Responses of bats to landscape transformation in an Andean agricultural landscape

AbstractThe current debate on the future of biodiversity gives rise to the need to integrate agricultural landscapes into conservation strategies. Bats are an important component of vertebrate diversity in many terrestrial landscapes where they provide invaluable and important ecosystem services to human societies such as insect pest control, pollination and seed dispersal. Here we study bat diversity and abundance in three landscapes representing a transformational gradient (continuous forests, forest fragments and crops) in an Andean agricultural scenario known as Colombia’s “Coffee Cultural Landscape”. We captured 1146 bats from 32 species and 4 families. The bat diversity and abundance in this landscape were high, especially for frugivorous bats, but there were no differences among the three transformational landscapes. However, some species were captured differentially between landscapes, suggesting that these landscapes have characteristics that influence the relative abundance of bats. Additionally, body weight and sex affect the abundance of some species in forest fragments and crops.

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Investigating Bat Activity in Various Agricultural Landscapes in Northeastern United States

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12051959 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 1959

Author(s):

Katherine Harms ◽

Emmanuel Omondi ◽

Atanu Mukherjee

Keyword(s):

Insect Pest ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Land Use Management ◽

Tree Line ◽

Bat Activity ◽

Insect Pest Control ◽

Organic Systems ◽

Conventional Systems ◽

Organically Managed ◽

Monitoring Devices

Bats are estimated to provide between $3.7 and $53 billion annually in ecosystem services in the U.S.A. Determining how bats use land for foraging is important in planning agricultural landscapes to increase their presence and role in insect pest control. A research project was established in 2016 and 2017 to determine bat populations and activity differences between different land use management systems. Bat activity was monitored in 10 conventionally and organically managed systems in the presence of, and at a distance from the tree line. Two acoustic monitoring devices were used to record ultrasonic echolocation calls of bats. Organic systems without tree line had 67% and 45% greater bat passes than conventional systems without tree line as detected by the two devices. However, the conventional system with tree line had 61% and 59% greater bat passes than organic systems, attributed to known roosting sites in the area. Mean bat passes of 73.4 and 30 were recorded respectively at 15 m and 46 m from the tree line, suggesting that bats prefer to forage near tree lines likely to have greater access to roosting, food security, and habitation. This study confirms the importance of tree lines in impacting bat activity in conformity with past studies that reported similar results.

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

Journal of Insect Conservation ◽

10.1007/s10841-021-00363-2 ◽

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.

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Nocturnal pollinators strongly contribute to pollen transport of wild flowers in an agricultural landscape

Biology Letters ◽

10.1098/rsbl.2019.0877 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 (5) ◽

pp. 20190877 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Richard E. Walton ◽

Carl D. Sayer ◽

Helen Bennion ◽

Jan C. Axmacher

Keyword(s):

Agricultural Landscape ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Wild Plant ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Pollination Services ◽

Pollen Transport ◽

Plant Families ◽

Nocturnal Pollinators ◽

Flower Visiting ◽

Plant Pollinator

Dramatic declines in diurnal pollinators have created great scientific interest in plant–pollinator relationships and associated pollination services. Existing literature, however, is generally focused on diurnal pollinating insect taxa, especially on Apidae (Hymenoptera) and Syrphidae (Diptera) pollinators, while nocturnal macro-moths that comprise extremely species-rich flower-visiting families have been largely neglected. Here, we report that in agricultural landscapes, macro-moths can provide unique, highly complex pollen transport links, making them vital components of overall wild plant–pollinator networks in agro-ecosystems. Pollen transport occurred more frequently on the moths' ventral thorax rather than on their mouthparts that have been traditionally targeted for pollen swabbing. Pollen transport loads suggest that nocturnal moths contribute key pollination services for several wild plant families in agricultural landscapes, in addition to providing functional resilience to diurnal networks. Severe declines in richness and abundance of settling moth populations highlight the urgent need to include them in future management and conservation strategies within agricultural landscapes.

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Landscape heterogeneity of peasant-managed agricultural matrices

10.1101/668103 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ana L. Urrutia ◽

Cecilia González-González ◽

Emilio Mora Van Cauwelaert ◽

Julieta A. Rosell ◽

Luis García Barrios ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biodiversity Conservation ◽

Management Practices ◽

Agricultural Landscape ◽

Landscape Heterogeneity ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Agricultural Matrix ◽

Wildlife Migration ◽

Managed Landscapes

ABSTRACTIn agricultural landscapes, management practices and other environmental and social factors shape complex agroecological matrices. In turn, the structure of such matrices impacts both agricultural activities and biodiversity conservation, for instance, by mediating wildlife migration between agricultural and habitat patches. One way to characterize a matrix, its potential role in biodiversity conservation, and how its descriptors change across different spatial scales, is characterizing heterogeneity metrics and systematically examining how such metrics change with grain size and landscape extent. However, these methods have rarely been applied to tropical, peasant-managed landscapes, even though this type of landscape occupies most of the agricultural surface in or near biodiversity hotspots. We focus on a peasant-managed agricultural landscape in Oaxaca, Mexico, for which we mapped and quantified the land-use classes and evaluated heterogeneity metrics. We also examined the response of heterogeneity metrics to changes in grain and extent scales. This allowed us to further understand the structure and conservation potential of the agroecological matrix in this type of landscape, to broadly compare this landscape with other agricultural landscapes in North America, and to recommend specific landscape metrics for different types of studies involving agricultural matrices. We conclude that this type of agricultural matrix is ideal to pursue joint agricultural and conservation strategies in an integrated landscape.

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Rapid genetic turnover in populations of the insect pest Bemisia tabaci Middle East: Asia Minor 1 in an agricultural landscape

Bulletin of Entomological Research ◽

10.1017/s0007485312000077 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 102 (5) ◽

pp. 539-549 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

A. Dinsdale ◽

N.A. Schellhorn ◽

P. De Barro ◽

Y.M. Buckley ◽

C. Riginos

Keyword(s):

Middle East ◽

East Asia ◽

Bemisia Tabaci ◽

Agricultural Landscape ◽

Temporal Structure ◽

Insect Pest ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Asia Minor ◽

Dispersal Ability ◽

Genetic Composition

AbstractOrganisms differ greatly in dispersal ability, and landscapes differ in amenability to an organism's movement. Thus, landscape structure and heterogeneity can affect genetic composition of populations. While many agricultural pests are known for their ability to disperse rapidly, it is unclear how fast and over what spatial scale insect pests might respond to the temporally dynamic agricultural landscapes they inhabit. We used population genetic analyses of a severe crop pest, a member of the Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodoidea: Aleyrodidea) cryptic species complex known as Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (commonly known as biotype B), to estimate spatial and temporal genetic diversity over four months of the 2006–2007 summer growing season. We examined 559 individuals from eight sites, which were scored for eight microsatellite loci. Temporal genetic structure greatly exceeded spatial structure. There was significant temporal change in local genetic composition from the beginning to the end of the season accompanied by heterozygote deficits and inbreeding. This temporal structure suggests entire cohorts of pests can occupy a large and variable agricultural landscape but are rapidly replaced. These rapid genetic fluctuations reinforce the concept that agricultural landscapes are dynamic mosaics in time and space and may contribute to better decisions for pest and insecticide resistance management.

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Importance of Small Forest Fragments in Agricultural Landscapes for Maintaining Orangutan Metapopulations

Frontiers in Forests and Global Change ◽

10.3389/ffgc.2021.560944 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

Author(s):

Marc Ancrenaz ◽

Felicity Oram ◽

Nardiyono Nardiyono ◽

Muhammad Silmi ◽

Marcie E. M. Jopony ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oil Palm ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Forest Fragments ◽

Multiple Use ◽

Conservation Areas ◽

Forest Patches ◽

Timber Plantations ◽

Small Forest

Historically, orangutans (Pongo spp.) lived in large contiguous areas of intact rainforest. Today, they are also found in highly modified and fragmented landscapes dominated by oil palm or industrial timber plantations; a situation that calls for new conservation approaches. Here we report signs of orangutan presence in more than 120 small forest fragments of <500 ha in size and isolated in extensive oil palm plantations across Borneo. We confirmed the long-term presence of adult resident females with dependent young in 42% of the fragments assessed by ground survey (n = 50), and the regular sightings of males traveling across the landscape. We argue that orangutans using and living in small isolated forest patches play an essential part in the metapopulation by maintaining gene flow among larger sub-populations distributed across multiple-use landscapes. In some cases, translocations may be necessary when the animals are in imminent danger of being killed and have no other refuge. However, the impacts of removing animals from spatially dispersed metapopulations could inadvertently decrease critical metapopulation functionality necessary for long-term viability. It is clear that orangutans need natural forest to survive. However, our findings show that forest fragments within agricultural landscapes can also complement conservation areas if they are well-distributed, properly connected and managed, and if orangutan killing is prevented. Efforts to better understand the dynamics and the functionality of an orangutan metapopulation in forest-farmland landscape mosaics characteristic of the Anthropocene are urgently needed to design more efficient conservation strategies for the species across its range.

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Kurzumtriebsplantagen – Ergänzung oder Widerspruch zur nachhaltigen Waldwirtschaft? | Short-term rotation plantations – supplement or in contradiction to sustainable forest management?

Schweizerische Zeitschrift fur Forstwesen ◽

10.3188/szf.2008.0152 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 159 (6) ◽

pp. 152-157 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Peter A. Schmidt ◽

Denie Gerold

Keyword(s):

Forest Management ◽

Management Strategy ◽

Cultural Landscape ◽

Agricultural Landscape ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Sustainable Forest Management ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Intensive Management ◽

Short Term ◽

Management Concepts

Sustainability in forestry does not only cover wood production but it serves all functions of the forest. The increasing demand for wood urges a reconsideration of management concepts. To further ensure the principle of sustainability with the forest as a natural tool for resources, all potentials of the cultural landscape for woody biomass production are to be considered with the strategies for a sustainable development. Such a potential is offered by short-rotation plantations at agricultural sites. Management of such plantations in the agricultural landscape must meet minimum standards in respect to ecology and economy but cannot fulfill all criteria for a sustainable forest management. The less intensive management of such plantations compared to other agricultural land-use systems, has favorable effects on the ecosystem services of the landscape, ecological efficiency of the natural environment and biodiversity. According to a differentiated management strategy for woody stands in forest and agricultural landscapes, short-term rotation plantations as an intensive management strategy for woody ecosystems as well as strictly protected areas for nature conservation and forest regulation consider the concept of partial segregation. The allocation of wood by short-term rotation plantations reduces the pressure on the sustainable, ecologically oriented forest management as an integration strategy which should be implemented on the predominant forested area in the future.

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Heterogenization of remaining biodiversity in fragmented tropical forests across agricultural landscapes

10.1101/629782 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Cristina Yuri Vidal ◽

Diogo Souza Bezerra Rocha ◽

Marinez Ferreira de Siqueira ◽

Ricardo Ribeiro Rodrigues ◽

Tadeu Siqueira

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Tropical Forests ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Forest Fragments ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Private Lands ◽

Β Diversity

AbstractThe increasing worldwide interest on the conservation of tropical forests reflects the conversion of over 50% of their area into agricultural lands and other uses. Understanding the distribution of remaining biodiversity across agricultural landscapes is an essential task to guide future conservation strategies. To understand the long-term effects of fragmentation on biodiversity, we investigated whether forest fragments in southeastern Brazil are under a taxonomic homogenization or heterogenization process. We estimated pre-deforestation species richness and composition based on a Species Distribution Modelling approach, and compared them to the observed patterns of α- and β-diversity. In particular, we asked (i) if changes in β-diversity reveal convergence or divergence on species composition; (ii) if these changes are similar between forest fragments in Strictly Protected Areas (SPAs) (n=20) and within private lands (n=367) and in different regions of the state (West, Center, and Southeast). We detected steep reductions in observed local species richness in relation to our modeled predictions, and this was particularly true among forest fragments in non-protected private lands. The higher observed β diversity indicated an overall biotic heterogenization process, consistent with the idea that the originally diverse vegetation is now reduced to small and isolated patches, with unique disturbance histories and impoverished communities derived from a large regional species pool. Since conservation of biodiversity extends beyond the boundaries of strictly Protected Areas, we advocate forest fragments are valuable for conservation in agricultural landscapes, with particular relevance for private lands, which represent the most exposed and neglected share of what is left.

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Diet and habitat selection of the leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis borneoensis) in an agricultural landscape in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo

Journal of Tropical Ecology ◽

10.1017/s0266467406003841 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. 209-217 ◽

Cited By ~ 75

Author(s):

Rajanathan Rajaratnam ◽

Mel Sunquist ◽

Lynette Rajaratnam ◽

Laurentius Ambu

Keyword(s):

Oil Palm ◽

Agricultural Landscape ◽

Secondary Forest ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Forest Fragments ◽

Dipterocarp Forest ◽

Concurrent Study ◽

Leopard Cat ◽

Prionailurus Bengalensis ◽

Selection Of

Ten leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis borneoensis) were captured and radio tracked in an agricultural landscape in Sabah, Malaysia. Seventy-two leopard cat scats were analysed for diet while information on prey distribution and abundance was obtained from a concurrent study on small mammals. Mammals, namely murids, were the major prey with Whitehead's rat (Maxomys whiteheadi) being the principal prey species. Leopard cats significantly preferred the relatively open oil palm habitat over both selectively logged dipterocarp forest and secondary forest fragments. Although relative murid abundance was highest in selectively logged dipterocarp forest, oil palm harboured a higher relative abundance of Maxomys whiteheadi. Visibility and ease of movement for leopard cats was also better in oil palm, thereby possibly increasing their hunting success. We suggest that the significantly higher use of oil palm by leopard cats is related to their preference for areas with high prey ‘catchability’ rather than high prey density. Although secondary-forest fragments were least selected, they were important to leopard cats for resting and possibly breeding, highlighting the importance of forest fragments for the conservation of Bornean leopard cats in agricultural landscapes.

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Conserving predators across agricultural landscapes in Colombia: habitat use and space partitioning by jaguars, pumas, ocelots and jaguarundis

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605318000327 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 54 (4) ◽

pp. 554-563 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Valeria Boron ◽

Panteleimon Xofis ◽

Andres Link ◽

Esteban Payan ◽

Joseph Tzanopoulos

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Oil Palm ◽

Agricultural Landscape ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Space Partitioning ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Positive Effect ◽

Felid Species

AbstractLoss and degradation of natural habitats continue to increase across the tropics as a result of agricultural expansion. Consequently, there is an urgent need to understand their effects, and the distribution and habitat requirements of wildlife within human-modified landscapes, to support the conservation of threatened species, such as felids. We combined camera trapping and land cover data into occupancy models to study the habitat use and space partitioning by four sympatric felid species in an agricultural landscape in Colombia. Land use in the area includes cattle ranching and oil palm cultivation, the latter being an emerging land use type in the Neotropics. Factors determining species occupancy were the presence of wetlands for jaguars (positive effect); water proximity for pumas (positive effect); and presence of pastures for ocelots and jaguarundis (negative effect). Only ocelots were occasionally recorded in oil palm areas. Our results suggest that to align development with the conservation of top predators it is crucial to maintain areas of forest and wetland across agricultural landscapes and to restrict agricultural and oil palm expansion to modified areas such as pastures, which are of limited conservation value. Because there is no spatial segregation between the felid species we studied, conservation strategies that benefit all of them are possible even in modified landscapes.

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