,882 ha of floral resources for pollinators. Additionally, ACEP protected lands stored 257,722 t of carbon that, if released, would result in costs in excess of 45-million USD. An integrated approach using results from a GIS-based model in combination with process-based model quantifications will facilitate more informed decisions related to ecosystem service tradeoffs.

scholarly journals Florida Beekeeping Management Calendar

EDIS ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
James D. Ellis ◽  
Mary C. Bammer ◽  
William H. Kern Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
South Florida ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
North Central ◽  
Colony Management ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Honey Bee Colony ◽  
Bee Colonies

Climate, plant communities, and timing of floral resources differ significantly across Florida, which means that management of European honey bee colonies in Florida differs as well. This 8-page fact sheet written by James D. Ellis, Mary C. Bammer, and William H. Kern and published by Department of Entomology and Nematology outlines a management calendar created for Florida beekeepers. It is specific to region (north, central, and south Florida) and month and includes recommendations for major management considerations like when to treat for parasites or pathogens and when to feed colonies or harvest honey. This management calendar, while not exhaustive, is a valuable reference or starting point for honey bee colony management in Florida. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in848

scholarly journals Taxon-specific temporal shifts in pollinating insects in mass-flowering crops and field margins in Ireland

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 90-107
Author(s):  
Irene Bottero ◽  
Simon Hodge ◽  
Jane Stout
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Field Margins ◽  
Flowering Period ◽  
Field Margin ◽  
Mass Flowering ◽  
Insect Abundance ◽  
Insect Pollinators ◽  
Pollinating Insects ◽  
Hover Flies

In intensively cropped agricultural landscapes, the vegetation in edges and hedges (henceforth “field margins”) represents an important semi-natural habitat providing fundamental resources for insect pollinators. We surveyed the pollinating insects associated with two mass-flowering crops, apple and oilseed rape, and compared the insect fauna of the main crop with that in the field margins in the grass-dominated agricultural landscapes of Ireland. Different insect groups responded differently to the presence of the flowering crop, with honey and bumble bees more abundant in crops than margins during crop flowering, but more hover flies and butterflies in margins throughout. The composition of the insect assemblage also shifted over time due to taxon-specific changes in abundance. For example, solitary bees were most abundant early in the season, whereas hover flies peaked, and butterflies declined, in mid-summer. The temporal shift in insect community structure was associated with parallel changes in the field margin flora, and, although we found no relationship between insect abundance and abundance of field margin flowers, Bombus abundance and total insect abundance were positively correlated with floral diversity. After the crop flowering period, floral abundance and diversity was maintained via margin plants, but by late summer, floral resources declined. Our results confirm the importance of field margins for insect pollinators of entomophilous crops set within grass-dominated landscapes, even during the crop flowering period, and provide additional support for agri-environment schemes that protect and/or improve field margin biodiversity. The results also demonstrate that although shifts in insect and plant communities may be linked phenologically there may not always be simple relationships between insect and floral abundance and richness. 

scholarly journals Benefits of organic farming to biodiversity vary among taxa

2005 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 431-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.J Fuller ◽  
L.R Norton ◽  
R.E Feber ◽  
P.J Johnson ◽  
D.E Chamberlain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Farming ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Cereal Crops ◽  
Matched Pairs ◽  
Organic Farms ◽  
Large Scale Study

Habitat and biodiversity differences between matched pairs of organic and non-organic farms containing cereal crops in lowland England were assessed by a large-scale study of plants, invertebrates, birds and bats. Habitat extent, composition and management on organic farms was likely to favour higher levels of biodiversity and indeed organic farms tended to support higher numbers of species and overall abundance across most taxa. However, the magnitude of the response varied; plants showed larger and more consistent responses than other taxa. Variation in response across taxa may be partly a consequence of the small size and isolated context of many organic farms. Extension of organic farming could contribute to the restoration of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.

scholarly journals Using Temporally Resolved Floral Resource Maps to Explain Bumblebee Colony Performance in Agricultural Landscapes

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1993
Author(s):  
Philipp W. Eckerter ◽  
Lars Albus ◽  
Sharumathi Natarajan ◽  
Matthias Albrecht ◽  
Lolita Ammann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Bombus Terrestris ◽  
Colony Growth ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Wild Plants ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Colony Development ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Floral Resource

Wild bumblebees are key pollinators of crops and wild plants that rely on the continuous availability of floral resources. A better understanding of the spatio-temporal availability and use of floral food resources may help to promote bumblebees and their pollination services in agricultural landscapes. We placed colonies of Bombus terrestris L. in 24 agricultural landscapes with various degrees of floral resource availability and assessed different parameters of colony growth and fitness. We estimated pollen availability during different periods of colony development based on detailed information of the bumblebee pollen diet and the spatial distribution of the visited plant species. Total pollen availability did not significantly explain colony growth or fitness. However, when using habitat maps, the weight gain of colonies, the number of queen cells, and colony survival decreased with increasing distance from the forest. The better explanation of bumblebee performance by forest proximity than by (plant-inferred) pollen availability indicates that other functions of forests than pollen provision were important. The conservation of forests next to agricultural land might help to sustain high populations of these important wild pollinators and enhance their crop pollination services. Combining different mapping approaches might help to further disentangle complex relationships between B. terrestris and their environment in agricultural landscapes.

scholarly journals Floral Resources Used by Honey Bees in Agricultural Landscapes

2015 ◽  
Vol 96 (3) ◽  
pp. 487-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabrice Requier ◽  
Jean-François Odoux ◽  
Thierry Tamic ◽  
Nathalie Moreau ◽  
Mickaël Henry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bees ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Floral Resources

scholarly journals The Potential to Save Agrestal Plant Species in an Intensively Managed Agricultural Landscape through Organic Farming—A Case Study from Northern Germany

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 219
Author(s):  
Eugen Görzen ◽  
Tim Diekötter ◽  
Maike Meyerink ◽  
Helen Kretzschmar ◽  
Tobias W. Donath
Keyword(s):  
Organic Farming ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Crop Rotations ◽  
Conventional Farming ◽  
Northern Germany ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Intensively Managed ◽  
The Impact

Intensive agriculture is among the main drivers of diversity decline worldwide. In Central Europe, pressures related with agriculture include habitat loss due to the consolidation of farming units, pesticide and fertilizer use, and shortened crop rotations. In recent decades, this development has resulted in a severe decline of agrestal plant communities. Organic farming has been suggested as a biodiversity friendly way of farming, as it strongly restricts the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and relies on longer crop rotations. It may thus help in saving agrestal plant communities in the future. In this study, we assessed the long-term effects of three types of arable field management (conventional farming, organic farming, and bio-dynamic farming) on three farms in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein, Northern Germany. We collected data on above-ground plant communities and seed banks and analyzed them with regards to the impact of the farming system and their position in the field using nonmetric multi-dimensional scaling (NMDS) and linear mixed effects models (LME) combined with ANOVA and Tukey contrast tests. Plants in organically or bio-dynamically managed fields differed in their composition and traits from those occurring in conventionally managed fields, i.e., they showed a preference for higher temperatures and were dominated by insect-pollinated species. While conventional farming had negative effects on vegetation and the seed bank, organic and bio-dynamic farms had neutral or slightly positive effects on both. This highlights the potential of the latter two to conserve species even in an intensively managed landscape. In addition, this may halt or even reverse the decrease in arthropod, bird, and mammal species, since agrestal plants constitute an important component of food-webs in agricultural landscapes.

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