scholarly journals Temporal resource continuity increases predator abundance in a metapopulation model: insights for conservation and biocontrol

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian J. Spiesman ◽  
Benjamin Iuliano ◽  
Claudio Gratton
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Landscape Heterogeneity ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
Metapopulation Model ◽  
Biological Pest Control ◽  
Temporal Variance ◽  
Basal Resources ◽  
Predator Abundance

AbstractThe amount of habitat in a landscape is an important metric for evaluating the effects of land cover and land use on biodiversity and ecosystem services, yet it fails to capture complex temporal dimensions of resource availability that could be consequential for species population dynamics. If ephemeral resources across multiple habitat patches are synchronously available, resource gaps could be detrimental to population growth. In contrast, asynchronously available resources create a mosaic of temporally complementary resources that mobile organisms can track across the landscape. Knowledge is especially lacking on the relevance of temporal complementation for tri-trophic interactions and biological pest control. Here we use a spatially-explicit predator-prey metapopulation model to test the effect of different spatiotemporal resource patterns on insect predators and their prey. We examined prey and predator responses in model landscapes that varied in both the amount and temporal variability of basal vegetation resources. Further, we examined cases where prey comprised either a single generalist species or two specialist species that use different resources available either early or late in the growing season. We found that predators and generalist prey benefitted from lower temporal variance of basal resources, which increased both of their landscape-scale abundances. However, increasing the amount of basal resources also increased the variability of generalist prey populations, resulting in a negative correlation between basal resource amount and predator abundance. Specialist prey, on the other hand, did not benefit from less temporally variable in basal resources, since they were restricted by habitat type while also suffering greater predation. Predators feeding on specialists achieved greater prey suppression in landscapes with less temporally variable resources. Our simulations demonstrate the joint importance of landscape-scale temporal dynamics of resources and resource amount in understanding how landscape heterogeneity influences biodiversity and ecosystem services such as the biological control of agricultural pests.

scholarly journals Temporal Resource Continuity Increases Predator Abundance in a Metapopulation Model: Insights for Conservation and Biocontrol

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 479
Author(s):  
Brian Spiesman ◽  
Benjamin Iuliano ◽  
Claudio Gratton
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Variability ◽  
Landscape Heterogeneity ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Habitat Specialization ◽  
Agricultural Pests ◽  
Metapopulation Model ◽  
Generalist Species ◽  
Temporal Variance ◽  
Basal Resources ◽  
Temporal Dimensions

The amount of habitat in a landscape is an important metric for evaluating the effects of land cover on biodiversity, yet it fails to capture complex temporal dimensions of resource availability that could be consequential for species population dynamics. Here, we use a spatially-explicit predator–prey metapopulation model to test the effect of different spatiotemporal resource patterns on insect predators and their prey. We examined population responses in model landscapes that varied in both the amount and temporal variability of basal vegetation. Further, we examined cases where prey comprised either a single generalist species or two specialist species that use different resources available either early or late in the growing season. We found that predators and generalist prey benefitted from lower temporal variance of basal resources, which increased landscape-scale abundances. However, increasing the amount of basal resources also increased the variability of generalist prey populations. Specialist prey, on the other hand, did not benefit from less temporally variable basal resources, as they were restricted by habitat type, while also suffering greater predation. Predators achieved greater prey suppression in landscapes with less temporally variable resources, but the overall effects on prey abundance depended on prey habitat specialization. Our simulations demonstrate the joint importance of both the amount and temporal variability of resources for understanding how landscape heterogeneity influences biodiversity and ecosystem services such as the biological control of agricultural pests.

scholarly journals Governance of Ecosystem Services in Agroecology: When Coordination is Needed but Difficult to Achieve

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Salliou ◽  
Roldan Muradian ◽  
Cécile Barnaud
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Pest Control ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
Pesticide Use ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Biological Pest Control ◽  
Coordination Strategies

Transitioning towards agroecology involves the integration of biodiversity based ecosystem services into farming systems: for example, relying on biological pest control rather than pesticides. One promising approach for pest control relies on the conservation of semi-natural habitats at the landscape scale to encourage natural enemies of insect pests. However, this approach may require coordination between farmers to manage the interdependencies between the providers and beneficiaries of this ecosystem service. The main objective of this study was to identify hindrances to landscape-scale coordination strategies to control pests. To this end, we used a theoretical framework specifically designed to explore social interdependencies linked to ecosystem services. We applied this framework to a participatory research case study on pest control in apple orchards in southwest France to identify and describe key obstacles. We found four main impediments: (1) The perception of most stakeholders that the landscape does not deliver significant pest control services, (2) the challenge of coping with agroecological uncertainties, (3) an integrated vertical supply chain focused on pesticide use, (4) the existence of independent, non-collective alternatives. We discuss the potential of overcoming these obstacles or turning them into opportunities that promote a transition to agroecology and the integration of ecosystem services in farms and their supply chains.

scholarly journals Spatiotemporal Variation in Ecosystem Services and Their Drivers among Different Landscape Heterogeneity Units and Terrain Gradients in the Southern Hill and Mountain Belt, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1375
Author(s):  
Liang-Jie Wang ◽  
Shuai Ma ◽  
Jiang Jiang ◽  
Yu-Guo Zhao ◽  
Jin-Chi Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Soil Conservation ◽  
Net Primary Productivity ◽  
Landscape Heterogeneity ◽  
Driving Factors ◽  
Water Yield ◽  
Invest Model ◽  
Casa Model ◽  
Mountain Belt ◽  
Integrated Valuation

Understanding the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of ecosystem services (ESs) and their drivers in mountainous areas is important for sustainable ecosystem management. However, the effective construction of landscape heterogeneous units (LHUs) to reflect the spatial characteristics of ESs remains to be studied. The southern hill and mountain belt (SHMB) is a typical mountainous region in China, with undulating terrain and obvious spatial heterogeneity of ESs, and was selected as the study area. In this study, we used the fuzzy k-means (FKM) algorithm to establish LHUs. Three major ESs (water yield, net primary productivity (NPP), and soil conservation) in 2000 and 2015 were quantified using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model and Carnegie Ames-Stanford approach (CASA) model. Then, we explored the spatial variation in ESs along terrain gradients and LHUs. Correlation analysis was used to analyze the driving factors of ESs in each terrain region and LHU. The results showed that altitude and terrain niche increased along LHUs. Water yield and soil conservation increased from 696.86 mm and 3920.19 t/km2 to 1061.12 mm and 5117.90 t/km2, respectively, while NPP decreased from 666.95 gC/m2 to 648.86 gC/m2. The ESs in different LHUs differed greatly. ESs increased first and then decreased along LHUs in 2000. In 2015, water yield decreased along LHUs, while NPP and soil conservation showed a fluctuating trend. Water yield was mainly affected by precipitation, temperature and NDVI were the main drivers of NPP, and soil conservation was greatly affected by precipitation and slope. The driving factors of the same ES were different in different terrain areas and LHUs. The variation and driving factors of ESs in LHUs were similar to some terrain gradients. To some extent, LHUs can represent multiple terrain features. This study can provide important support for mountain ecosystem zoning management and decision-making.

scholarly journals Species Richness of Breeding Birds at a Landscape Scale: Which Habitat Type is the Most Important?

2006 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piotr Skórka ◽  
Rafał martyka ◽  
Joanna D. Wójcik
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
Breeding Birds

Data from the study: Strong temporal dynamics of ecosystem services through succession

JYX ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Triviño ◽  
Louise Mair ◽  
Tord Snäll ◽  
Jon Moen ◽  
Jan Bengtsson
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Temporal Dynamics

scholarly journals Scale-dependent environmental filtering of ground-dwelling predators in winter wheat and adjacent set-aside areas in Hungary

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 751-763
Author(s):  
Jana Růžičková ◽  
Ferenc Kádár ◽  
Ottó Szalkovszki ◽  
Anikó Kovács-Hostyánszki ◽  
András Báldi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Environmental Filtering ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
Dispersal Ability ◽  
Field Scale ◽  
Wheat Field ◽  
Activity Density

Abstract Agricultural intensification may act as an environmental filter shaping invertebrate assemblages at multiple spatial scales. However, it is not fully understood which scale is the most influential. Therefore, we utilized a hierarchical approach to examine the effect of local management (inorganic fertilization and soil properties; within-field scale), habitat type (winter wheat field and set-aside field; between-field scale) and landscape complexity (landscape scale) on assemblage structure and functional diversity of two important groups of natural enemies, carabids and spiders, in a cultivated lowland landscape in Hungary. Environmental filtering affected natural enemies at different spatial scales; likely as a result of enemies’ different dispersal ability and sensitivity to fertilizer use. Carabids were strongly affected at the within-field scale: positively by soil pH, negatively by soil organic matter and fertilization. At the between-field scale, carabids had higher activity density in the set-aside fields than in the winter wheat fields and simple landscapes enhanced carabids diversity, species richness and activity density at the landscape scale. Spiders were more abundant and species-rich in the set-aside fields than in the winter wheat fields. Although highly mobile (macropterous) carabids might disperse to arable crops from greater distances, while spiders possibly depended more on the proximity of set-aside fields, the winter wheat fields (where pest control should be delivered) were utilized mostly by common agrobiont species. Increasing crop heterogeneity within arable fields could be a potential option to increase the diversity of carabids and spiders in the studied region.

scholarly journals Assessing bundles of ecosystem services from regional to landscape scale: insights from the French Alps

2015 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 1145-1155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilie Crouzat ◽  
Maud Mouchet ◽  
Francis Turkelboom ◽  
Coline Byczek ◽  
Jeroen Meersmans ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
French Alps

scholarly journals Exotic earthworm (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae) assemblages on a landscape scale in central Canadian woodlands: importance of region and vegetation type

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (7) ◽  
pp. 935-945 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Choi ◽  
Tara E. Sackett ◽  
Sandy M. Smith ◽  
M. Isabel Bellocq
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Forest Restoration ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Soil Characteristics ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
Assemblage Composition ◽  
Earthworm Species ◽  
South Central

A growing understanding about the impacts of earthworms (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae) on ecosystem processes and forest restoration necessitates an examination of their role in Canadian forests where they have become invasive. Little is known about the landscape-scale responses of earthworm populations to different regional characteristics and vegetation types within Canada’s central woodlands. We examined the regional variation of earthworm species richness, biomass, and assemblage composition across a range of four municipal regions (from south to north: Halton, Wellington, York, and Simcoe) and four habitat types (deciduous forest, mixed forest, tree plantation, and meadow) with varying soil characteristics in woodlands of south-central Ontario, Canada. In general, earthworm communities differed by region but not by habitat type. The most southern regions supported the highest earthworm species richness, biomass (i.e., Lumbricus and Octolasion), and density, and this was associated with a south–north gradient in soil characteristics. Assemblage composition differed by region but not by habitat type. The observed south–north gradient suggests an underlying effect of invasion spread associated with human settlement and density. Our results provide baseline information about earthworm communities in south-central Ontario forests and will enable managers to plan for the increasing role of earthworms in Canada’s future forests.

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