Effects of perennial wildflower strips and landscape structure on birds in intensively farmed agricultural landscapes

The landscape is considered a strategic asset by the Tuscan regional government, also for its economic role, meaning that a specific Landscape Plan has been developed, dividing the region into 20 Landscape Units and representing the main planning instrument at the regional level. Following the aims of the Landscape Plan and the guidelines of the European Landscape Convention, it is necessary to develop an adequate assessment of the landscape, evaluating the main typologies and their characteristics. The aim of this research is to carry out an assessment of the landscape diversity in Tuscany based on 20 study areas, analyzing land uses and landscape mosaic structures through the application of landscape metrics: number of land uses, mean patch size (MPS), Hill’s diversity number, edge density (ED), patch density (PD), land use diversity (LUD). The results highlight a correlation between the landscape typologies (forest, agricultural, mixed, periurban) and the complexity of the landscape structure, especially in relation to MPS and PD, while the combination of PD and LUD calculated on the basis of a hexagonal grid allows obtaining landscape complexity maps. Despite the phenomena of reforestation and urban sprawl of recent decades, Tuscany still preserves different landscape typologies characterized by a good level of complexity. This is particularly evident in mixed landscapes, while agricultural landscapes have a larger variability because of different historical land organization forms. The methodology applied in this study provided a large amount of data about land uses and the landscape mosaic structure and complexity and proved to be effective in assessing the landscape structure and in creating a database that can represent a baseline for future monitoring.

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How landscape structure, land-use intensity and habitat diversity affect components of total arthropod diversity in agricultural landscapes

Journal of Applied Ecology ◽

10.1111/j.1365-2664.2006.01270.x ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 44 (2) ◽

pp. 340-351 ◽

Cited By ~ 332

Author(s):

FREDERIK HENDRICKX ◽

JEAN-PIERRE MAELFAIT ◽

WALTER VAN WINGERDEN ◽

OLIVER SCHWEIGER ◽

MARJAN SPEELMANS ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Landscape Structure ◽

Habitat Diversity ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Land Use Intensity ◽

Arthropod Diversity

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Functional types of agricultural landscapes, peculiarities of their mapping

Visnyk of the Lviv University. Series Geography ◽

10.30970/vgg.2014.48.1352 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 280-291

Author(s):

Halyna Pylypenko ◽

Oksana Tsurkan

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Key Words ◽

Landscape Structure ◽

Formal Solution ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Gis Technologies ◽

Functional Types

A formal solution of applied agrolandscape maps’ preparation using GIS-technologies on example of agrolandscape is presented. Four types of agro landscapes are featured taking into consideration landscape structure of territory and features of land use. A new format of disclosing agrolandscape map content is offered. Key words: steppe agrolandscape, nature-comfortable, adapted-balanced, inert-depressive, stressed-unbalanced types of agrolandscape structures.

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More pests but less treatments: ambivalent effect of landscape complexity on Conservation Biological Control

10.1101/2021.03.19.436155 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Patrizia Zamberletti ◽

Khadija Sabir ◽

Thomas Opitz ◽

Olivier Bonnefon ◽

Edith Gabriel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biological Control ◽

Landscape Structure ◽

Agricultural Landscape ◽

Multiple Scales ◽

Conservation Biological Control ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Predator Population ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Landscape Complexity ◽

Spatio Temporal

AbstractIn agricultural landscapes, the amount and organization of crops and semi-natural habitats (SNH) have the potential to promote a bundle of ecosystem services due to their influence on ecological community at multiple spatio-temporal scales. SNH are relatively undisturbed and are often source of complementary resources and refuges, supporting more diverse and abundant natural pest enemies. However, the nexus of SNH proportion and organization with pest suppression is not trivial. It is thus crucial to understand how the behavior of pest and auxiliary species, the underlying landscape structure, and their interaction may influence conservation biological control (CBC). Here, we develop a generative stochastic landscape model to simulate realistic agricultural landscape compositions and configurations of fields and linear elements. Generated landscapes are used as spatial support over which we simulate a spatially explicit predator-prey dynamic model. We find that SNH boost predator population, but predator movement from hedges to fields is fundamental for an efficient pest regulation by auxiliaries and to decrease pesticide treatments. Moreover landscape elements may lead to different effects on pest reduction depending on the considered scale. Integration of species behaviors and traits with landscape structure at multiple scales are needed to provide useful insights for CBC.

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Context matters: the landscape matrix determines the population genetic structure of temperate forest herbs across Europe

Landscape Ecology ◽

10.1007/s10980-021-01376-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tobias Naaf ◽

Jannis Till Feigs ◽

Siyu Huang ◽

Jörg Brunet ◽

Sara A. O. Cousins ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Flow ◽

Landscape Structure ◽

Population Genetic ◽

Temperate Forest ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Plant Populations ◽

Landscape Elements ◽

Forest Herbs ◽

Species Population ◽

Linear Landscape Elements

Abstract Context Plant populations in agricultural landscapes are mostly fragmented and their functional connectivity often depends on seed and pollen dispersal by animals. However, little is known about how the interactions of seed and pollen dispersers with the agricultural matrix translate into gene flow among plant populations. Objectives We aimed to identify effects of the landscape structure on the genetic diversity within, and the genetic differentiation among, spatially isolated populations of three temperate forest herbs. We asked, whether different arable crops have different effects, and whether the orientation of linear landscape elements relative to the gene dispersal direction matters. Methods We analysed the species’ population genetic structures in seven agricultural landscapes across temperate Europe using microsatellite markers. These were modelled as a function of landscape composition and configuration, which we quantified in buffer zones around, and in rectangular landscape strips between, plant populations. Results Landscape effects were diverse and often contrasting between species, reflecting their association with different pollen- or seed dispersal vectors. Differentiating crop types rather than lumping them together yielded higher proportions of explained variation. Some linear landscape elements had both a channelling and hampering effect on gene flow, depending on their orientation. Conclusions Landscape structure is a more important determinant of the species’ population genetic structure than habitat loss and fragmentation per se. Landscape planning with the aim to enhance the functional connectivity among spatially isolated plant populations should consider that even species of the same ecological guild might show distinct responses to the landscape structure.

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Estimating landscape structure effects on pollination for management of agricultural landscapes

Ecological Processes ◽

10.1186/s13717-021-00331-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ehsan Rahimi ◽

Shahindokht Barghjelveh ◽

Pinliang Dong

Keyword(s):

Forest Fragmentation ◽

Landscape Structure ◽

Crop Production ◽

Agricultural Landscape ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Unit Area ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Edge Density ◽

Forest Patches ◽

New Forest

Abstract Background The growing human population around the world is creating an increased demand for food. In agricultural landscapes, forests are cleared and turned into agricultural land to produce more food. Increasing the productivity of agricultural land per unit area may prevent extreme forest degradation. Since many agricultural products are dependent on pollinators, it is possible to increase crop production by increasing the pollination rate in the agricultural landscapes. Pollinators are highly dependent on forest patches in agricultural landscapes. Therefore, by creating new forest patches around agricultural fields, we can increase the pollination rate, and thus the crop production. In this regard, estimating the effects of different scenarios of forest fragmentation helps us to find an optimized pattern of forest patches for increasing pollination in an agricultural landscape. Methods To investigate the effect of different forest fragmentation scenarios on pollination, we used simulated agricultural landscapes, including different forest proportions and degrees of fragmentation. Using landscape metrics, we estimated the relationship between pollination and landscape structure for each landscape. Results Our results showed that for increasing pollination, two significant factors should be considered: habitat amount and capacity of small patches to supply pollination. We found that when the capacity of small patches in supplying pollination was low, fragmented patterns of forest patches decreased pollination. With increasing capacity, landscapes with a high degree of forest fragmentation showed the highest levels of pollination. There was an exception for habitat amounts (the proportion of forest patches) less than 0.1 of the entire landscape where increasing edge density, aggregation, and the number of forest patches resulted in increasing pollination in all scenarios. Conclusion This study encourages agriculturists and landscape planners to focus on increasing crop production per unit area by pollinators because it leads to biodiversity conservation and reduces socio-economic costs of land-use changes. We also suggest that to increase pollination in agricultural landscapes by creating new forest patches, special attention should be paid to the capacity of patches in supporting pollinators.

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Effects of landscape structure on genetic diversity of Geum urbanum L. populations in agricultural landscapes

Flora ◽

10.1016/j.flora.2008.07.005 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 204 (7) ◽

pp. 549-559 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Torsten Schmidt ◽

Paul Arens ◽

Marinus J.M. Smulders ◽

Regula Billeter ◽

Jaan Liira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Landscape Structure ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Geum Urbanum

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Scale-dependent importance of environment, land use and landscape structure for species richness and composition of SE Norwegian modern agricultural landscapes

Landscape Ecology ◽

10.1007/s10980-006-0005-z ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 21 (7) ◽

pp. 969-987 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

Rune H. Økland ◽

Harald Bratli ◽

Wenche E. Dramstad ◽

Anette Edvardsen ◽

Gunnar Engan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Species Richness ◽

Landscape Structure ◽

Agricultural Landscapes

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Evaluating the Potential of Landscape Metrics in Supporting Landscape Planning in Atlantic Forest

International Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Information Systems ◽

10.4018/jaeis.2013010104 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 55-67 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ana Paula Dias Turetta ◽

Rachel Bardy Prado ◽

Gustavo de Souza Valladares

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Landscape Metrics ◽

Landscape Structure ◽

Landscape Planning ◽

Principal Component ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Forest Patches ◽

Dominant Component ◽

A Site

The landscapes are highly dependent on the dynamics of local land use and land cover, which directly affects landscape structure and determines the spatial patterns of forest patches, as well as to the major land uses within a specific region. The calculation of landscape metrics can support the understanding of such spatial distribution. In this study, 16 landscape metrics were analyzed in a drainage watershed in a high relief region in the Rio de Janeiro state, Southeastern Brazil, with the aim to evaluate the use of landscape metrics as indicators for agricultural management. Metrics calculation was followed by a Principal Component Analysis, which indicated the metrics that were most effective in evidencing the landscape structure in analysis. The results showed that the late-succession forest is the dominant component in the landscape. This class also presented the highest MPS metric value, related to the mean patch size by class. Some PCA results suggest that the metrics association was less effective in clustering the overgrown pasture, clean pasture, and annual crops classes, but this could result from the intrinsic association among those classes, by crop rotation, meaning the abandon of a site formerly occupied by an annual crop. Some metrics better suggested an interaction among land use classes and have potential to be use in the analyses of agricultural landscapes in high relief sites.

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Multi-temporal analysis of an agricultural landscape transformation and abandonment (Lubietová, Central Slovakia)

Open Geosciences ◽

10.1515/geo-2015-0055 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Matej Masný ◽

Lubica Zaušková

Keyword(s):

Landscape Structure ◽

Patch Size ◽

Agricultural Landscape ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Biosphere Reserve ◽

Temporal Analysis ◽

Shape Index ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Agricultural Abandonment ◽

Size Standard

AbstractSocio-political changes in the countries of Eastern and Central Europe in the era of socialism had significant effects on agricultural landscape. Collectivisation (1950 - 1970) lost almost all of traditional agricultural landscapes. On the other hand, the phenomenon of agricultural abandonment started to be significant after 1989. In the model area (part of The Polana Biosphere Reserve) these two processes that formed the agricultural landscape structure were analysed. The analyses were carried out using orthophotos that represented the landscape structure in 1949, 1986 and 2006. It was found that almost complete extinction of the traditional agricultural landscape represented by a mosaic of narrow fields and permanent grasslands occurred during the period. At the same time, increasing trend of abandonment processes was observed. In 2006, non-forestwoody vegetation covered 48% of agricultural land.Natural reforestation as the final stage of agricultural abandonment extended to 46% on the former agricultural land in 2006. Abandonment processes were the most significant already in the period of socialist agriculture. To describe the changes, landscape metrics such as Number of patches (NP), Mean patch size (MPS), Patch size standard deviation (PSSD) and Mean shape index (MSI) were used.

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