scholarly journals Management Intensification of Hay Meadows and Fruit Orchards Alters Soil Macro- Invertebrate Communities Differently

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 767
Author(s):  
Elia Guariento ◽  
Filippo Colla ◽  
Michael Steinwandter ◽  
Julia Plunger ◽  
Ulrike Tappeiner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fauna ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
New Production ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Invertebrate Communities ◽  
Extensive Management ◽  
Intensively Managed

Land-use changes and especially management intensification currently pose a major threat to biodiversity both on and beneath the soil surface. With a comparative approach, we investigated how management intensity in orchards and meadows influences soil macro-invertebrate communities in a North-Italian Alpine region. We compared soil fauna assemblies from traditional low-input sites with respective intensively managed ones. As expected, the taxonomical richness and diversity were lower in both intensive management types. Extensive management of both types revealed similar communities, while intensification led to substantial differences between management types. From these results, we conclude that intensification of agricultural practices severely alters the soil fauna community and biodiversity in general, however, the direction of these changes is governed by the management type. In our view, extensive management, traditional for mountain areas, favors soil fauna communities that have adapted over a long time and can thus be viewed as a sustainable reference condition for new production systems that consider the protection of soil diversity in order to conserve essential ecosystem functions.

Recovery of GPP monthly pattern in a eucalypt site in Portugal after felling

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 3999-4014 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Rodrigues ◽  
G. Pita
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Production Cycle ◽  
General Description ◽  
New Production ◽  
Growing Period ◽  
Monthly Pattern ◽  
Southern Portugal ◽  
Intensively Managed ◽  
Total Forest Area

Abstract. The main objective of this work was to report the recovery of seasonal pattern of GPP obtained by eddy covariance measurements in a eucalypt (Eucalyptus globulus Labill.) site in Pegões (Southern Portugal) after a felling processed in October and November of 2006. This was made in a wider context of a general description of the evolution of carbon sequestration at several timescales in the period 2002–2010. In Portugal eucalypt stands aimed mainly for pulp production occupies an area of about 739 515 ha, (National Forest Inv 2005–2006) corresponding to about 23% of total forest area. The site is part of a 300 ha eucalypt stand, located in Herdade da Espirra, intensively managed as coppice under a twelve year productive cycle with a density of about 1100 trees/ha and characterized by a 12-month growing period. A prolonged drought in 2004 and 2005 and a felling in October–November 2006, followed by the start of a new production cycle, changed the carbon sink ability of eucalypt stand. In the two drought years, rainfall was reduced to values of 50%, relatively to long-term 709 mm average of. In the period prior to cutting NEE of 8.7 g cm−2 was maximum in 2002 decreasing to a minimum of 3.6 tons/ha in 2005 at the peak of the effect of drought. After the felling the eucalypt stand recovered its carbon sink capacity in June 2007 with an annual GPP of 1621.6 g cm−2 in 2010. Seasonal patterns of GPP in 2007, 2008 and 2009 were almost opposite to that of the period before the felling, with a tendency to recover to the situation prior the felling in 2010.

Climate extremes and ecosystem resilience in a future world

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Bahn
Keyword(s):  
Extreme Events ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Climate Extremes ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Ecosystem Resilience ◽  
Ecosystem Recovery ◽  
Ecosystem Responses ◽  
Social Ecological Systems

<p>The ability of ecosystems to resist and recover from climate extremes is of fundamental societal importance given the critical role of ecosystems in supplying ecosystem services such as food and fiber production, or water and climate regulation. To date there is a lack of understanding of how the projected increases in the frequency and intensity of climate extremes will affect ecosystems in a future world. Will the legacy of past extreme climatic events alter ecosystem responses to subsequent extreme events? What are the thresholds of severity altering ecosystem recovery from extreme events or causing irreversible shifts in ecosystem functioning? How do ecosystems respond to climate extremes in the context of multiple co-occurring environmental changes, including climate warming, elevated atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> concentrations, and interacting other climate extremes (i.e. ‚compound events‘)? In what ways do biodiversity and the composition of species and their traits affect ecosystem resilience? How do land management and land-use changes alter ecosystem responses to climate extremes? In this talk I will show some recent insights on these questions and will illustrate how observations can be placed in a framework permitting a comparable quantification of resilience across different ecosystems, ecosystem functions and services. Finally, I will discuss implications for enhancing the adapaptive capacity of social-ecological systems to absorb climate extremes.</p>

The effect of agriculture on cave-stream invertebrate communities

2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (11) ◽  
pp. 1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierce M. McNie ◽  
Russell G. Death
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Ecological Health ◽  
Land Use Impacts ◽  
Invertebrate Community ◽  
Forested Catchments ◽  
Invertebrate Communities ◽  
Agricultural Catchments ◽  
Stream Communities ◽  
The Relationship

The impacts that land-use changes have on cave-stream fauna have not been considered widely in the investigations of land-use impacts on stream ecology. The present study examines how above-ground agriculture may influence cave-stream invertebrate communities. The invertebrate communities in four cave streams and their surface counterparts were sampled in 2014–2015, including two drained predominantly agricultural catchments and two drained forested catchments. These communities were examined alongside habitat and GIS land-use data to determine the relationship between above-ground land use and the stream communities. Invertebrate community composition and ecological health for surface streams was different between the agricultural and forest catchments. These differences were less pronounced within the cave-stream communities. Sedimentation was the principal agricultural stressor in the cave streams. The overall effects of agriculture were lower within the cave streams than on the surface; this is likely to be due to the reduced number of potentially deleterious stressors on cave streams.

Deconstructing biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships: Filtering of macroinvertebrate traits in a large river floodplain

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie K. Rideout ◽  
Zacchaeus G. Compson ◽  
Wendy A. Monk ◽  
Meghann R. Bruce ◽  
Mehrdad Hajibabaei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Function ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Historical Change ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Floodplain Wetlands ◽  
Environmental Filters ◽  
Invertebrate Communities ◽  
Species Response ◽  
Functional Richness ◽  
Wetland Habitats

AbstractThe Biodiversity-Ecosystem Function hypothesis postulates that higher biodiversity is correlated with ecosystem function by providing a high number of filled niches through species response types and resource use patterns. Through their high spatio-temporal habitat diversity, floodplains are highly productive ecosystems, supporting communities that are naturally resilient and highly diverse. We examined linkages among floodplain wetland habitats, invertebrate communities and their associated traits, and ecosystem function across 60 sites within the floodplain wetlands of the lower Wolastoq | Saint John River, New Brunswick, using structural equation modelling and Threshold Indicator Taxa ANalysis (TITAN2). We identified key environmental filters of invertebrate communities, namely linking increased niche differentiation through historical change, flood pulse dynamics, and macrophyte bed complexity with increased taxa and functional diversity. Examination of traits linked to ecosystem functions revealed that healthy wetlands with higher primary productivity were associated with greater functional evenness and richness, while habitat patches with increased decomposition rates had low functional richness, reflecting highly disturbed habitat. Our results highlight key differences between wetland and riverine ecosystems, relating to how critical functions support healthy wetland habitats by providing increased resilience to disturbance, here associated with differing levels of conservation protection.

scholarly journals The Role of Transdisciplinary Research for Agricultural Climate Change Adaptation Strategies

Agronomy ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Schermer ◽  
Rike Stotten ◽  
Ulrich Strasser ◽  
Gertraud Meißl ◽  
Thomas Marke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Transdisciplinary Research ◽  
Economic Sectors ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Local Stakeholders

While science widely acknowledges the necessity of climate change adaptation (CCA), concrete strategies for CCA by major land-use actor groups at a local level are largely missing. Immediate economic challenges often prevent the establishment of long-term collective strategies. However, collective decisions on a communal level regarding land use are crucial for CCA strategies, given the interdependencies of farming with forestry, tourism, and other economic sectors, especially in mountain areas. This paper presents inter- and trans-disciplinary learning processes, which have evolved into a project modelling the hydrological effects of combined future climate and land-use changes based on the combined scenarios of climate and socio-economic change in an Alpine valley (Brixental in Tyrol/Austria). Locally adapted scenarios illustrate future land-use changes as a result of both climate change and different socio-economic developments. The hydrological results show how an increase in the forested area reduces streamflow (as a measure of water availability) in the long term. For local stakeholders, the process demonstrated clearly the interdependence of different economic sectors and the necessity for collective action at a regional level to influence socio-economic development. Moreover, it made them aware that local decisions on future land use may influence the effects of climate change. Consistent storylines helped stakeholders to visualize a desired future and to see their scope of influence. The transdisciplinary research process allowed local stakeholders to translate the hydrological modelling results into a concrete local CCA strategy.

Detritivores as indicators of landscape stress and soil degradation

2007 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maurizio G. Paoletti ◽  
Graham H. R. Osler ◽  
Adrianne Kinnear ◽  
Dennis G. Black ◽  
Linda J. Thomson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Close Association ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Oribatid Mites ◽  
The Body ◽  
Intensively Managed

Detritivores are small- to medium-sized invertebrates that comminute and break down organic materials such as leaves, twigs and roots, especially within or upon the soil surface, or nearby. Detritivores constitute the majority of the invertebrate biomass pyramid in most environments and provide a key role in organic matter turnover; they also provide alternative food for polyphagous predators that can be active in pest control on crops. Many arthropod taxa are detritivores in soil and litter layers. Here, we focus on the bioindicator potential of three key detritivore groups: slaters, millipedes and oribatid mites. There are possibly 300 species of slaters (terrestrial isopods or Oniscidea) in Australia with 13 of these being introduced, mostly from north-western Europe. These non-native species are the dominant species in disturbed environments such as intensively managed forests and agricultural fields. Slaters are promising indicators of landscape disturbance, soil contamination and tillage. Millipedes are potentially important indicators of stress in agricultural landscapes, given their sensitivity to litter and soil moisture gradients and to physical and chemical perturbations. However, because there is a close association between the millipede fauna and moist plant communities in Australia, they are generally absent from drier landscapes and, therefore, their use as bioindicators in agricultural environments here is problematic. An exception to this association is the increasingly ubiquitous introduced Black Portuguese millipede. This species is tolerant of much drier conditions than most natives, and is likely to change the nature of nutrient cycling processes in pastures and native grasslands in much of southern Australia. Oribatid mites are present in all Australian terrestrial ecosystems. The few studies that have examined their response to disturbance and land use in Australia are consistent with the body of work conducted outside Australia. This consistent response means that the oribatids may be developed as indicators in agricultural, pasture and forested environments. However, the paucity of information on oribatids over appropriate spatial scales in Australia makes the use of this group extremely difficult at this time.

Land use effects on soil quality indicators in north-eastern Iran

Soil Research ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Golchin ◽  
H. Asgari
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Water Table ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Clay Content ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Eastern Iran ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Dispersible Clay ◽  
Cultivated Soils

Forest and grassland soils in north-eastern Iran are being degraded and destroyed by inappropriate agricultural activities. This study investigated effects of land-use changes on several indicators of soil quality (SQ) in this area. We found higher organic carbon (OC) and total nitrogen (N) contents in virgin soils (under forests and pastures) than in cultivated soils. Distribution of OC throughout the soil profile was influenced by the type and length of tillage operations performed at different sites. Cultivation reduced OC content of the subsoil (0.50–1.00 m) and contributed to a more uniform distribution of organic matter in the plough layer (0–0.50 m) by mixing upper and lower horizon soils and incorporating of organic inputs to a greater depth. In 4 of 5 sites, tilled soils had lower ECe and SAR values than the virgin soils, but when the water table was near the soil surface, the ECe and SAR values were higher in cultivated sites. This suggests that when the water table is deep, the quality of salt-affected virgin soils may be improved by cultivation and leaching of excess salts to deeper layers. In 4 of 5 sites, the virgin soils had slightly greater clay content than the tilled soils, but these soils also had 41–89% less dispersible clay than their cultivated counterparts. The virgin soils had 2–31-fold greater aggregate stability, 4–33% lower bulk density, 6–31% higher water-holding capacity (at 0.3 bar suction), higher cation exchange capacity (CEC), and higher respiration rate than the cultivated soils. The results of this study indicate that frequent tillage and use of summer fallow deteriorates SQ by decreasing SOC and enhancing soil erosion through decreased structural stability and increased mechanically dispersible clay. The results stress the need for farming practices that preserve OC in soils in order to reduce flooding and erosion risks.

scholarly journals Human impacts and the loss of Neotropical freshwater fish diversity

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando M. Pelicice ◽  
Andréa Bialetzki ◽  
Priscila Camelier ◽  
Fernando R. Carvalho ◽  
Emili García-Berthou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Freshwater Fish ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Freshwater Fishes ◽  
River Regulation ◽  
Neotropical Region ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Fish Diversity ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Biodiversity Crisis

Abstract Neotropical Ichthyology promotes the Special Issue (SI) “Human impacts and the loss of Neotropical freshwater fish diversity” with the purpose of publishing relevant scientific articles on the current biodiversity crisis and the loss of Neotropical freshwater fishes in the Anthropocene. The SI is composed of 22 publications, being two review articles and 20 original articles. A total of 107 researchers contributed to these papers, involving 44 institutions based in Brazil and six other countries. Published articles investigated main anthropic activities and their impacts on fish diversity, with special focus on river regulation, mining, land use changes, aquaculture, and fisheries. Studies provided evidence about the loss of fish diversity in the Neotropics, including fish kill events, demographic changes, contamination, changes in assemblage structure, loss of taxonomic and functional diversity, besides the degradation of ecosystem functions and services, and the lack of effective protection and conservation. Studies were conducted in rivers, streams, lakes, and reservoirs from different Neotropical systems. The studies published in this SI represent a relevant sample of the current worrisome situation of freshwater fishes in the Neotropical region and call for urgent revision in environmental policies, management and conservation initiatives, and socioeconomic priorities.

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