scholarly journals Turning old foes into new allies – harnessing drainage canals for biodiversity conservation in desiccated novel ecosystems

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Csaba Tölgyesi ◽  
Attila Torma ◽  
Zoltán Bátori ◽  
Jelena Šeat ◽  
Miloš Popović ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Nature Conservation ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Novel Ecosystems ◽  
List Type ◽  
Conservation Value ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Drainage Canals

AbstractDrainage canals are ubiquitous components of agricultural landscapes worldwide. Although canals have greatly contributed to biodiversity loss by desiccating wetlands, they have recently attracted conservation attention due to their potential to function as refugia for native wetland-dependent species in intensively managed landscapes. However, their conservation role in complex landscapes comprising a mosaic of agricultural and desiccated semi-natural habitats, on which canals still pose a heavy burden, is unknown. Improved understanding of drainage canals and related biodiversity in these landscapes could help unlock their potential and support synergistic land management for nature conservation and water management.We applied a multitaxon approach, including plants, butterflies, true bugs, spiders and birds, to (1) assess the conservation value of drainage canals in a heavily drained European lowland region, (2) to test landscape-level and local canal parameters for aiding prioritization among canal types, and (3) to propose a reconciliation-based management framework that suits the interest of all stakeholders.We found that drainage canals concentrate more species across most taxa than adjacent semi-natural habitats, owing to the micro-environmental heterogeneity and the comparatively low management intensity in the canals. The species-concentrating capacity is particularly high in canals that traverse semi-natural habitats, although agricultural canals also support remarkable species diversity. However, agricultural canals are important dispersal corridors for invasive plants, which may negatively affect native species. Canal size has little effect on biodiversity but habitat stress is an important determinant. The higher the stress (due to sandiness and salinity), the higher is the added value of canals to landscape-wide biodiversity.Synthesis and applicationsWe provide evidence that drainage canals can harbour surprisingly high levels of biodiversity and should therefore be recognized as important novel ecosystems with high conservation value, even within semi-natural habitats. Canals have previously been considered detrimental to nature conservation due to their association with loss of wetlands. However, by reducing water loss with reversible obstructions, controlling invasive species and applying specific conservation measures, they may be turned into conservation allies without compromising long-term interests of water management and agricultural land use.

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

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.

scholarly journals Direct pesticide exposure of insects in nature conservation areas in Germany

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carsten A. Brühl ◽  
Nikita Bakanov ◽  
Sebastian Köthe ◽  
Lisa Eichler ◽  
Martin Sorg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nature Conservation ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Trace Element Analysis ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Insect Fauna ◽  
Conventional Agriculture ◽  
Pesticides Residues

AbstractIn Germany, the decline of insect biomass was observed in nature conservation areas in agricultural landscapes. One of the main causal factors discussed is the use of synthetic pesticides in conventional agriculture. In a Germany-wide field study, we collected flying insects using Malaise traps in nature conservation areas adjacent to agricultural land. We used a multi-component chemical trace element analysis to detect 92 common agricultural pesticides in ethanol from insect traps sampled in May and August 2020. In total, residues of 47 current use pesticides were detected, and insect samples were on average contaminated with 16.7 pesticides. Residues of the herbicides metolachlor-S, prosulfocarb and terbuthylazine, and the fungicides azoxystrobin and fluopyram were recorded at all sites. The neonicotinoid thiacloprid was detected in 16 of 21 nature conservation areas, most likely due to final use before an EU-wide ban. A change in residue mixture composition was noticeable due to higher herbicide use in spring and increasing fungicide applications in summer. The number of substances of recorded residues is related to the proportion of agricultural production area in a radius of 2000 m. Therefore, a drastic pesticide reduction in large buffers around nature conservation areas is necessary to avoid contamination of their insect fauna.

scholarly journals Organic farming expansion drives natural enemy abundance not diversity in agricultural landscapes

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucile Muneret ◽  
Arthur Auriol ◽  
Olivier Bonnard ◽  
Sylvie Richart-Cervera ◽  
Denis Thiéry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Organic Farming ◽  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Natural Enemy ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
List Type ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Ecological Intensification

AbstractOrganic farming is seen as a prototype of ecological intensification able to conciliate crop productivity and biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes. However, how natural enemies, an important functional group supporting pest control services, respond to organic farming at different scales and in different landscape contexts remain unclear.Using a hierarchical design within a vineyard-dominated region located in southwestern France, we examine the independent effects of organic farming and semi-natural habitats at the local and landscape scales on natural enemies.We show that the proportion of organic farming is a stronger driver of species abundance than the proportion of semi-natural habitats and is an important facet of landscape heterogeneity shaping natural enemy assemblages. Although our study highlight a strong taxonomic group-dependency about the effect of organic farming, organic farming benefits to dominant species while rare species occur at the same frequency in the two farming systems.Independently of farming systems, enhancing field age, reducing crop productivity, soil tillage intensity and pesticide use are key management options to increase natural enemy biodiversity.Synthesis and Applications. Our study indicates that policies promoting the expansion of organic farming will benefit more to ecological intensification strategies seeking to enhance ecosystem services than to biodiversity conservation.

Conflicts caused by afforestations of agricultural land in densely populated areas

1991 ◽  
Vol 56 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Lust ◽  
B. Muys
Keyword(s):  
Nature Conservation ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Agricultural Lands ◽  
Biological Value ◽  
Ecological Problems ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Points Of View

In  densely populated areas, such as Flanders, serious conflicts arise due to the  afforestation of agricultural lands. Roughly speaking, three sectors are  involved: agriculture, forestry and nature conservation. These groups do not  always share the same points of view. But even within the different sectors  there are several subgroups with their own interests and approaches.  Generally speaking, agriculture is strongly opposed, forestry has a  relatively diversified meaning, whereas nature conservation is either opposed  or in favour, depending on the region's biological value.     The policy in this matter is not forest friendly. Legislation strongly  hampers the afforestation of agricultural lands. Moreover the subject leads  to a series of ecological problems, which have not really been considered up  to now.

Novel ecosystems

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Hobbs
Keyword(s):  
Review Process ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Novel Ecosystems ◽  
Conservation Value ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Hard Time

This chapter relates the story of the development of recent ideas relating to ecosystems that are greatly modified by environmental and biological changes. Originally such ecosystems were given attention simply because they were an understudied set of systems that could teach us about how ecological communities assemble and reassemble. However, as the widespread prevalence of such “novel ecosystems” became obvious, some data suggested they could deliver important ecosystem functions. This led to a debate regarding the values, management, and restoration of altered ecosystems. The original papers had a hard time in the review process, and debate has, at times, been rancorous. However, many practitioners and ecologists now find the concept of novel ecosystems useful, and the possibility of their conservation value worth investigating.

scholarly journals Are Large Carnivores the Real Issue? Solutions for Improving Conflict Management through Stakeholder Participation

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4482
Author(s):  
Valeria Salvatori ◽  
Estelle Balian ◽  
Juan Carlos Blanco ◽  
Xavier Carbonell ◽  
Paolo Ciucci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stakeholder Participation ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Large Carnivores ◽  
Societal Issues ◽  
Everyday Activities ◽  
Management Interventions ◽  
Species Expansion ◽  
General Scope

Social conflicts around large carnivores are increasing in Europe, often associated to the species expansion into human-modified and agricultural landscapes. Large carnivores can be seen as an added value by some but as a source of difficulties by others, depending on different values, attitudes, livelihoods, and everyday activities. Therefore, the effective involvement of the different interest groups is important to identify and shape tailored solutions that can potentially be implemented, complementing top-down approaches that might, on their own, result in lack of implementation and buy-in. To improve dialogue in conflictual situations, as part of a European project promoted by the European Parliament, we assessed the practical implementation of participatory processes in three sample areas in Europe where wolves and bears have recently been increasingly impacting human activities. Our results demonstrate that collaboration among different and generally contrasting groups is possible. Even in situations where large-carnivore impacts were seen as unsatisfactorily managed for many years, people were still willing and eager to be involved in alternative discussion processes hoping this would lead to concrete solutions. An important and common highlight among the three study areas was that all the management interventions agreed upon shared the general scope of improving the conditions of the groups most impacted by large carnivores. The process showed the importance of building trust and supporting dialogue for knowledge co-production and mitigation of conflicts between stakeholders and that controversial environmental issues have the potential to trigger a meaningful dialogue about broader societal issues. The direct involvement and support of competent authorities, as well as the upscaling of this process at larger administrative and social scales, remain important challenges.

scholarly journals Predation on Drosophila suzukii within Hedges in the Agricultural Landscape

Insects ◽  
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.

scholarly journals Family graveyards form underappreciated local plant diversity hotspots in China's agricultural landscapes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng Gong ◽  
Liangtao Li ◽  
Jan C. Axmarcher ◽  
Zhenrong Yu ◽  
Yunhui Liu
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Landscape Features ◽  
Habitat Islands ◽  
Local Plant ◽  
Ecological Functioning

AbstractIn the intensively farmed, homogenous agricultural landscape of the North China Plain, family graveyards form distinct cultural landscape features. In addition to their cultural value, these graveyards represent semi-natural habitat islands whose potential roles in biodiversity conservation and ecological functioning has remained poorly understood. In this study, we investigated plant species richness on 199 family graveyards of different ages and sizes. In accordance with biogeography theory, both overall and insect-pollinated plant species richness increased with area and age of graveyards. Even small graveyards show a strong potential for conserving local plant richness, and a mosaic of both large and small family graveyards could play an important role in the conservation of farmland biodiversity and related ecosystem functions. The launch of agri-environmental measures that conserve and create semi-natural habitats, in turn benefitting agricultural biodiversity and ecological functioning, has proven difficult in China due to the shortage of dispensable arable land. Given the great value of family graveyards as semi-natural habitats reflected in our study, we propose to focus preliminary efforts on conserving these landscape features as existing, widespread and culturally important semi-natural habitat islands. This would represent an effective, complementary policy to a subsequent re-establishment of other semi-natural habitats for the conservation of biodiversity and ecological functioning in agricultural landscapes.

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