Semi-natural grasslands as population sources for pollinating insects in agricultural landscapes

2006 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
ERIK ÖCKINGER ◽  
HENRIK G. SMITH
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Natural Grasslands ◽  
Pollinating Insects

scholarly journals Taxon-specific temporal shifts in pollinating insects in mass-flowering crops and field margins in Ireland

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 90-107
Author(s):  
Irene Bottero ◽  
Simon Hodge ◽  
Jane Stout
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Field Margins ◽  
Flowering Period ◽  
Field Margin ◽  
Mass Flowering ◽  
Insect Abundance ◽  
Insect Pollinators ◽  
Pollinating Insects ◽  
Hover Flies

In intensively cropped agricultural landscapes, the vegetation in edges and hedges (henceforth “field margins”) represents an important semi-natural habitat providing fundamental resources for insect pollinators. We surveyed the pollinating insects associated with two mass-flowering crops, apple and oilseed rape, and compared the insect fauna of the main crop with that in the field margins in the grass-dominated agricultural landscapes of Ireland. Different insect groups responded differently to the presence of the flowering crop, with honey and bumble bees more abundant in crops than margins during crop flowering, but more hover flies and butterflies in margins throughout. The composition of the insect assemblage also shifted over time due to taxon-specific changes in abundance. For example, solitary bees were most abundant early in the season, whereas hover flies peaked, and butterflies declined, in mid-summer. The temporal shift in insect community structure was associated with parallel changes in the field margin flora, and, although we found no relationship between insect abundance and abundance of field margin flowers, Bombus abundance and total insect abundance were positively correlated with floral diversity. After the crop flowering period, floral abundance and diversity was maintained via margin plants, but by late summer, floral resources declined. Our results confirm the importance of field margins for insect pollinators of entomophilous crops set within grass-dominated landscapes, even during the crop flowering period, and provide additional support for agri-environment schemes that protect and/or improve field margin biodiversity. The results also demonstrate that although shifts in insect and plant communities may be linked phenologically there may not always be simple relationships between insect and floral abundance and richness. 

scholarly journals Contribution to the knowledge of the arthropods community inhabiting the winter-flooded meadows (marcite) of northern Italy

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Della Rocca ◽  
Silvia Stefanelli ◽  
Elisa Cardarelli ◽  
Giuseppe Bogliani ◽  
Francesco Bracco
Keyword(s):  
Ground Beetle ◽  
Northern Italy ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Beetle Species ◽  
Rove Beetles ◽  
Invertebrate Conservation ◽  
Rove Beetle ◽  
Natural Grasslands

Flooded semi-natural grasslands are endangered ecosystems throughout Europe. In Italy, amongst flooded meadows, one special type called “marcita” is strongly threatened. It is a stable flooded grassland used to produce green forage even during winter months due to the thermal properties of water coming from springs and fountains that prevent the soil from freezing. To date, some research has been carried out to investigate the role of the marcita for ornithological and herpetological communities. However, no comprehensive data on invertebrates inhabiting this particular biotope available. The aim of this study was to characterise the terrestrial entomological community of these typical winter-flooded meadows in northern Italy and, in particular, in six marcita fields located in the Ticino Valley Regional Park. We collected data on species richness and diversity of Carabidae, Staphylinidae, Araneae, Lepidoptera and Orthoptera inhabiting marcita during the summers of 2014 and 2015 and data on overwintering Coleoptera during the winter of 2014-2015. Amongst the collected species, we identified those highly linked to this habitat. We found a total of 47 ground beetle species, 35 rove beetle species, 29 spider species, one Lucanidae, 16 butterfly species and 24 grasshopper and cricket species. Most of the species were collected during the summers of 2014 and 2015, while some others were also, or exclusively, overwintering (17 ground beetles, four rove beetles and one Lucanidae) and were collected during the winter of 2014-2015. Marcita fields hosted specialised species and species typical of hygrophilous habitats, amongst which are included the butterfly Lycaena dispar, the ground beetle Dolichus halensis and the grasshopper Chrysochraon dispar. This study represents the first contribution to the knowledge of terrestrial arthropod communities associated with this particular type of winter-irrigated meadow in Europe and confirms the importance of this biotope for invertebrate conservation in agricultural landscapes.

scholarly journals Relationships between bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Apiformes) and flowers in the Bulgarian agricultural landscape

2015 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Józef Banaszak ◽  
Piotr Szefer ◽  
Bojana Dochkova
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Individual Plant ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Pollinating Insects

Abstract The species composition and number of visitations of food plants by bees were studied in refuge sites in agricultural landscapes and in selected crops. The habitat fragments of interest are characterised in terms of pollinator diversity at genus level and the use of food plants by individual genera. Trophic and temporal niche overlap is described for individual genera and the honey bee Apis mellifera in different habitat types. Factors influencing the manner of use of individual plant species by pollinating insects are identified

scholarly journals Earthworm species and density in semi-natural grasslands on rice paddy levees in Japanese satoyama

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keiko Kishimoto-Yamada ◽  
Yukio Minamiya
Keyword(s):  
Food Webs ◽  
Rice Paddy ◽  
Food Resources ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Central Japan ◽  
Earthworm Species ◽  
Natural Grasslands ◽  
Monthly Changes

Earthworms contribute to the sustainability of food webs in the semi-natural grasslands of levees at paddy margins, which are typical components of satoyama, the traditional agricultural landscapes of Japan. Thus far, few studies have focused on earthworm fauna of paddy levees in satoyama. In this study, we investigated earthworm fauna and regional and monthly changes in earthworm density. We found at least 11 species of earthworms living within levees on Sado Island, central Japan. Two endogeic species, Amynthas corticis (Megascolecidae) and Eisenia japonica (Lumbricidae), were dominant in terms of number of adult individuals; these two species appeared in all study regions. We also estimated an average of ~57.4 individuals/m2 for all stages of earthworms in levees, suggesting that rice paddy levees have relatively-high earthworm density. However, such tendencies differed depending on the region. In addition, monthly changes in density were observed in the topsoil of the levees. Our results imply that differences in earthworm assemblages amongst regions and months may influence the availability of food resources for various animals inhabiting satoyama.

scholarly journals The importance of traditional agricultural landscapes for preventing species extinctions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ove Eriksson
Keyword(s):  
Vascular Plants ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Anthropogenic Landscapes ◽  
Traditional Management ◽  
Extinction Rates ◽  
Northern European ◽  
Natural Grasslands ◽  
Global Background

AbstractThe main paradigm for protection of biodiversity, focusing on maintaining or restoring conditions where humans leave no or little impact, risks overlooking anthropogenic landscapes harboring a rich native biodiversity. An example is northern European agricultural landscapes with traditionally managed semi-natural grasslands harboring an exceptional local richness of many taxa, such as plants, fungi and insects. During the last century these grasslands have declined by more than 95%, i.e. in the same magnitude as other, internationally more recognized declines of natural habitats. In this study, data from the Swedish Red List was used to calculate tentative extinction rates for vascular plants, insects (Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera) and fungi, given a scenario where such landscapes would vanish. Conservative estimates suggest that abandonment of traditional management in these landscapes would result in elevated extinction rates in all these taxa, between two and three orders of magnitude higher than global background extinction rates. It is suggested that the species richness in these landscapes reflects a species pool from Pleistocene herbivore-structured environments, which, after the extinction of the Pleistocene megafauna, was rescued by the introduction of pre-historic agriculture. Maintaining traditionally managed agricultural landscapes is of paramount importance to prevent species loss. There is no inherent conflict between preservation of anthropogenic landscapes and remaining ‘wild’ areas, but valuating also anthropogenic landscapes is essential for biodiversity conservation.

scholarly journals Mapping Grassland Frequency Using Decadal MODIS 250 m Time-Series: Towards a National Inventory of Semi-Natural Grasslands

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (24) ◽  
pp. 3041 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence Hubert-Moy ◽  
Jeanne Thibault ◽  
Elodie Fabre ◽  
Clémence Rozo ◽  
Damien Arvor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Time Series ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Step Method ◽  
Entire Area ◽  
National Monitoring ◽  
Natural Grasslands ◽  
Pixel Analysis

Semi-natural grasslands are perennial ecosystems and an important part of agricultural landscapes that are threatened by urbanization and agricultural intensification. However, implementing national grassland conservation policies remains challenging because their inventory, based on short-term observation, rarely discriminate semi-natural permanent from temporary grasslands. This study aims to map grassland frequency at a national scale over a long period using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) 250 m satellite time-series. A three-step method was applied to the entire area of metropolitan France (543,940 km²). First, land-use and land-cover maps—including grasslands—were produced for each year from 2006–2017 using the random forest classification of MOD13Q1 and MYD13Q1 products, which were calibrated and validated using field observations. Second, grassland frequency from 2006–2017 was calculated by combining the 12 annual maps. Third, sub-pixel analysis was performed using a reference layer with 20 m spatial resolution to quantify percentages of land-use and land-cover classes within MODIS pixels classified as grassland. Results indicate that grasslands were accurately modeled from 2006–2017 (F1-score 0.89–0.93). Nonetheless, modeling accuracy varied among biogeographical regions, with F1-score values that were very high for Continental (0.94 ± 0.01) and Atlantic (0.90 ± 0.02) regions, high for Alpine regions (0.86 ± 0.04) but moderate for Mediterranean regions (0.62 ± 0.10). The grassland frequency map for 2006–2017 at 250 m spatial resolution provides an unprecedented view of stable grassland patterns in agricultural areas compared to existing national and European GIS layers. Sub-pixel analysis showed that areas modeled as grasslands corresponded to grassland-dominant areas (60%–94%). This unique long-term and national monitoring of grasslands generates new opportunities for semi-natural grassland inventorying and agro-ecological management.

scholarly journals How Bees Respond Differently to Field Margins of Shrubby and Herbaceous Plants in Intensive Agricultural Crops of the Mediterranean Area

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Sanchez ◽  
Aline Carrasco ◽  
Michelangelo La Spina ◽  
María Pérez-Marcos ◽  
F. Ortiz-Sánchez
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Area ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Intensive Agriculture ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Wild Bees ◽  
Floral Diversity ◽  
Pollinating Insects ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Bee Communities

(1) Intensive agriculture has a high impact on pollinating insects, and conservation strategies targeting agricultural landscapes may greatly contribute to their maintenance. The aim of this work was to quantify the effect that the vegetation of crop margins, with either herbaceous or shrubby plants, had on the abundance and diversity of bees in comparison to non-restored margins. (2) The work was carried out in an area of intensive agriculture in southern Spain. Bees were monitored visually and using pan traps, and floral resources were quantified in crop margins for two years. (3) An increase in the abundance and diversity of wild bees in restored margins was registered, compared to non-restored margins. Significant differences in the structure of bee communities were found between shrubby and herbaceous margins. Apis mellifera and mining bees were found to be more polylectic than wild Apidae and Megachilidae. The abundance of A. mellifera and mining bees was correlated to the total floral resources, in particular, to those offered by the Boraginaceae and Brassicaceae; wild Apidae and Megachilidae were associated with the Lamiaceae. (4) This work emphasises the importance of floral diversity and shrubby plants for the maintenance of rich bee communities in Mediterranean agricultural landscapes.

scholarly journals Effects of land use, nesting-site availability, and the presence of larger raptors on the abundance of Vulnerable lesser kestrels Falco naumanni in Kazakhstan

Oryx ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 224-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
José L. Tella ◽  
Martina Carrete ◽  
José A. Sánchez-Zapata ◽  
David Serrano ◽  
Andrei Gavrilov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Scale Transformation ◽  
Mediterranean Populations ◽  
Falco Naumanni ◽  
Natural Grasslands ◽  
Nesting Site ◽  
Lesser Kestrel

The lesser kestrel Falco naumanni is a cavity-nesting falcon that breeds colonially in steppe-like habitats. Circum-Mediterranean populations declined sharply during the 20th century and the species is categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. We investigated the numbers of breeding pairs in Kazakhstan, previously considered to be an important area for the species, where it still inhabits natural steppe and semi-natural grasslands and breeds on cliffs. The availability of cliffs for nesting does not seem to be limiting as most cliffs are unoccupied. However, lesser kestrels tended to breed on small cliffs, where larger predatory raptors are scarcer. Abundance of lesser kestrels was also related to land use. Cliffs in semi-natural grasslands were apparently preferred over those in natural steppe, while those in agricultural landscapes were avoided despite the lower presence there of larger raptors. Large-scale transformation of steppe and grasslands into intensive agriculture might have reduced lesser kestrel numbers, and with the development of new agricultural projects, monitoring and conservation programmes for lesser kestrel populations are urgently required in Kazakhstan.

To the issue of water treatment by hydrocyclone on the systems of the combined irrigation

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (2) ◽  
pp. 21-25
Author(s):  
Nikolay Dubenok ◽  
Andrey Novikov ◽  
Sergei Borodychev ◽  
Maria Lamskova
Keyword(s):  
Water Treatment ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Irrigation System ◽  
Petroleum Products ◽  
Cylindrical Part ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Treatment Unit ◽  
Drain Pipe ◽  
Irrigation Network

At the stage of water treatment for irrigation systems, the efficiency capture coarse and fine mechanical impurities, as well as oil products and organic compounds affects the reliability of the equipment of the irrigation network and the safety of energy exchange processes in irrigated agricultural landscapes. The violation of work irrigation system can cause disruptions in irrigation schedules of agricultural crops, crop shortages, degradation phenomena on the soil and ecological tension. For the combined irrigation system, a water treatment unit has been developed, representing a hydrocyclone apparatus with a pipe filter in the case. For the capacity of 250 m3/h the main geometrical dimensions of hydrocyclone have been calculated. To organize the capture petroleum products and organic compounds, it has been proposed a modernization of a hydrocyclone unit, consisting in dividing the cylindrical part of the apparatus into two section. The first is section is for input irrigation water, the second one is for additional drainage of clarified irrigation water after sorption purification by the filter, placed on the disk and installed coaxially with the drain pipe and the pipe filter.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document