Landscape Diversity Influences Dispersal and Establishment of Pest with Complex Nutritional Ecology

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Effects of management and landscape structure on biodiversity in boreal agricultural farmland

Intensified agricultural practises introduced after the Second World War are identified as a major cause of global biodiversity declines. In several European countries agri-environment support schemes have been introduced to counteract the ongoing biodiversity declines. Farmers participating in agri-environment schemes are financially compensated for decreasing the intensity of farming practises leading to smaller yields and lower income. The Finnish agri-environment support scheme is composed of a set of measures, such as widened field margins along main ditches (obligatory measure), management of features increasing landscape diversity, management of semi-natural grasslands, and organic farming (special agreement measures). The magnitude of the benefits for biodiversity depends on landscape context and the properties of individual schemes. In this thesis I studied whether one agri-environment scheme, organic farming, is beneficial for species diversity and abundance of diurnal lepidopterans, bumblebees, carabid beetles and arable weeds. I found that organic farming did not enhance species richness of selected insect taxa, although bumblebee species richness tended to be higher in organic farms. Abundance of lepidopterans and bumblebees was not enhanced by organic farming, but carabid beetle abundance was higher in mixed farms with both cereal crop production and animal husbandry. Both species richness and abundance of arable weeds were higher in organic farms. My second objective was to study how landscape structure shapes farmland butterfly communities. I found that the percentage of habitat specialists and species with poor dispersal abilities in butterfly assemblages decreased with increasing arable field cover, leading to a dramatic decrease in butterfly beta diversity. In field boundaries local species richness of butterflies was linearly related to landscape species richness in geographic regions with high arable field cover, indicating that butterfly species richness in field boundaries is more limited by landscape factors than local habitat factors. In study landscapes containing semi-natural grasslands the relationship decelerated at high landscape species richness, suggesting that local species richness of butterflies in field boundaries is limited by habitat factors (demanding habitat specialists that occurred in semi-natural grasslands were absent in field margins). My results suggest that management options in field margins will affect mainly generalists, and species with good dispersal abilities, in landscapes with high arable field cover. Habitat specialists and species with poor dispersal abilities may benefit of management options if these are applied in the vicinity of source populations.

Riparian vegetation has disproportionate benefits for landscape-scale conservation of woodland birds in highly modified environments

1. Identifying landscape patterns that allow native fauna to coexist with human land use is a global challenge. Riparian vegetation often persists in anthropogenic environments as strips of natural or semi-natural vegetation that provide habitat for many terrestrial species. Its relative contribution to landscape-scale conservation is likely to change as environments become increasingly modified. We used a ‘whole of landscape’ approach to test the hypothesis that riparian vegetation offers disproportionate benefits, relative to non-riparian vegetation, for the conservation of woodland birds in highly modified agricultural landscapes. 2. We selected 24 landscapes, each 100 km2, along a gradient of landscape change represented by decreasing cover of native vegetation (from 60% to <2%), in an agricultural region in SE Australia. Bird species were systematically surveyed at three riparian and seven non-riparian sites in wooded vegetation in each landscape. 3. Riparian sites supported a greater richness of woodland-dependent species, a group of conservation concern, than did non-riparian sites. The composition of assemblages also differed between site types. 4. At the landscape scale, the pooled richness of bird assemblages at riparian and non-riparian sites, respectively, decreased with overall loss of tree cover despite constant sampling effort. Within landscapes, the β-diversity of woodland species among non-riparian sites increased (composition became less similar) as landscape tree cover declined. In contrast, riparian assemblages were relatively stable with no change in β-diversity. Importantly, as landscape tree cover declined, the proportion of woodland species uniquely present at riparian sites increased and made a greater contribution to overall landscape diversity. 5. Synthesis and applications. Landscape-scale richness of woodland species declines as landscape tree cover is lost. In highly depleted landscapes, riparian vegetation retains a relatively rich, stable assemblage compared with that in heterogeneous remnants of non-riparian vegetation and consequently contributes disproportionately to landscape-scale diversity. These observations, together with the diverse benefits of riparian vegetation for aquatic ecosystems, mean that protection and restoration of riparian vegetation is a high priority in anthropogenic environments. Importantly, such actions are directly amenable to individual land managers, and the benefits will accumulate to enhance the persistence and conservation of species at landscape and regional scales.

Environmental suitability of a highly fragmented and heterogeneous landscape for forest bird species in south-eastern Brazil

Assessment of the suitability of anthropogenic landscapes for wildlife species is crucial for setting priorities for biodiversity conservation. This study aimed to analyse the environmental suitability of a highly fragmented region of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, one of the world's 25 recognized biodiversity hotspots, for forest bird species. Eight forest bird species were selected for the analyses, based on point counts (n = 122) conducted in April-September 2006 and January-March 2009. Six additional variables (landscape diversity, distance from forest and streams, aspect, elevation and slope) were modelled in Maxent for (1) actual and (2) simulated land cover, based on the forest expansion required by existing Brazilian forest legislation. Models were evaluated by bootstrap or jackknife methods and their performance was assessed by AUC, omission error, binomial probability or p value. All predictive models were statistically significant, with high AUC values and low omission errors. A small proportion of the actual landscape (24.41 +/- 6.31%) was suitable for forest bird species. The simulated landscapes lead to an increase of c. 30% in total suitable areas. In average, models predicted a small increase (23.69 +/- 6.95%) in the area of suitable native forest for bird species. Being close to forest increased the environmental suitability of landscapes for all bird species; landscape diversity was also a significant factor for some species. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that species distribution modelling (SDM) successfully predicted bird distribution across a heterogeneous landscape at fine spatial resolution, as all models were biologically relevant and statistically significant. The use of landscape variables as predictors contributed significantly to the results, particularly for species distributions over small extents and at fine scales. This is the first study to evaluate the environmental suitability of the remaining Brazilian Atlantic Forest for bird species in an agricultural landscape, and provides important additional data for regional environmental planning.

Explaining the saproxylic beetle diversity of a protected Mediterranean area

Saproxylic beetle diversity is high at the Cabañeros National Park (central Spain), where woodland habitats exhibit remarkable heterogeneity. Our aim was to explain the diversity of saproxylic beetles, focusing on species turnover among mature woodland types. We surveyed five woodland types that represented the heterogeneity of the park’s woodland habitats. Beetles were collected using window traps over a period of 20 months. The Jaccard Similarity Index was used as indirect value of beta diversity among woodlands and to test the relation between species turnover and geographical distance. We also identified the contribution of species turnover to landscape diversity by using a partitioning model. Moreover, the presence of mixed woodlands (more than one tree species) allowed us to attempt to valorise the effect of tree species (coupled with their historical management) on species turnover among woodlands. Finally, we looked for different saproxylic beetle preferences for habitat and tree species using an indicator value method. We found that saproxylic beetle species composition varied significantly among the studied woodlands. The variation in species turnover was independent from the distance among woodlands, which suggested that beetle dispersal abilities could not explain this high turnover. Tree species within woodlands were a key factor that increased diversity turnover in woodlands and, consequently, the diversity of the park. Moreover, we found saproxylic beetle species that had different habitat and tree species preferences. We conclude that woodland heterogeneity (highly affected by woodland composition) seems to be the driving force for saproxylic beetle diversity in this protected area.

Challenges for a shared European countryside of uncertain future. Towards a modern community based landscape perspective

This paper addresses current changes in the highly diverse European landscape, and the way these transitions are being treated in policy and landscape management in the fragmented, heterogeneous and dynamic context of today’s Europe. It appears that intersecting driving forces are increasing the complexity of European landscapes and causing polarising developments in agricultural land use, biodiversity conservation and cultural landscape management. On the one hand, multifunctional rural landscapes, especially in peri-urban regions, provide services and functions that serve the citizens in their demand for identity, support their sense of belonging and offer opportunities for recreation and involvement in practical landscape management. On the other hand, industrial agricultural production on increasingly large farms produces food, feed, fibre and energy to serve expanding international markets with rural live ability and accessibility as a minor issue. The intermediate areas of traditionally dominant small and family farms in Europe seem to be gradually declining in profitability. The paper discusses the potential of a governance approach that can cope with the requirement of optimising land-sharing conditions and community-based landscape development, while adapting to global market conditions.

Análise dos impactos das mudanças do uso do solo na futura gestão e conservação da Reserva da Chimanimani - Moçambique

Dissertação de Mestrado, Gestão e Conservação da Natureza, 27 de Outubro de 2015, Universidade dos Açores.

Ecología del paisaje y sistemas de información geográfica ante el cambio socioambiental en las áreas de la montaña mediterránea. Una aproximación metodológica al caso de los valles d'Hortmoier y Sant Aniol

Este artículo es una aproximación a los métodos utilizados para analizar, cuantificar y valorar los cambios en los usos y cubiertas del suelo en estos dos valles que forman parte del espacio natural protegido de la Alta Garrotxa. La dinámica vivida en este territorio es un claro ejemplo de los procesos acaecidos a lo largo del siglo XX en buena parte de las áreas de montaña mediterránea. Una dinámica caracterizada fundamentalmente por un incremento de la superficie forestal en detrimento del espacio agrario. Así mismo se proponen pautas metodológicas para su adecuada cartografía, así como para determinar las áreas potencialmente recuperables de espacio agrario con el objetivo de mantener la diversidad paisajística, biológica y el patrimonio cultural con la ayuda de los SIG y la Ecología del Paisaje

The matrix-tolerance hypothesis: an empirical test with frogs in the Atlantic Forest

The matrix-tolerance hypothesis suggests that the most abundant species in the inter-habitat matrix would be less vulnerable to their habitat fragmentation. This model was tested with leaf-litter frogs in the Atlantic Forest where the fragmentation process is older and more severe than in the Amazon, where the model was first developed. Frog abundance data from the agricultural matrix, forest fragments and continuous forest localities were used. We found an expected negative correlation between the abundance of frogs in the matrix and their vulnerability to fragmentation, however, results varied with fragment size and species traits. Smaller fragments exhibited stronger matrix-vulnerability correlation than intermediate fragments, while no significant relation was observed for large fragments. Moreover, some species that avoid the matrix were not sensitive to a decrease in the patch size, and the opposite was also true, indicating significant differences with that expected from the model. Most of the species that use the matrix were forest species with aquatic larvae development, but those species do not necessarily respond to fragmentation or fragment size, and thus affect more intensively the strengthen of the expected relationship. Therefore, the main relationship expected by the matrix-tolerance hypothesis was observed in the Atlantic Forest; however we noted that the prediction of this hypothesis can be substantially affected by the size of the fragments, and by species traits. We propose that matrix-tolerance model should be broadened to become a more effective model, including other patch characteristics, particularly fragment size, and individual species traits (e. g., reproductive mode and habitat preference).

Padrões de distribuição e a conservação das aves passeriformes da caatinga

A Caatinga, bioma exclusivamente brasileiro, localizado principalmente na região nordeste, é um dos ecossistemas menos conhecidos do ponto de vista científico e também um dos mais ameaçados e transformados pela ação humana. Foram determinadas as áreas com maior riqueza de passeriformes, como estas espécies estão distribuídas na região e como utilizam o hábitat. Além disso, também foi testada a eficiência das unidades de conservação da Caatinga e das áreas prioritárias definidas pelo PROBIO na proteção de táxons endêmicos e ameaçados da região. Os 273 táxons de passeriformes registrados para Caatinga, em sua maioria (66%), dependem, direta ou indiretamente, das florestas da região para sobreviver. Foram registrados 37 táxons endêmicos à região, sendo 26 dependentes de florestas. As áreas de maior riqueza de espécies estão diretamente relacionadas com a diversidade de hábitats. Foram identificadas 10 áreas prioritárias mais importantes para a conservação de táxons endêmicos e ameaçados de passeriformes. As unidades de conservação da Caatinga além de cobrirem apenas uma pequena extensão da região, não representam bem os táxons endêmicos e ameaçados do bioma. Assim, um sistema eficiente de conservação para a Caatinga deve incluir toda a diversidade paisagística existente na região, dando prioridade para unidades de conservação nas áreas compostas pelos encraves florestais e caatingas adjacentes.

Agricultural land use and biodiversity in the Alps - How cultural tradition and socioeconomically motivated changes are shaping grassland biodiversity in the Swiss Alps

Alpine grasslands are ecosystems with a great diversity of plant species. However, little is known about other levels of biodiversity, such as landscape diversity, diversity of biological interactions of plants with herbivores or fungal pathogens, and genetic diversity. We therefore explored natural and anthropogenic determinants of grassland biodiversity at several levels of biological integration, from the genetic to the landscape level in the Swiss Alps. Differences between cultural traditions (Romanic, Germanic, and Walser) turned out to still affect land use diversity and thus landscape diversity. Increasing land use diversity, in turn, increased plant species diversity per village. However, recent land use changes have reduced this diversity. Within grassland parcels, plant species diversity was higher on unfertilized mown grasslands than on fertilized or grazed ones. Most individual plants were affected by herbivores and fungal leaf pathogens, reflecting that parcels harbored a great diversity of herbivores and pathogens. However, as plant damage by herbivores and pathogens was not severe, conserving these biological interactions among plants is hardly compromising agricultural goals. A common-garden experiment revealed genetic differentiation of the important fodder grass Poa alpina between mown and grazed sites, suggesting adaptation. Per-village genetic diversity of Poa alpina was greater in villages with higher land use diversity, analogous to the higher plant species diversity there. Overall, landscape diversity and biodiversity within grassland parcels are currently declining. As this contradicts the intention of Swiss law and international agreements, financial incentives need to be re-allocated and should focus on promoting high biodiversity at the local and the landscape level. At the same time, this will benefit landscape attractiveness for tourists and help preserve a precious cultural heritage in the Swiss Alps.

Equestrian tourism: an opportunity for portuguese

Portugal provides a large number of factors that boost the development of the national equestrian tourism. It represents an opportunity for the qualification and differentiation of the national tourism, to stimulate rural economies, to combat seasonality and asymmetries.This study want to understand the importance, for the equestrian tourist, of the critical success factors such as the Lusitano horse, the national equestrian culture, the landscape diversity, among others. Also, how they can contribute to the differentiation of the national equestrian tourism for international destinations that are already deployed in the market.For this study is crucial to know the perspective of those involved in the various equestrian tourism activities. In this sense, a group of companies were selected and exploratory interviews were conducted that contributed to important outputs in the construction of the questionnaire.The research was attended by 110 individuals, with different profiles, motivations and types of involvement. From the analysis, it is concluded that the critical success factors are significant in motivating equestrian tourists, namely the quality of equestrian infrastructures, the Lusitano horse, the hospitality, among others. It is also possible to analyze that the equestrian tourist demonstrates a strong commitment: they are knowledgeable, read a lot about riding and belong to equestrian clubs.Finally, the factor analysis highlight the agreement between participants and a significant number of statements made in the questionnaire related to motivation and involvement. It is possible to conclude that equestrian tourists look for relaxing moments and opportunities to expand their equestrian knowledge.

Pollen from 50 lake surface samples in Brandenburg, Germany, in 2009

Past changes in plant and landscape diversity can be evaluated through pollen analysis, however, pollen based diversity indexes are potentially biased by differential pollen production and deposition. Studies examining the relationship between pollen and landscape diversity are therefore needed. The aim of this study is to evaluate how different pollen based indexes capture aspects of landscape diversity. Pollen counts were obtained from surface samples of 50 small to medium sized lakes in Brandenburg (Northeast Germany) and compiled into two sets, with one containing all pollen counts from terrestrial plants and the second restricted to wind-pollinated taxa. Both sets were adjusted for the pollen production/dispersal bias using the REVEALS model. A high resolution biotope map was used to extract the density of total biotopes and different biotopes per area as parameters describing landscape diversity. In addition tree species diversity was obtained from forest inventory data. The Shannon index and the number of taxa in a sample of 10 pollen grains are highly correlated and provide a useful measure of pollen type diversity which corresponds best to landscape diversity within one km of the lake and the proportion of non-forested area within seven km. Adjustments of the pollen production/dispersal bias only slightly improve the relationships between pollen diversity and landscape diversity for the restricted dataset as well as for the forest inventory data and corresponding pollen types. Using rarefaction analysis, we propose the following convention: pollen type diversity is represented by the number of types in a small sample (low count e.g. 10), pollen type richness is the number of types in a large sample (high count e.g. 500) and pollen sample evenness is characterized by the ratio of the two. Synthesis. Pollen type diversity is a robust index that captures vegetation structure and landscape diversity. It is ideally suited for between site comparisons as it does not require high pollen counts. In concert with pollen type richness and evenness, it helps evaluating the effect of climate change and human land use on vegetation structure on long timescales.

Can birds play a role as High Nature Value indicators of montado system?

Montados form a heterogeneous landscape of wooded matrix dominated by cork and/or holm oak with open areas characterized by fuzzy boundaries. Montado supports a high biological diversity associated to low intensity management and a landscape diversity provided by a continuous gradient of land cover. Among other features this permits the classification of montados as a High Nature Value (HNV) system. We assessed the role of birds as HNV indicators for montado, and tested several bird groups—farmland, edge, forest generalists and forest specialists species; and some universal indicators such as species conservation status, Shannon’s diversity index and species richness. Our study areas covered the North–South distribution of cork oak in Portugal, and we surveyed the breeding bird communities across 117 sampling sites. In addition to variables related to management and sanitary status, we considered variables that characterize the landscape heterogeneity inside the montado—trees and shrub density and richness of woody vegetation. Our results suggest that specific bird guilds can be used as HNV indicators of particular typologies of montado, and highlight the need to develop an indicator that could be transversally applied to all types of montado.