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Understanding the habitat use and movement patterns of natural enemies in agricultural landscapes is essential for enhancing biological pest control. Since many natural enemies rely on floral resources, the distribution of these resources in combination with movement behaviour likely influence biological control in field crops. Nevertheless, few studies have assessed natural enemy movement at the landscape scale.Here we estimated minimal movement distances of the green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea based on consumed pollen and the spatial distribution of the respective plant species in 24 agricultural landscapes (500 m radius). Lacewings were sampled using sticky traps in the centre of each landscape, and the consumed pollen were identified. The location of the most important pollen‐providing plants was mapped in each landscape. Distances to potential sources of pollen consumed by 346 lacewings were used to derive minimal movement distances.Lacewings consumed mostly pollen from insect‐pollinated plants that were present within 500 m from the sampling location. The distance to the nearest source of consumed pollen exceeded 200 m in 31% of lacewing individuals, demonstrating the relevance of the landscape scale to understand their population dynamics.Distances were shorter to insect‐pollinated than to wind‐pollinated plants, and shorter early than late in the season. Mean and median distances to pollen sources were negatively associated to flower availability and edge density in the landscape, but this was not the case for minimal distances.Synthesis and applications. Our findings suggest that the spatial distribution of flowering wild plants can inform movement patterns of lacewings and other flower‐visiting insects in agricultural landscapes. In addition, the location of floral resources in the landscape is important for its capacity to sustain natural enemies. Given the strong reliance of lacewings on pollen from nearby insect pollinated woody plants, the promotion of native shrubs and trees, such as Prunus, Salix and Castanea, should be prioritized for natural enemy enhancement in agricultural landscapes. Doing this in the form of hedgerows or agroforestry systems would lead to only minimal reduction in production areas and provide additional benefits such as biodiversity conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Restoration of degraded former Cumberland Plain Woodland by planting of native trees and shrubs was undertaken by Greening Australia (NSW) on the Cumberland Plain, west of Sydney, Australia, from the mid‐1990s. Our study examined the success of this restoration in stands of two ages using species composition as the criterion. The starting point (pasture) and the target (reference woodland) were sampled to document the extent of progress of species composition from pasture through young (3–5 years) and old (9–11 years) restoration stands to reference woodland across three sites at two surveys. Comparisons showed restored stands of both ages differed significantly from pasture, and from each other, showing decreasing similarity between the restoration stands and pasture at all sites. Despite this, species composition in restored stands at all three sites was still significantly different from reference sites, showing that none had achieved the target reference state after 11 years. The trajectory of restored sites between the two surveys was not towards the reference state. Restoration resulted in the establishment of 20 (71%) of the planted species. Recruits from five planted species were found. A further 40 unplanted native ground layer species were found in restoration. Structurally, tree cover increased with time since restoration and was higher in the restored sites. Ground cover, which was very high in pasture was lower in some restored sites. The majority of the unplanted native species were resprouters, and their presence in the above‐ground vegetation was most likely by vegetative resprouting from the bud‐and‐tuber bank as ground cover was lower with the increase in tree cover and shade. Tree and shrub planting by itself has not yet progressed the restored areas to the species composition of reference sites. Additional tools will be needed to assist restoration, specifically the addition of re‐seeder native plants not able to persist through vegetative resprouting after restoration. Measures to control the burden of weeds present in the pasture seed bank are also required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A theoretical framework for agricultural landscape pattern transitions in rural areas is proposed to fill the gap of current research with an empirical study in the Alabata farm settlement in Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria. Adopting the use of ArcGIS 10.8 and Surfer 27.3 the surface area and volume of the ground surface degraded and exposed to harsh weather conditions due to both natural and man-made anthropogenic activities causing runoffs and continuous soil erosion were calculated, which have affected agricultural production and sent some of the farmers packing, abandoning their farmlands. The farm settlement within the total sampled frame area of 1.50 km2 covers a total distance of 5.11 km. The sample frame was divided into 36 frames with similar ecological microclimates, topographical features, terrain, and soil types that fell into either of the two identified soil types: 1 and 2. The study involved the completion of a questionnaire onsite using three major criteria and only 23 farmers responded positively to the few questions as farmers who were either living on the farm or working as hired laborers on-site at the time of the visit. The transition characteristics of agricultural landscape patterns as represented in abandoned, degraded farmlands and orchards are analyzed from a local perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main object of the article is to show indicator functions of small water bodies (streams, ponds) for 4 rural areas in agricultural landscapes (Belgorod region). In the course of the study the groups of anthropogenic objects with their special impacts are identified and ranked. The correlation between concentrations of chemical forms of biogenic elements (N, P) demonstrates the contribution of typical problems of agricultural landscapes in ecological situation (rural areas) as well as contribution of adjacent urban areas. The results have revealed that some rural areas are particularly susceptible to nitrate or phosphate pollution, possible reasons have been indicated. The approved research methods will be helpful for further improvement of the indicator approach.

The development of renewable energy in agricultural landscapes has led to new debates about siting solar, wind, and other energy projects. Concerns for protecting food production and prime agricultural soils are often leading points of resistance to renewable energy projects. This resistance has grown, even as the urgency of transitioning away from fossil fuels has increased. The economic stakes are high, particularly for farmers seeking to diversify and stabilize farm income with renewables, but few studies have examined the likely magnitude of effects, either on food production or on farm incomes, implied by expanding renewables. How extensively are hosting communities likely to be impacted, and what do farmers stand to gain, or lose, in these debates? Focusing on a portion of New York State (NYS), with its aggressive solar development goals, we evaluated the effects of state solar targets on farmland and the economic potential for farmers leasing land. In comparison to current income from leading crops, land leasing alone would imply an increase of $42 million per year in local revenue, while affecting less than 12 percent of non-food producing, non-prime soils within the study area. The areal impacts are larger in our imaginations than in the real landscapes, and the debate has far-reaching implications for policy beyond farming areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decline of segetal flora species across Europe, driven by intensified agricultural practices, is impacting other taxa and ecosystem functions. Result-based payments to farmers offer an effective solution to conserve these species, but the high cost of biodiversity monitoring remains a challenge. In this study, we conducted UAV flights with an RGB camera and used the deep learning model YOLO to detect these species in four winter barley fields under different management intensities in Germany. Field measurements of plant traits were used to evaluate their impact on species detectability. Additionally, we investigated the potential of spatial co-occurrence and canopy height heterogeneity to predict the presence of species difficult to detect by UAVs. We found that half of the species observed could be remotely detected, with a minimum ground sampling distance (GSD) of 1.22 mm required for accurate annotation. The same detection ratio was estimated for key indicator species not present in our study area based on trait information. Plant height was crucial for species detection, with accuracy ranging between 49–100 %. YOLO models effectively predicted species from images taken at 40 m, reducing the monitoring time to eight minutes per hectare. Co-occurrence with UAV-detectable species and canopy height heterogeneity proved promising for identifying areas where undetectable species are likely to occur, although further research is needed for landscape-level applications. Our study highlights the potential for large-scale, cost-effective monitoring of segetal flora species in agricultural landscapes, and provides valuable insights for developing robust ‘smart indicators’ for future biodiversity monitoring.

ABSTRACTIn agriculture, the geography of specific crops can successfully support productivity monitoring and farming practices management. Vineyards particularly have a key role in modeling and protecting Mediterranean landscapes, representing a fundamental asset in the economies of inner areas. In this paper, we mapped the 2017 coverage of vineyards of the Vulture-Melfese, a specialized agricultural district of Basilicata (Southern Italy) renowned for hosting the Aglianico grapevine variety. To achieve this objective, we combined information extracted from free-accessible multisource data by leveraging the traditional photo-interpretation technique. Then, we characterized the mapped vineyards based on simple geo-environmental variables (size, elevation, climate). This detailed inventory can help public bodies and land managers to shape more specific local agricultural policies to strengthen the profitability of the agricultural sector, preserve agrobiodiversity and face climate change effects.

This paper presents a collaborative work on the impact of the European conquest and colonization on the conception, construction, and management of agropastoral landscapes in Eastern Catamarca (Northwestern Argentina). This research forms part of a broader project that includes case studies from Iberian and Canarian conquest and colonization contexts from the late medieval period onward. Every colonial experiences studied so far were founded on the destruction or severe transformation of the existing society, beginning with the population itself, and the productive areas and practices. The understanding of the new colonial order requires knowledge of the previous conditions upon which further destruction and construction coexisted, as well as the adaptative tools managed both of the indigenous population and of the colonizers in the specific resulting societies. In spite of the local diversity of the new societies, some common trends can be identified in the previous peasant organizations elsewhere and in the aims and methods of the colonization. In this work, we present the main characteristics of the población process of eastern Catamarca, both in the central valley and in the mountain range then known as Sierra de Santiago or, more lately, de Guayamba (present day Ancasti), between the late 16th and 18th centuries. Using both textual and archaeological evidence in an articulated manner, we analyze how the new colonial landscapes and practices were constructed in these two areas, focusing mainly on the procedures of dispossession and the forms of capturing and consuming labor force. One of the main conclusions of the work is that, despite the initial and decisive importance of European-origin livestock in indigenous dispossession, especially in the Sierra de Santiago, the consolidation of the conquest demanded the establishment of settlers who were also farmers. We will present three cases of settlement related to agricultural development involving people initially arriving from afar: on one hand, displaced people resettled in an estancia, family groups formed from ingas who arrived with the Spaniards during the second half of the 16th century from Peru and settled in the Sierra de Santiago, and a community of African-origin slaves associated with the irrigation system of Santa Cruz, in the Catamarca Valley. Then people of regional, Andean and African origins participated in the consolidation of the new order in eastern Catamarca after being dispossessed and displaced from their places of origin. Finally, we propose some lines of future work, taking into account mainly the perspectives of generating knowledge about the colonization process from an archaeological perspective.

The expansion of agricultural landscapes is one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss around the world; the environmental gradients resulting from these landscape changes, however, allow an assessment of how biodiversity responds to environmental change. Functional diversity and mutualistic interactions between plants and animals represent an important aspect of biodiversity. In particular, the interactions between hummingbirds and plants stand out for their morphological specialization. Here, we evaluated how changes in landscape attributes affect the functional diversity and hummingbird-plant interaction networks in the coffee-growing region of the Colombian Andes. We described the functional diversity of hummingbirds and their interaction networks with plants in circular plots with a diameter of 50 m located in forests and coffee agroecosystems distributed along a landscape transformation gradient. We found that network specialization in forests is positively related to forest coverage of the landscape, while the relationship with landscape diversity and heterogeneity was weak. In contrast, we found no relationship between landscape variables and network specialization in coffee agroecosystems where the networks are less specialized and less modular compared to forests. A structural equation model (SEM) showed that hummingbird functional diversity had a significant relationship to landscape structure, while the specialization of hummingbird-plant networks was mainly affected by the amount of forest in the landscape. Although no significant direct relationship was found between hummingbird functional diversity and network specialization, SEMs show that, when considering a mediating role of functional diversity, the specialization R2 coefficient increased. Based on our results, we suggest that changes in the diversity and structure of ecological networks were a consequence of the impacts of human intervention on landscapes and natural habitats.

Abstract Smallholder farms support the livelihoods of 2.5 billion people and their decisions on how to manage their land has profound consequences for the environment and the food security of billions of people. However, farmers' values, norms and resulting management practices are usually not formed in isolation. Triangulating multiple analytical, modelling and simulation methods, we investigated if and how social influence exerted through peer‐to‐peer information exchange affect soil nutrition management among 2734 Indonesian smallholder cocoa farmers across 30 different villages. The results show that the relational structures of these village‐based social networks strongly relate to farmers' use of fertiliser. In villages with highly centralised networks (i.e. hub‐and‐spoke networks where one or very few farmers holds disproportionately central position in the village network), a large majority of farmers report the same fertiliser use, and that practice is typically to avoid using fertilisers. By contrast, in less centralised networks, fertiliser use varies widely. The observed community‐level distributions of fertiliser use can be most closely reproduced through simulations by complex contagion mechanisms in which social influence is only exerted by opinion leaders that are much more socially connected than others. However, even such leaders' abilities to influence others to change fertiliser use may be limited in practice. The combination of our quantitative and qualitative findings provides significant policy implications for development programs targeting smallholder farming communities. An important practical lesson is that common interventions which primarily engage socially central farmers may not be effective in stimulating desired transitions in social‐ecological systems. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Honey bees are vital to human well-being and are under multiple stresses. We need to be able to assess the viability and productivity of honey bee colonies in different landscapes and under different management and climate-change scenarios. We have developed a prototype digital twin, HONEYBEE-pDT, based on the BEEHAVE model, which simulates foraging, population dynamics and Varroa mite infestation of a single honey bee colony. The main input data are land-cover maps and daily weather data. We have developed the pDT for simulating large areas and have tested it for the whole of Germany. We have also developed a web-based GUI that users can use to run the pDT for specific sites. Hive weight data from hundreds of hives will be used for calibration and validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective conservation schemes are needed to advance the dual objectives of biodiversity conservation and agronomic production in agricultural landscapes. Understanding how plant and arthropod taxa respond to both local habitat patch characteristics and landscape complexity is crucial for planning effective agri‐environment schemes. This study investigated the relative effects of local variables (plant and insect diversity ≤100 m from patch habitat center) and landscape variables (landscape composition and configuration metrics ≤5 km from patch habitat center) on the diversity of plants and arthropods within noncrop habitat patches (1) at different spatial extents ranging from 0.1 to 5 km, while (2) quantifying differential effects of local and landscape variables on particular components of diversity (i.e., species richness and abundance), and accounting for (3) particular components of landscape extent (0.1‐, 0.5‐, 1‐, 2‐, and 5‐km radii) and complexity (i.e., landscape composition and configuration). Landscape variables were significantly correlated with local plant and arthropod species richness and abundance at all spatial extents. Biodiversity responses to landscape variables were largely scale‐dependent, as pairwise comparisons were significantly different between all spatial extents except between 1‐ and 2‐km extents, and correlations were lowest at the 5‐km extent. Partial R2 values for predicting local biodiversity were highest when both local and landscape variables were included as predictors of species richness and abundance, increasing from 0.163 to 0.469 when landscape variables were included, underscoring the importance of considering both local and landscape effects on local diversity. Landscape configuration variables accounted for more variation in plant and arthropod species richness than composition variables. However, models performed best when composition and configuration were considered together rather than alone, suggesting that both components of landscape complexity should be considered for identifying and managing conservation areas in crop fields. Existing conservation schemes that incentivize farmers to create or conserve seminatural patch habitat within crop fields may be more effective when combined with landscape‐scale designs that enhance landscape complexity across the Northern Great Plains. Local conservation efforts should be coordinated with landscape‐level efforts to ultimately enhance biodiversity and desired ecosystem service outcomes across agricultural landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Wildlife Research is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Anthropogenic habitat modification can indirectly effect reproduction and survival in social species by changing the group structure and social interactions. We assessed the impact of habitat modification on the fitness and life history traits of a cooperative breeder, the Arabian babbler (Argya squamiceps). We collected spatial, reproductive and social data on 572 individuals belonging to 21 social groups over 6 years and combined it with remote sensing to characterize group territories in an arid landscape. In modified resource‐rich habitats, groups bred more and had greater productivity, but individuals lived shorter lives than in natural habitats. Habitat modification favoured a faster pace‐of‐life with lower dispersal and dominance acquisition ages, which might be driven by higher mortality providing opportunities for the dominant breeding positions. Thus, habitat modification might indirectly impact fitness through changes in social structures. This study shows that trade‐offs in novel anthropogenic opportunities might offset survival costs by increased productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite increasing recognition of the importance of the multiple dimensions of biodiversity, including functional or genetic diversity as well as species diversity, most conservation studies on ecosystem service‐providing insects focus on simple diversity measures such as species richness and abundance. In contrast, relatively little is known about the genetic diversity and resilience of pollinators or natural enemies of crop pests to population fragmentation and local extinction. The genetic diversity and demographic dynamics of remnant populations of beneficial insects in agricultural areas can be a useful indicator proving additional insights into their conservation status, but this is rarely evaluated. Although gene flow between agricultural and seminatural areas is key to maintaining genetic diversity, its extent and directionality remain largely unexplored. Here, we apply a pan‐European sampling protocol to quantify genetic diversity and structure and assess gene flow between agricultural and nearby seminatural landscapes in populations of two key ecosystem service‐providing insect species, the lady beetle Coccinella septempunctata, an important predator of aphids and other crop pests, and the bee pollinator Andrena flavipes. We show that A. flavipes populations are genetically structured at the European level, whereas populations of C. septempunctata experience widespread gene flow across the continent and lack any defined genetic structure. In both species, we found that there is high genetic connectivity between populations established in croplands and nearby seminatural areas and, as a consequence, they harbor similar levels of genetic diversity. Interestingly, demographic models for some regions support asymmetric gene flow from seminatural areas to nearby agricultural landscapes. Collectively, our study demonstrates how seminatural areas can serve as genetic reservoirs of both pollinators and natural enemies for nearby agricultural landscapes, acting as sources for recurrent recolonization and, potentially, contributing to enhancing ecosystem service and crop production resilience in the longer term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The possible co-variation of human occupation and vegetation from the Middle Neolithic to the beginning of the Iron Age (7.5–2.8 ka BP) in Central Sicily in the context of the central Mediterranean between Middle and Late Holocene are analysed in this paper to provide new insights on Sicilian prehistoric demography. The demographic and economic trends during these millennia were reconstructed using archaeological, Accelerator Mass Spectrometry 14C dates, palynological, archaeobotanical, and zooarchaeological data from the northern, central, and southern sectors of Central Sicily through a diachronic comparison with variation in Arboreal Pollen, Anthropogenic Pollen Indicators, Olea-Juglans-Castanea pollen, microcharcoals, and Sporormiella from four pollen cores from sites in different ecosystems. A very significant spread of farming activities was found at the end of the Neolithic, together with an apparent demographic gap during the Middle Copper Age, and the emergence of agricultural landscapes at the end of the Copper Age associated with a striking increase in population. A combination of cultural and climatic changes during the late phase of the Bronze Age resulted in a subsequent overall decrease in population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of People & Nature is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Between 2014 and 2022, a comprehensive analysis was conducted to compare the spring diversity of avifauna, including bird occurrence, density, similarity, and differences between natural biotopes and agrarian landscapes in the Tashkent region. This study assessed changes in avifauna composition resulting from the conversion of natural biotopes into cultivated areas and evaluated the influence of anthropogenic factors on bird behavior. During the spring months of March, April, and May, approximately 205 bird species were recorded. Of these, 186 species were observed in natural biotopes, while 162 species were identified in agrarian landscapes. Notably, 143 species were common to both biotopes, whereas 43 species were exclusive to natural biotopes, and 19 species were found only in agrarian landscapes. The spring avifauna was classified into six categories based on their occurrence: Resident (51 species), Breeding-Migratory (75 species), Migratory-Wintering (34 species), Migratory (25 species), Breeding-Migratory-Wintering (11 species), and Wintering (9 species). The study included a comparative evaluation of bird diversity in natural biotopes and agrocenoses.

The benchmarking of farm environmental sustainability and the monitoring of progress towards more sustainable farming systems is made difficult by the need to aggregate multiple indicators at the relevant spatial scales. We present a novel framework for identifying alternative pathways to improve environmental sustainability in farming systems that addresses this challenge by analysing the co-variance of indicators within a landscape context. A set of sustainability indicators was analysed within the framework of a published set of Farm Management Archetypes (FMAs) that maps the distribution of farming systems in England based on combinations of environmental and management variables. The archetype approach acknowledges that sustainability indicators do not vary independently and that there are regional constraints to potential trajectories of change. Using Pareto Optimisation, we identified optimal combinations of sustainability indicators (“Pareto nodes”) for each FMA independently, and across all FMAs. The relative sustainability of the archetypes with respect to one another was compared based on the proportion of Pareto nodes in each FMA. Potential for improvement in sustainability was derived from distances to the nearest Pareto node (either within or across FMAs), incorporating the cost of transitioning to another archetype based on the similarity of its environmental variables. The indicators with the greatest potential to improve sustainability within archetypes (and, therefore, should have a greater emphasis in guiding management decisions) varied between FMAs. Relatively unsustainable FMAs were identified that also had limited potential to increase within archetype sustainability, indicating regions where more fundamental system changes may be required. The FMA representing the most intensive system of arable production, although relatively unsustainable when compared to all other archetypes, had the greatest internal potential for improvement without transitioning to a different farming system. In contrast, the intensive horticulture FMA had limited internal potential to improve sustainability. The FMAs with the greatest potential for system change as a viable pathway to improved sustainability were dairy, beef and sheep, and rough grazing, moving towards more mixed systems incorporating arable. Geographically, these transitions were concentrated in the west of England, introducing diversity into otherwise homogenous landscapes. Our method allows for an assessment of the potential to improve sustainability across spatial scales, is flexible relative to the choice of sustainability indicators, and—being data-driven—avoids the subjectivity of indicator weightings. The results allow decision makers to explore the opportunity space for beneficial change in a target landscape based on the indicators with most potential to improve sustainability.

A theoretical framework for agricultural landscape pattern transitions in rural areas is proposed to fill the gap of current research with an empirical study in the Alabata farm settlement in Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria. Adopting the use of ArcGIS 10.8 and Surfer 27.3 the surface area and volume of the ground surface degraded and exposed to harsh weather conditions due to both natural and man-made anthropogenic activities causing runoffs and continuous soil erosion were calculated, which have affected agricultural production and sent some of the farmers packing, abandoning their farmlands. The farm settlement within the total sampled frame area of 1.50 km2 covers a total distance of 5.11 km. The sample frame was divided into 36 frames with similar ecological microclimates, topographical features, terrain, and soil types that fell into either of the two identified soil types: 1 and 2. The study involved the completion of a questionnaire onsite using three major criteria and only 23 farmers responded positively to the few questions as farmers who were either living on the farm or working as hired laborers on-site at the time of the visit. The transition characteristics of agricultural landscape patterns as represented in abandoned, degraded farmlands and orchards are analyzed from a local perspective.

Biodiversity monitoring in agricultural landscapes is important for assessing the effects of both land use change and activities that influence farmland biodiversity. Despite a considerable increase in citizen science approaches to biodiversity monitoring in recent decades, their potential in farmland-specific contexts has not been systematically examined. This paper therefore provides a comprehensive review of existing citizen science approaches involving biodiversity monitoring on farmland. Using three complementary methods, we identify a range of programmes at least partially covering farmland. From these, we develop a typology of eight programme types, reflecting distinctions in types of data collected and nature of volunteer involvement, and highlight their respective strengths and limitations. While all eight types can make substantial contributions to farmland biodiversity monitoring, there is considerable scope for their further development—particularly through increased engagement of farmers, for whom receiving feedback on the effects of their own practices could help facilitate adaptive management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Research Objectives: Habitat matrices of intensive agricultural use are generally inhospitable to native bees in fragmented forests. However, in some tropical regions of the world, agricultural landscapes are dominated by traditional agroecosystems, which harbor high plant diversity and are subject to low-intensity management. These agroecosystems can therefore provide suitable habitats and important floral resources for the bee community. The objective of this study was to compare the taxonomic and functional diversity of bees in traditional agroecosystems and forest patches within an agricultural landscape of the Yucatan Peninsula. Methods : Sampling was conducted in two traditional agroecosystems (homegardens and a rainfed polyculture known as milpa) and forest patches as a control (N= 24 sites in total. Hereafter: habitats), using two complementary sampling techniques: pan traps and a sweep net. Taxonomic and functional diversity metrics were calculated and compared among habitats. Results : The three habitats were generally similar in terms of taxonomic and functional diversity. Differences were only detected among habitats in the inverse of Simpson's diversity index and number of functional groups (functional entities), with higher values in the agroecosystems than in the forest. Conclusion : Taxonomic and functional diversity was similar in the traditional agroecosystems and forest patches, suggesting that these agroecosystems can provide temporal adequate resources for most bee functional groups and that movement of bees is possible among these habitats. Conservation Implications: Maintenance of low-intensity management practices and high (agro)biodiversity found in traditional agroecosystems is crucial for the conservation of native bees. It is therefore important to incorporate these systems into management strategies at the landscape level. Since traditional agroecosystems and forests have different land tenure systems (government, private, and communal), conservation strategies at this level require the involvement of different sectors of society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hunting has been banned in Brazil by a Federal Law (No. 5197), except in a few cases where it has been regulated, for over 50 years now. Since then, the country suffered dramatic land use change, especially in its Central-South region. In this study we investigate the possible influence of land use change on hunters' socioeconomic profile (e.g., education, income) and motivation (e.g., leisure or subsistence) in the Central-South Brazil since the implementation of the ban policy. On a systematic literature review we found 18 papers about hunting activities and hunters' profile in this region, one third of which presented evidence of change in hunting activities or in hunters' profile somehow related to land use change since 1967. With this small number of articles, it was not possible to fully assess whether there was a change in hunting culture in the target region as a result of changes in land use. However, the found studies present consistent evidence of changes in hunting culture, especially in regard to a trade on the hunted species, hunting techniques and hunters' profile. Considering the relevance of hunting in agricultural landscapes for wildlife conservation, we hope the present results stimulate further studies on this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In agriculture, the geography of specific crops can successfully support productivity monitoring and farming practices management. Vineyards particularly have a key role in modeling and protecting Mediterranean landscapes, representing a fundamental asset in the economies of inner areas. In this paper, we mapped the 2017 coverage of vineyards of the Vulture-Melfese, a specialized agricultural district of Basilicata (Southern Italy) renowned for hosting the Aglianico grapevine variety. To achieve this objective, we combined information extracted from free-accessible multisource data by leveraging the traditional photo-interpretation technique. Then, we characterized the mapped vineyards based on simple geo-environmental variables (size, elevation, climate). This detailed inventory can help public bodies and land managers to shape more specific local agricultural policies to strengthen the profitability of the agricultural sector, preserve agrobiodiversity and face climate change effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Effective conservation schemes are needed to advance the dual objectives of biodiversity conservation and agronomic production in agricultural landscapes. Understanding how plant and arthropod taxa respond to both local habitat patch characteristics and landscape complexity is crucial for planning effective agri‐environment schemes. This study investigated the relative effects of local variables (plant and insect diversity ≤100 m from patch habitat center) and landscape variables (landscape composition and configuration metrics ≤5 km from patch habitat center) on the diversity of plants and arthropods within noncrop habitat patches (1) at different spatial extents ranging from 0.1 to 5 km, while (2) quantifying differential effects of local and landscape variables on particular components of diversity (i.e., species richness and abundance), and accounting for (3) particular components of landscape extent (0.1‐, 0.5‐, 1‐, 2‐, and 5‐km radii) and complexity (i.e., landscape composition and configuration). Landscape variables were significantly correlated with local plant and arthropod species richness and abundance at all spatial extents. Biodiversity responses to landscape variables were largely scale‐dependent, as pairwise comparisons were significantly different between all spatial extents except between 1‐ and 2‐km extents, and correlations were lowest at the 5‐km extent. Partial R2 values for predicting local biodiversity were highest when both local and landscape variables were included as predictors of species richness and abundance, increasing from 0.163 to 0.469 when landscape variables were included, underscoring the importance of considering both local and landscape effects on local diversity. Landscape configuration variables accounted for more variation in plant and arthropod species richness than composition variables. However, models performed best when composition and configuration were considered together rather than alone, suggesting that both components of landscape complexity should be considered for identifying and managing conservation areas in crop fields. Existing conservation schemes that incentivize farmers to create or conserve seminatural patch habitat within crop fields may be more effective when combined with landscape‐scale designs that enhance landscape complexity across the Northern Great Plains. Local conservation efforts should be coordinated with landscape‐level efforts to ultimately enhance biodiversity and desired ecosystem service outcomes across agricultural landscapes.

Abstract Despite increasing recognition of the importance of the multiple dimensions of biodiversity, including functional or genetic diversity as well as species diversity, most conservation studies on ecosystem service‐providing insects focus on simple diversity measures such as species richness and abundance. In contrast, relatively little is known about the genetic diversity and resilience of pollinators or natural enemies of crop pests to population fragmentation and local extinction. The genetic diversity and demographic dynamics of remnant populations of beneficial insects in agricultural areas can be a useful indicator proving additional insights into their conservation status, but this is rarely evaluated. Although gene flow between agricultural and seminatural areas is key to maintaining genetic diversity, its extent and directionality remain largely unexplored. Here, we apply a pan‐European sampling protocol to quantify genetic diversity and structure and assess gene flow between agricultural and nearby seminatural landscapes in populations of two key ecosystem service‐providing insect species, the lady beetle Coccinella septempunctata, an important predator of aphids and other crop pests, and the bee pollinator Andrena flavipes. We show that A. flavipes populations are genetically structured at the European level, whereas populations of C. septempunctata experience widespread gene flow across the continent and lack any defined genetic structure. In both species, we found that there is high genetic connectivity between populations established in croplands and nearby seminatural areas and, as a consequence, they harbor similar levels of genetic diversity. Interestingly, demographic models for some regions support asymmetric gene flow from seminatural areas to nearby agricultural landscapes. Collectively, our study demonstrates how seminatural areas can serve as genetic reservoirs of both pollinators and natural enemies for nearby agricultural landscapes, acting as sources for recurrent recolonization and, potentially, contributing to enhancing ecosystem service and crop production resilience in the longer term.

Intensive dairy farming, particularly enteric fermentation and manure management, is a major contributor to negative impacts on the local and global environment. A wide range of abatement measures has been proposed to reduce livestock-related emissions, yet the individual and combined effects of these innovations are often unknown. In this study, we performed an attributional life cycle assessment of three innovative measures modeled in two synthetic German dairy farm systems: Feeding of the seaweed Asparagopsis, installing an in-house cow toilet system, and performing on-field slurry acidification. These measures were modeled both individually and in combination to account for single and cumulative effects and compared to a reference scenario under current practices. Our results showed that feeding high levels of Asparagopsis and the combination of all three measures were most effective at reducing global warming potential (20–30 %), while only the latter mitigated eutrophication (6–9%) and acidification potential (14–17 %). The cow toilet required additional adapted manure management (separated storage and injection of urine) to effectively reduce eutrophication (8–10 %) and acidification potential (19–23 %) and to decrease global warming potential (3–4%) and abiotic depletion (4–5%). Slurry acidification slightly affected all considered environmental impact categories. All three measures involved trade-offs, either between LCA impact categories (global warming potential vs. abiotic depletion), the location of impacts (off- vs. on-farm), or the emission reduction in individual gases (ammonia vs. nitrous oxide). Measure combinations could compensate for the observed trade-offs. Our study highlights the potential of novel abatement measures but also shows the interdependencies of measures in different stages. This calls for a revisiting of current priorities in funding and legislation, which often focus on single objectives and measures (e.g. ammonia reduction) toward the preferential use of measures that are effective without driving trade-offs or improving resource efficiency.

Many field studies have reported that natural habitats in the agricultural landscape are associated with increased predator abundance and/or decreased crop pest load. However, recently published meta-analyses have found mixed results, with natural habitats being associated with increased pest loads as often as decreased loads. We investigate possible reasons for these conflicting results using a mechanistic model that simulates the dynamics of a generalist, omnivorous predatory bug and a plant bug pest in a landscape consisting of a 1 km2 annual field crop monoculture bisected by a 60 m wide natural habitat strip. The model simulates the movement of adult predators in the landscape via both trivial movement and long-distance dispersal, along with the movement of energy and egg reserves carried by those predators. We simulate multiple scenarios varying the presence or absence of floral resources and alternate prey in the natural habitat and crop, and the presence or absence of overwintering refuges for the predator and pest insect in the natural habitat. Food resources provided to the predator by the natural habitat did not enhance natural control in adjacent crops. When the natural habitat served as an overwintering refuge for predators, natural control of pests was enhanced if food resources were available in the crop for those predators. Availability of alternate prey was more important to the predator than floral resources. Early-season crop pest loads were always increased when pest insects overwintered in the natural habitat, however early-season availability of pest insects enhanced natural control across the whole-season. Overall, crop pest loads were highly variable across simulation scenarios, reproducing the conflicting results from field research.

Citizen science approaches are promising for raising awareness about the sensitivity of pollinators to environmental changes and simultaneously gathering data about their biology. Questions remain, however, about citizens’ ability to gather accurate data. Here, we present a citizen science monitoring approach of cavity-nesting wild bees and wasps in agricultural landscapes across Germany. By using nesting observation blocks (NOBs), which consist of individual wooden boards screwed together, volunteers record the colonisation and development of cavity-nesting Hymenoptera. To do this, they open the NOBs monthly and photograph each board individually. We tested if volunteers can be trained to accurately identify taxa from photographs by offering identification courses and an online quiz. For that purpose, twelve volunteers without taxonomic knowledge identified and counted larvae and cocoons of wild bees and wasps in 4,203 occupied cavities: 92.4% were correctly identified, 4.8% were incorrectly identified, and 2.8% were unidentifiable by experts. These results indicated that volunteers unfamiliar with these taxonomic groups successfully gained a high level of knowledge within one season supported by identification trainings. Using Wald chi-square tests, successful identification was mainly affected by the variability of the taxon. In view of increasing public demand for habitat restoration to halt and counteract declining pollinator populations, the proposed citizen science monitoring approach offers an opportunity for every interested citizen, regardless of their background knowledge, to engage with wild bees and wasps, and gain knowledge about their ecology.

This study examines soil properties in 30- and 60-year-old agricultural biocorridors and provides a comparative overview with neighbouring farmland. Both mixed and undisturbed soil samples were collected from six farmland/biocorridor study areas to assess a wide spectrum of physical, hydrophysical, chemical and biological soil properties. Biocorridor soils were characterised by higher water retention capacities, porosity, aeration and soil carbon stock, the latter increasing with depth. On the other hand, biocorridor bulk density under forest vegetation cover was lower, indicating progressive soil restoration. Slightly lower soil reactions in biocorridor soils disproved the hypothesis that nutrient-rich soils under biocorridors would form substrates with a high base cation content, leading to soil acidification. Biological activity, expressed through respiration coefficients, was generally low due to unfavourable physical conditions (clayey or silty-clay substrates), with the lowest levels in biocorridors. Nevertheless, biocorridor soil microbiota displayed more effective utilisation of organic matter as a carbon and nitrogen source, with lighter-textured soils tending to show more effective organic matter utilisation after excluding the influence of land use. Our results confirm biocorridors as an important landscape component, contributing to both soil stability and local revitalisation of soil environments and further emphasising their potential as climate-change mitigation tools in their role as carbon sinks.

The development of renewable energy in agricultural landscapes has led to new debates about siting solar, wind, and other energy projects. Concerns for protecting food production and prime agricultural soils are often leading points of resistance to renewable energy projects. This resistance has grown, even as the urgency of transitioning away from fossil fuels has increased. The economic stakes are high, particularly for farmers seeking to diversify and stabilize farm income with renewables, but few studies have examined the likely magnitude of effects, either on food production or on farm incomes, implied by expanding renewables. How extensively are hosting communities likely to be impacted, and what do farmers stand to gain, or lose, in these debates? Focusing on a portion of New York State (NYS), with its aggressive solar development goals, we evaluated the effects of state solar targets on farmland and the economic potential for farmers leasing land. In comparison to current income from leading crops, land leasing alone would imply an increase of $42 million per year in local revenue, while affecting less than 12 percent of non-food producing, non-prime soils within the study area. The areal impacts are larger in our imaginations than in the real landscapes, and the debate has far-reaching implications for policy beyond farming areas.

Intensified agricultural production systems relying on larger field sizes and homogeneous landscapes result in land degradation, biodiversity losses, and impaired ecosystem services, particularly regulating services such as water and climate regulation. A multifunctional landscape composition and configuration promises higher ecosystem functionality by balancing ecological and economic provisioning functionality for food, fuel, and fiber. However, to the best of our knowledge, not much is known about the synergies and trade-offs of different landscape compositions and configurations and landscape designs providing ecosystem functionality in economic and ecological dimensions. We addressed the question whether the ecosystem functionality of agricultural landscapes can be improved at given levels of economic valuation. We quantified potential improvements of ecosystem functionality through multifunctional landscape composition and configuration. We identified agricultural landscapes that provide high ecosystem functionality at their level of economic valuation, given that such regions may serve as role models for a target landscape composition. Using an eco-efficiency approach based on the non-parametric order -m estimator, we quantified potential improvements of ecosystem functionality at the agricultural landscapes scale. We used the 20 km2 hexagonal grid level in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. We described landscape composition and configuration using spatially explicit land cover data from the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS); land value data indicated the economic output of the landscape. We investigated robustness of our results under different grid specifications (10–50 km2) and using subsamples of regions with similar environmental conditions. We found on average high eco-efficiency of agricultural landscapes in the study region. We also found notable improvement potentials in at least one ecological indicator that were spatially clustered. The results suggest the potential for Pareto improvements, i.e., increasing landscape eco-efficiency without sacrificing economic outputs. We present a novel empirical approach to evaluate the eco-efficiency of agricultural landscapes and investigate spatial patterns of eco-efficiency at the landscape scale. We modeled landscapes' potential multifunctionality at a fine regional scale using indicators for landscape composition and configuration based on spatially explicit and highly granular land use and land management data. We relied on publicly available data, and our approach can serve to develop monitoring or policy evaluation at the landscape scale. [Display omitted] • Multifunctional landscape composition and configuration promises higher ecosystem functionality. • We quantify improvement potentials of ecosystem functionality for a given level of economic output. • Eco-efficiency analysis uses granular spatially explicit data to represent economic output and ecosystem functionality. • Agricultural landscapes show spatially clustered improvement potentials in at least one ecological dimension. • Approach can serve to develop and monitor locally adapted policies at landscape scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Benchmarking farm sustainability requires methodologies for integrating indicators. • Sustainability indicators were quantified for different farm archetypes. • The opportunity space for improving sustainability within archetypes was variable. • The potential for moving to a more sustainable archetype was quantified and mapped. The benchmarking of farm environmental sustainability and the monitoring of progress towards more sustainable farming systems is made difficult by the need to aggregate multiple indicators at the relevant spatial scales. We present a novel framework for identifying alternative pathways to improve environmental sustainability in farming systems that addresses this challenge by analysing the co-variance of indicators within a landscape context. A set of sustainability indicators was analysed within the framework of a published set of Farm Management Archetypes (FMAs) that maps the distribution of farming systems in England based on combinations of environmental and management variables. The archetype approach acknowledges that sustainability indicators do not vary independently and that there are regional constraints to potential trajectories of change. Using Pareto Optimisation, we identified optimal combinations of sustainability indicators ("Pareto nodes") for each FMA independently, and across all FMAs. The relative sustainability of the archetypes with respect to one another was compared based on the proportion of Pareto nodes in each FMA. Potential for improvement in sustainability was derived from distances to the nearest Pareto node (either within or across FMAs), incorporating the cost of transitioning to another archetype based on the similarity of its environmental variables. The indicators with the greatest potential to improve sustainability within archetypes (and, therefore, should have a greater emphasis in guiding management decisions) varied between FMAs. Relatively unsustainable FMAs were identified that also had limited potential to increase within archetype sustainability, indicating regions where more fundamental system changes may be required. The FMA representing the most intensive system of arable production, although relatively unsustainable when compared to all other archetypes, had the greatest internal potential for improvement without transitioning to a different farming system. In contrast, the intensive horticulture FMA had limited internal potential to improve sustainability. The FMAs with the greatest potential for system change as a viable pathway to improved sustainability were dairy, beef and sheep, and rough grazing, moving towards more mixed systems incorporating arable. Geographically, these transitions were concentrated in the west of England, introducing diversity into otherwise homogenous landscapes. Our method allows for an assessment of the potential to improve sustainability across spatial scales, is flexible relative to the choice of sustainability indicators, and—being data-driven—avoids the subjectivity of indicator weightings. The results allow decision makers to explore the opportunity space for beneficial change in a target landscape based on the indicators with most potential to improve sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The escalating pace of climate change and biodiversity loss has energized endeavors to expand protected areas. Recent studies find that agricultural land may play a vital role in tackling climate change and promoting biodiversity. However, most agricultural protection areas (APAs) are implemented based solely on agricultural production characteristics, and there are limited strategies that incorporate other conservation goals. We combined Systematic Conservation Planning (SCP) principles, optimization algorithms, and the Ecosystem Service framework to identify potential APAs and explore the trade-offs in promoting the multifunctionality of agricultural land. We conducted our study in the Treasure Valley, Idaho, where we generated four optimization scenarios. 1. Agricultural Productivity 2. Climate Mitigation 3. Wildlife Habitat 4. Combined Ecosystem Services. We compared the four scenarios based on their a) ability to protect cultivated land, b) potential to contribute to climate mitigation, c) protection of important biodiversity habitat, and d) economic cost. We found that the Climate Mitigation, Wildlife Habitat, and Combined Ecosystem Services scenarios protected a more even distribution of ecosystem services without sacrificing the amount of cultivated land protected. We found that the Agricultural Productivity scenario resulted in the lowest total cost; however, the other scenarios protected a larger area at a lower cost per unit area. The inclusion of multiple objectives showed strong potential to help reach global conservation goals. Our work adds to the body of literature on the role of private land in protecting natural resources and is a starting point for future research to guide agricultural land protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mosaic landscapes, environmental heterogeneity has been pointed out as an outstanding driver of emergent biodiversity patterns. Whether environmental heterogeneity elicits an increasing, decreasing or hump-shaped response of biodiversity depends on species, scale and type of agricultural land use and management. In this study, we analyzed ground-dwelling ant diversity in agroecosystems of Southern Dry Chaco (SDC) at local and landscape scales. We carried out the study along a gradient of agriculture intensification, taking into account five land-use and land-cover (LULC) classes: fallow lands, secondary forests, pastures, woody crops and herbaceous crops. We analyzed ant species richness and community composition in relation to local environmental heterogeneity as well as to landscape compositional heterogeneity. Changes in ant community composition were mainly related to species replacement along the LULC gradient, with fallow lands and secondary forests harboring the highest ant species richness. Biotic heterogeneity, promoted by vegetation, explained the pattern of ant diversity at local scale, whereas dissimilarity between neighboring LULC types explained ant species richness at landscape scale. Our findings highlight the importance of promoting natural and semi-natural vegetation as well as managing landscape compositional structure to enhance ant diversity in agroecosystems of the SDC. • Land use and land cover lead to changes in ant species richness and community composition in agroecosystems of Dry Chaco. • Ground-dwelling ant species richness decreases in land under agricultural intensification. • Lands with natural and semi-natural vegetation harbor most of ground-dwelling ant species richness. • Contrast between neighboring plots affected negatively ant species richness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• In silico landscape experiments reproduce conflicting results from field research. • Food resources in natural habitats may be insufficient to enhance natural control. • Predators overwintering in natural habitats require food resources in adjacent crops. • Natural habitats can enhance natural control by being a source of alternate prey. • Pest insects from natural habitats do not always increase crop pest loads. Many field studies have reported that natural habitats in the agricultural landscape are associated with increased predator abundance and/or decreased crop pest load. However, recently published meta -analyses have found mixed results, with natural habitats being associated with increased pest loads as often as decreased loads. We investigate possible reasons for these conflicting results using a mechanistic model that simulates the dynamics of a generalist, omnivorous predatory bug and a plant bug pest in a landscape consisting of a 1 km2 annual field crop monoculture bisected by a 60 m wide natural habitat strip. The model simulates the movement of adult predators in the landscape via both trivial movement and long-distance dispersal, along with the movement of energy and egg reserves carried by those predators. We simulate multiple scenarios varying the presence or absence of floral resources and alternate prey in the natural habitat and crop, and the presence or absence of overwintering refuges for the predator and pest insect in the natural habitat. Food resources provided to the predator by the natural habitat did not enhance natural control in adjacent crops. When the natural habitat served as an overwintering refuge for predators, natural control of pests was enhanced if food resources were available in the crop for those predators. Availability of alternate prey was more important to the predator than floral resources. Early-season crop pest loads were always increased when pest insects overwintered in the natural habitat, however early-season availability of pest insects enhanced natural control across the whole-season. Overall, crop pest loads were highly variable across simulation scenarios, reproducing the conflicting results from field research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To increase pollinator populations, international policy targets minimum levels of seminatural habitat cover, but it is unknown whether improving the quality of existing habitats could bring similar benefits without the need of reducing cropland area. Using data we collected in 26 Italian agricultural landscapes during the entire flying season, we explored the relative importance of habitat quantity (seminatural habitat cover) and quality (flower availability) on pollinator densities in seminatural habitats. We obtained transect-based counts and estimated the effect of habitat quantity (proportion of seminatural habitat) and quality (flower cover and richness) on wild bee and hoverfly densities. We used the relationships revealed in the data to simulate pollinator population sizes in landscapes with varying habitat quantity and quality. Wild bee densities were only related to flower availability, whereas hoverfly densities were additionally related to seminatural habitat cover. We found that in complex agricultural landscapes (above 15% seminatural habitat cover), improving habitat quality increased pollinator populations more effectively than increasing habitat quantity. However, increasing habitat quantity was by far the most effective approach for boosting pollinator populations in simple landscapes., (© 2024 The Author(s). Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.)

Intensive dairy farming, particularly enteric fermentation and manure management, is a major contributor to negative impacts on the local and global environment. A wide range of abatement measures has been proposed to reduce livestock-related emissions, yet the individual and combined effects of these innovations are often unknown. In this study, we performed an attributional life cycle assessment of three innovative measures modeled in two synthetic German dairy farm systems: Feeding of the seaweed Asparagopsis , installing an in-house cow toilet system, and performing on-field slurry acidification. These measures were modeled both individually and in combination to account for single and cumulative effects and compared to a reference scenario under current practices. Our results showed that feeding high levels of Asparagopsis and the combination of all three measures were most effective at reducing global warming potential (20-30 %), while only the latter mitigated eutrophication (6-9%) and acidification potential (14-17 %). The cow toilet required additional adapted manure management (separated storage and injection of urine) to effectively reduce eutrophication (8-10 %) and acidification potential (19-23 %) and to decrease global warming potential (3-4%) and abiotic depletion (4-5%). Slurry acidification slightly affected all considered environmental impact categories. All three measures involved trade-offs, either between LCA impact categories (global warming potential vs. abiotic depletion), the location of impacts (off- vs. on-farm), or the emission reduction in individual gases (ammonia vs. nitrous oxide). Measure combinations could compensate for the observed trade-offs. Our study highlights the potential of novel abatement measures but also shows the interdependencies of measures in different stages. This calls for a revisiting of current priorities in funding and legislation, which often focus on single objectives and measures (e.g. ammonia reduction) toward the preferential use of measures that are effective without driving trade-offs or improving resource efficiency., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

This study examines soil properties in 30- and 60-year-old agricultural biocorridors and provides a comparative overview with neighbouring farmland. Both mixed and undisturbed soil samples were collected from six farmland/biocorridor study areas to assess a wide spectrum of physical, hydrophysical, chemical and biological soil properties. Biocorridor soils were characterised by higher water retention capacities, porosity, aeration and soil carbon stock, the latter increasing with depth. On the other hand, biocorridor bulk density under forest vegetation cover was lower, indicating progressive soil restoration. Slightly lower soil reactions in biocorridor soils disproved the hypothesis that nutrient-rich soils under biocorridors would form substrates with a high base cation content, leading to soil acidification. Biological activity, expressed through respiration coefficients, was generally low due to unfavourable physical conditions (clayey or silty-clay substrates), with the lowest levels in biocorridors. Nevertheless, biocorridor soil microbiota displayed more effective utilisation of organic matter as a carbon and nitrogen source, with lighter-textured soils tending to show more effective organic matter utilisation after excluding the influence of land use. Our results confirm biocorridors as an important landscape component, contributing to both soil stability and local revitalisation of soil environments and further emphasising their potential as climate-change mitigation tools in their role as carbon sinks., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)