scholarly journals Landscape and microhabitat features determine small mammal abundance in forest patches in agricultural landscapes

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e12306
Author(s):  
Luca Dorigo ◽  
Francesco Boscutti ◽  
Maurizia Sigura
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Species Interaction ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Forest Patch ◽  
Generalist Species ◽  
Ecological Requirements

Intensification of agricultural landscapes represent a major threat for biodiversity conservation also affecting several ecosystem services. The natural and semi-natural remnants, available in the agricultural matrix, represent important sites for small mammals and rodents, which are fundamental for sustaining various ecosystem functions and trophic chains. We studied the populations of two small mammals (Apodemus agrarius, A. sylvaticus) to evaluate the effects of landscape and habitat features on species abundance along a gradient of agricultural landscape intensification. The study was performed in Friuli Venezia Giulia (north-eastern Italy) during 19 months, in 19 wood remnants. Species abundance was determined using Capture-Mark-Recapture (CMR) techniques. In the same plots, main ecological parameters of the habitat (at microhabitat and patch scale) and landscape were considered. Abundance of A. agrarius increased in landscapes with high extent of permanent crops (i.e., orchards and poplar plantations) and low content of undecomposed litter in the wood understory. Instead, A. sylvaticus, a more generalist species, showed an opposite, albeit less strong, relationship with the same variables. Both species were not affected by any landscape structural feature (e.g., patch shape, isolation). Our findings showed that microhabitat features and landscape composition rather than wood and landscape structure affect populations’ abundance and species interaction. The opposite response of the two study species was probably because of their specific ecological requirements. In this light, conservation management of agricultural landscapes should consider the ecological needs of species at both landscape and habitat levels, by rebalancing composition patterns in the context of ecological intensification, and promoting a sustainable forest patch management.

scholarly journals Determinants of bird assemblage composition in riparian vegetation on sugarcane farms in the Queensland Wet Tropics

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita F. Keir ◽  
Richard G. Pearson ◽  
Robert A. Congdon
Keyword(s):  
Riparian Vegetation ◽  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Riparian Zone ◽  
Riparian Forest ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Generalist Species ◽  
Assemblage Composition ◽  
Bird Assemblages ◽  
Wet Tropics

Remnant habitat patches in agricultural landscapes can contribute substantially to wildlife conservation. Understanding the main habitat variables that influence wildlife is important if these remnants are to be appropriately managed. We investigated relationships between the bird assemblages and characteristics of remnant riparian forest at 27 sites among sugarcane fields in the Queensland Wet Tropics bioregion. Sites within the remnant riparian zone had distinctly different bird assemblages from those of the forest, but provided habitat for many forest and generalist species. Width of the riparian vegetation and distance from source forest were the most important factors in explaining the bird assemblages in these remnant ribbons of vegetation. Gradual changes in assemblage composition occurred with increasing distance from source forest, with species of rainforest and dense vegetation being replaced by species of more open habitats, although increasing distance was confounded by decreasing riparian width. Species richness increased with width of the riparian zone, with high richness at the wide sites due to a mixture of open-habitat species typical of narrower sites and rainforest species typical of sites within intact forest, as a result of the greater similarity in vegetation characteristics between wide sites and the forest proper. The results demonstrate the habitat value for birds of remnant riparian vegetation in an agricultural landscape, supporting edge and open vegetation species with even narrow widths, but requiring substantial width (>90 m) to support specialists of the closed forest, the dominant original vegetation of the area.

Occupancy and abundance of free-roaming cats in a fragmented agricultural ecosystem

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 277
Author(s):  
Sarah C. Webster ◽  
Zachary H. Olson ◽  
James C. Beasley
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Agricultural Ecosystem ◽  
Forest Patches ◽  
Forest Patch ◽  
Entire Study ◽  
Agricultural Ecosystems ◽  
Occupancy Probability ◽  
Rural Environments

Context Free-roaming domestic cats are a widespread invasive species, occurring throughout the globe in urban and rural environments alike. However, robust estimates of cat occupancy and abundance, especially in rural, agricultural landscapes, are largely unknown. Aims To estimate cat occupancy and abundance within forested habitat in a fragmented agricultural region of Indiana, USA. Methods Free-roaming cats in 55 forest patches were captured from 2004 to 2010 to assess the effects of landscape attributes on cat occupancy probabilities. During 2009–10 abundance of cats in each habitat patch was estimated based on natural markings of captured individuals. Key results Across the entire study (2004–10) cats in 50 of the 55 patches were detected, but detections varied temporally and spatially. Average occupancy probability was estimated at Ψ = 0.773 (s.e. = 0.109), and detection probability was estimated as P = 0.204 (s.e. = 0.012). Distance to human structures and forest patch isolation both were found to negatively influence cat occupancy. In total, 57 individual cats were captured in 2009 and 55 in 2010, when unique individuals were distinguished. Across all forest patches, average cat abundance was n = 1.08 in 2009 and n = 0.91 in 2010, ranging from 0 to 7 among sampled patches. Conclusions Overall, the distribution of free-roaming cats across a rural agricultural landscape varied temporally and was associated with proximity to human structures and the proximity of other forest habitat. Similarly, abundance was found to vary spatially and temporally. Implications The findings suggest free-roaming cats are widespread throughout agricultural ecosystems, but their distribution is dynamic and non-random. Additionally, the potential for cats to impact native fauna inhabiting remnant forest patches is high in fragmented agricultural ecosystems due to the concentration of native species utilising these patches. Further research is needed to determine the effects free-roaming cats are having on native species in human-dominated, rural ecosystems, and what conservation measures might be implemented to best mitigate any impacts.

Responses of Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus), Barred Owls (Strix varia), and Northern Saw-whet Owls (Aegolius acadicus) to forest cover and configuration in an agricultural landscape in Alberta, Canada

2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (10) ◽  
pp. 1165-1172 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. R. Grossman ◽  
S. J. Hannon ◽  
A. Sánchez-Azofeifa
Keyword(s):  
Forest Cover ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Forest Patch ◽  
Bubo Virginianus ◽  
Strix Varia ◽  
Area Variation ◽  
Aegolius Acadicus ◽  
Abundance And Distribution ◽  
Barred Owls

Studies on the effects of forest fragmentation on birds have focussed primarily on passerines, with few studies on owls. We assessed the influence of forest amount and configuration on the abundance and distribution of three species of forest owls, Great Horned Owl ( Bubo virginianus (Gmelin, 1788)), Barred Owl ( Strix varia Barton, 1799), and Northern Saw-whet Owl ( Aegolius acadicus (Gmelin, 1788)), in agricultural landscapes with varying amounts of forest cover in central Alberta, Canada. All three species were positively associated with forest cover: Barred Owls were most prevalent in landscapes with >66% forest cover, Great Horned Owls in landscapes with between 36% and 65% forest cover, and Northern Saw-whet Owls in landscapes with between 16% and 100% forest cover. Regression models containing configuration variables were chosen as best models using AIC for all three species. Great Horned Owls were most abundant in landscapes with high heterogeneity: more forest–nonforest edges and higher forest patch area variation. Barred Owls were more likely to occur in landscapes with larger forest patch areas and Northern Saw-whet Owls were more abundant in landscapes that were more connected. These relationships are consistent with predictions based on body size of owls and local habitat relationships described in the literature.

Understory use by terrestrial small mammals in an unflooded forest patch in the Pantanal floodplain

Mammalia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nayara Yoshie Sano ◽  
Heitor Miraglia Herrera ◽  
Grasiela Edith de Oliveira Porfirio ◽  
Filipe Martins Santos
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Understory Vegetation ◽  
Monodelphis Domestica ◽  
Forest Patch ◽  
Habitat Features ◽  
Species Characteristics ◽  
Local Habitat

AbstractTo date, there have been no studies that have evaluated small mammal utilization of the understory of forests. In this study, we described the use of vertical strata by small mammals in patches of unflooded forests, known as “cordilheiras”, in the Nhecolândia sub-region of the Pantanal, Brazil. We collected all species using the ground and understory, including the terrestrial didelphid Monodelphis domestica. We suppose that local habitat features (e.g., Acuri palms), rather than intrinsic species characteristics, may be more conducive to the use of understory vegetation by small mammals in the Nhecolândia region.

scholarly journals The Relict Ecosystem of Maytenus senegalensis subsp. europaea in an Agricultural Landscape: Past, Present and Future Scenarios

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Antonio J. Mendoza-Fernández ◽  
Fabián Martínez-Hernández ◽  
Esteban Salmerón-Sánchez ◽  
Francisco J. Pérez-García ◽  
Blas Teruel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Communities ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Ecological Value ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
European Continent ◽  
Major Interest ◽  
Maytenus Senegalensis

Maytenus senegalensis subsp. europaea is a shrub belonging to the Celastraceae family, whose only European populations are distributed discontinuously along the south-eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula, forming plant communities with great ecological value, unique in Europe. As it is an endangered species that makes up plant communities with great palaeoecological significance, the development of species distribution models is of major interest under different climatic scenarios, past, present and future, based on the fact that the climate could play a relevant role in the distribution of this species, as well as in the conformation of the communities in which it is integrated. Palaeoecological models were generated for the Maximum Interglacial, Last Maximum Glacial and Middle Holocene periods. The results obtained showed that the widest distribution of this species, and the maximum suitability of its habitat, occurred during the Last Glacial Maximum, when the temperatures of the peninsular southeast were not as contrasting as those of the rest of the European continent and were favored by higher rainfall. Under these conditions, large territories could act as shelters during the glacial period, a hypothesis reflected in the model’s results for this period, which exhibit a further expansion of M. europaea’s ecological niche. The future projection of models in around 2070, for four Representative Concentration Pathways according to the fifth report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, showed that the most favorable areas for this species would be Campo de Dalías (southern portion of Almería province) as it presents the bioclimatic characteristics of greater adjustment to M. europaea’s ecological niche model. Currently, some of the largest specimens of the species survive in the agricultural landscapes in the southern Spain. These areas are almost totally destroyed and heavily altered by intensive agriculture greenhouses, also causing a severe fragmentation of the habitat, which implies a prospective extinction scenario in the near future.

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 The Assessment of the Tourism Potential of the Tagus International Nature Reserve Landscapes Using Methods Based on the Opinion of the Demand

Land ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 68
Author(s):  
Dora Isabel Rodrigues Ferreira ◽  
José-Manuel Sánchez-Martín
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Nature Reserve ◽  
Pairwise Comparison ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Agricultural Activity ◽  
Aesthetic Value ◽  
Analytic Hierarchy ◽  
Natural Protected Areas ◽  
Double Approach ◽  
Tourism Potential

There are different methodologies to assess landscape preferences, however there is no consensual methodology that can be replicated to identify their tourism potential. Recent studies have focused on agricultural landscape preferences due to their cultural characteristics. Although agricultural activity conflicts with the management models of natural protected areas, traditional models and sustainable practices reveal opportunities to boost tourism in this area, both for their aesthetic value, and for the opportunity to preserve biodiversity and maintain “lively landscapes”. The present study focuses on a double approach to collect data to measure the preferences for landscape typologies to realize outdoor/recreative activities in Tagus International Nature Reserve (TINR), among them, agricultural landscapes, such as the agro-silvopastural system “Dehesa/Montado” or olive grove. The preference of the landscapes were evaluated through photographs with pairwise comparison and without photographs observation, in which 174 respondents were consulted with. The different methodologies applied allowed for the extraction of different results, which led to the assumption that in fact there is no single methodology to assess preferences. However, the application of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) methodology with photographical pairwise comparison allowed for the extraction of more robust results when considering attractions with tourism typologies, revealing that “Cultural tourism/Rural mixed” and “Agritourism” were the most valued. This information is pertinent to support TINR managers and local tourism promoters to plan and structure products and services based on button-up methodologies.

scholarly journals Gefährlich und nützlich zugleich: Strategien zum Management der invasiven Robinie

2018 ◽  
Vol 169 (2) ◽  
pp. 77-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michaela Vítková ◽  
Marco Conedera ◽  
Jiří Sádlo ◽  
Jan Pergl ◽  
Petr Pyšek
Keyword(s):  
Time Management ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Black Locust ◽  
Robinia Pseudoacacia ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Intensively Managed

Dangerous and useful at the same time: management strategies for the invasive black locust The North American black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is considered controversial as many other introduced tree species because of its both positive and negative properties. Based on a literature review and own data we analyze the occurrence of black locust in Czechia and Switzerland and present the management approaches in place. In both countries, black locust is on the blacklist of invasive introduced species. It can grow in a wide range of habitats from urban and agricultural landscape to dry grassland and forest. Meanwhile, the species became in many places part of the environment and human culture, so that neither unrestricted cultivation nor large-scale eradication is feasible. We suggest a context-dependent management which respects the different needs and takes into account the local environmental conditions, land-use, habitat type, risk of spread as well as economic, cultural and biodiversity aspects. To this purpose we propose three management strategies: 1) control respectively gradual suppression of black locust in forests where the species is not welcome, 2) its eradication in sensitive ecosystems as dry grasslands or clear and dry forests and 3) its tolerance in intensively managed agricultural landscapes and in urban environment.

scholarly journals Basic principles of reclaimed agricultural landscapes sustainability formation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Vasilyev ◽  
◽  
A. N. Babichev ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Natural Environment ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
Basic Principles ◽  
Moisture Supply ◽  
Irrigated Lands

Purpose: to establish the basic principles of the organization of reclamed agricultural landscapes and to substantiate the use of the agricultural landscape approach in the organization of the territory. Materials and Methods. When preparing this article, the materials of Russian scientists dealing with the issues of soil fertility conservation and ecological sustainability of reclaimed agricultural landscapes were considered. The methods used were analysis, generalization, synthesis and other methods of working with literary sources on this issue. Results. In performing the work, the main principles and indicators were determined, such as productivity, sustainability, the rule of transforming measures for the natural environment, optimization of the agricultural landscape, authenticity, principles of the formation of reclaimed agricultural landscapes, the complexity of the reclamation impact, the required diversity, the uniqueness of the reclamation impact. The basic requirements for the preservation of soil fertility of reclaimed irrigated agricultural landscape have been established. It was found that to maintain ecological balance within the irrigated agricultural landscape, it is necessary to adhere to the indicators of the reclamation load of the natural environment. The limits of agricultural lands saturation in reclaimed agricultural landscapes for various agro-climatic zones have been substantiated and recommended. Conclusions. It has been determined that the coefficient of reclamation loading of irrigated lands, showing the maximum share of irrigated lands that can be irrigated in a particular climatic zone, varies from 0.3 in the forest-steppe zone to 0.60–0.85 in the semi-desert and desert zone. This suggests that with an increase in moisture supply, this indicator decreases, the recommended amount of agricultural land in various agroclimatic zones varies from 30 to 87 %, while the area of arable land should not exceed 20–25 % in a very dry zone, and with an increase in moisture supply, it can increase up to 80 % in the semi-arid zone. The amount of irrigated land in the reclaimed agricultural landscape should not exceed 18–20 %. Irrigated meadows and pastures should account for 1–2 to 5–6 % of the area.

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