Landscape-scale drivers of mammalian species richness and functional diversity in forest patches within a mixed land-use mosaic

Abstract Both field- and landscape-scale factors can influence the predator communities of agricultural pests, but the relative importance and interactions between these scales are poorly understood. Focusing on spiders, an important taxon for providing biological control, we tested the influence of field- and landscape-scale factors on structuring the spider communities in a highly dynamic brassica agroecosystem. We found that local factors (pesticide-use and crop type) and forested landscape significantly influenced the abundance and species richness of spiders, whilst grassland patches significantly affected the spider species richness. Correlation results demonstrated that assemblage patterns of most spider families positively responded to the interplay between local factors and forest patches in the landscape. The spiders abundance was greatest in cauliflower crops surrounded with forest and grassland patches in landscape. Similarly, ordination analyses revealed that organic fields of cauliflower in forested landscapes had a strong positive association with the abundance and species richness of spiders. In contrast, insecticide and synthetic fertilizer-treated fields of Chinese cabbage in landscapes with little non-crop habitat reduced the abundance and species richness of spiders. Our results highlight the extent of interaction between local- and landscape-scale factors, help explain recently reported inconsistent effects of landscape factors on conservation biological control.

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Local versus landscape-scale effects of anthropogenic land-use on forest species richness

Acta Oecologica ◽

10.1016/j.actao.2017.12.002 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 86 ◽

pp. 49-56 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

G. Buffa ◽

S. Del Vecchio ◽

E. Fantinato ◽

V. Milano

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Species Richness ◽

Scale Effects ◽

Landscape Scale ◽

Forest Species ◽

Anthropogenic Land Use

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A multi-taxa functional diversity assessment of the effects of eco-estate development in the mixed land-use mosaic of the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, South Africa

Landscape and Urban Planning ◽

10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.103650 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 192 ◽

pp. 103650 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jarryd Alexander ◽

David A. Ehlers Smith ◽

Yvette C. Ehlers Smith ◽

Colleen T. Downs

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Land Use ◽

Functional Diversity ◽

North Coast ◽

Diversity Assessment ◽

Kwazulu Natal ◽

Mixed Land Use

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Spatial and land‐use determinants of bat species richness, functional diversity, and site uniqueness throughout the largest Tropical country, Brazil

Mammal Review ◽

10.1111/mam.12279 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Juliano A. Bogoni ◽

Vítor Carvalho‐Rocha ◽

Pedro Giovâni Silva

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Species Richness ◽

Functional Diversity ◽

Tropical Country

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effects of extensive grazing on the vegetation of a landscape-scale restoration site

European Journal of Ecology ◽

10.17161/eurojecol.v7i2.15606 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Peter Stroh ◽

John Bragg ◽

Peter Carey ◽

Carol Laidlaw ◽

Martin Lester ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Species Richness ◽

Plant Species ◽

Vegetation Structure ◽

Habitat Restoration ◽

Vascular Plant ◽

Arable Land ◽

Species Traits ◽

Landscape Scale ◽

N Fertility

The Wicken Fen Vision (Cambridgeshire, UK) is a landscape-scale habitat restoration project that uses process-driven, open-ended approaches to develop habitats on highly degraded and drained peat soils of former intensive arable land. The project land is extensively grazed with herds of free-roaming, minimally managed herds of Highland cattle and Konik horses. In one 119 ha area, seven 25m x 25 m grazing exclosures were erected and vascular plant species were recorded from 2007 to 2017. Plant species data were analysed to (1) compare changes in plant species composition and diversity in grazed and ungrazed areas; (2) use plant species traits and plant-environment associations to explore the nature of changes in plant composition; (3) use remote sensing to explore changes in vegetation structure; (4) examine the influence of land use histories on grazing outcomes in different parts of the site.There was a clear divergence through time between grazed and ungrazed areas, attributed to significantly greater canopy height, Ellenberg L (Light) and Ellenberg N (fertility) values within the exclosures. Species richness was significantly higher in grazed compared with ungrazed areas and species assemblages separated through the study period. After ten years, extensive free-roaming grazing has had significant impacts on vegetation structure and species richness but effects varied across the study site because of differing historical land use.

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Present and historical landscape structure shapes current species richness in Central European grasslands

Landscape Ecology ◽

10.1007/s10980-021-01392-7 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Pascal Scherreiks ◽

Martin M. Gossner ◽

Didem Ambarlı ◽

Manfred Ayasse ◽

Nico Blüthgen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Species Richness ◽

Functional Groups ◽

Landscape Structure ◽

Landscape Scale ◽

Buffer Zones ◽

Historical Landscape ◽

Total Species Richness ◽

Time Periods ◽

Current Species

Abstract Context Current diversity and species composition of ecological communities can often not exclusively be explained by present land use and landscape structure. Historical land use may have considerably influenced ecosystems and their properties for decades and centuries. Objectives We analysed the effects of present and historical landscape structure on plant and arthropod species richness in temperate grasslands, using data from comprehensive plant and arthropod assessments across three regions in Germany and maps of current and historical land cover from three time periods between 1820 and 2016. Methods We calculated local, grassland class and landscape scale metrics for 150 grassland plots. Class and landscape scale metrics were calculated in buffer zones of 100 to 2000 m around the plots. We considered effects on total species richness as well as on the richness of species subsets determined by taxonomy and functional traits related to habitat use, dispersal and feeding. Results Overall, models containing a combination of present and historical landscape metrics showed the best fit for several functional groups. Comparing three historical time periods, data from the 1820/50s was among the most frequent significant time periods in our models (29.7% of all significant variables). Conclusions Our results suggest that the historical landscape structure is an important predictor of current species richness across different taxa and functional groups. This needs to be considered to better identify priority sites for conservation and to design biodiversity-friendly land use practices that will affect landscape structure in the future.

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