Search

Habitat quality heterogeneity is one of the concrete manifestations of landscape pattern changes caused by human activities, which is of great significance to improve habitat quality by optimizing landscape pattern, thus scientifically protecting biodiversity and promoting ecological civilization construction. The coupling of rapid urbanization and ecological restoration measures has had a significant influence on the habitat quality of fragile and fragmented karst mountainous cities in recent years. In this study, spatiotemporal dynamics and heterogeneity of habitat quality and the impact of landscape patterns on habitat quality are analyzed in Guiyang, a typical karst mountain city in southwest China, mainly using the key methodologies such as the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model, Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA), and hierarchical partitioning (HP). We found that the habitat quality index of Guiyang City improved from 0.6643 to 0.6988 during 2000–2019; the distribution of habitat quality has significant spatiotemporal heterogeneity and spatial aggregation effect with the low values or the decreased areas concentrated in and around the built-up areas or urbanization expansion areas. Landscape composition had greater contribution than landscape configuration to habitat quality. The increased areas of natural habitat have had a positive effect on habitat quality. Moreover, each landscape configuration had a significant positive or negative correlation with the habitat quality. Therefore, implementing ecological protection and restoration measures in karst mountainous cities might be an effective strategy to improve habitat quality during rapid urbanization. Furthermore, optimizing habitat patterns, reducing the habitats loss, and protecting the natural habitat integrity are crucial to improving and maintaining biodiversity in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Mediterranean landscapes from Europe have undergone recent biodiversity changes. The intensification of human activities and the fragmentation of open habitats now affect many taxonomic groups, such as dung beetles, which have benefited from centuries of extensive herding. Nevertheless, dung beetles' responses to landscape composition have been rarely investigated in this context. Objectives: We explored how dung beetle communities (species occurrences, abundances and traits) were influenced by temperature and by soil and landscape characteristics and examined residual co-occurrence patterns that may reflect interspecific interactions. Methods: We used an extensive dataset on Scarabaeinae dung beetles from southern France (31 species, 117 sites) to evaluate how landscape composition and fragmentation, climate and soil characteristics jointly influence dung beetle communities across this region. We used hierarchical joint species distribution models to characterize (co)variation in the responses of species and to connect such responses to species-specific traits. Results: Temperature, soil and landscape characteristics shape dung beetle communities and species' thermal tolerance was connected to their soil preferences. Fragmentation was negatively associated with beetle abundance while forest cover was positively associated with species richness and with abundance. There was little evidence of residual associations among dung beetle species, suggesting that species interactions do not play a major role in community assembly. Conclusion: K-selected species were over-represented among the rarest species. The effects of fragmentation and forest cover indicate that a conservation plan based on connected, heterogeneous habitats with low-density grazing should be promoted to preserve ecological functions linked to these insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the widespread threat of habitat loss, managers of imperiled species commonly focus on restoring habitat to encourage species establishment (i.e., the field of dreams hypothesis). Habitat management strategies for the rare New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) have largely followed the field of dreams hypothesis, focusing on increasing the area of young and regenerating forest throughout the species' range to increase populations of the species. Recently researchers indicated that these practices may not be as effective when the introduced eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) co‐occupies patches with the New England cottontail. Using data from the New England Cottontail Regional Monitoring Program collected in Connecticut, USA, from 2016–2020 and geospatial data to create dynamic occupancy models, we determined how both patch and landscape characteristics influence New England cottontail and eastern cottontail occupancy patterns. We ran 4 dynamic occupancy models: 1 at the patch scale and 1 at the landscape scale for each species. Large patches and short interpatch distances increased both species' occupancy patterns more than vegetation height <2.5 m. New England cottontail occupancy and colonization positively responded to the amount of shrublands within the landscape and weakly responded to forest regeneration, the vegetation type most commonly created by management actions for the species. New England cottontail colonization probability was low at both the patch and landscape scale, and lower than extinction probabilities, suggesting the current landscape may not be sufficient to allow metapopulations to persist. Overall, our results indicate that solely focusing on habitat restoration, or applying the field of dreams hypothesis, to conserve New England cottontail, a species that is area dependent, dispersal limited, and threatened by an introduced competitor, does not promote species persistence on the landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat loss is considered a major threat for biodiversity. However, the scales on which its effects occur are still insufficiently understood, namely, is the amount of available habitat important for species richness on both local and landscape scales? We studied the effects of local and landscape‐scale habitat amount on local‐scale species density of deadwood‐dependent lichens in Swedish boreal forests. Creation and retention of deadwood are common practices to benefit forest biodiversity, and recognizing the relevant scale is critical for them to be successful.We surveyed deadwood‐dependent lichens in 90 unmanaged forest stands that differed in the local and landscape habitat amount. The local habitat amount was measured as the amount of deadwood in the sampled stands (m2 deadwood ha−1), while six alternative proxies were used to estimate the landscape habitat amount, that is, the amount of deadwood in the surrounding landscapes. Lichen species density (number of species per standardized deadwood area of 3.7 m2) was modelled as a function of local and landscape habitat amount at multiple scales (300 m–5 km from the stands).Lichen species density increased with the landscape habitat amount. The proportion of old forests (>100 years, including newly clear‐cut stands that until recently were old forests) within 5 km from the stands explained species density better than the other proxies of landscape habitat amount. Local deadwood amount did not affect species density, and there was no interaction between the local and landscape habitat amount.Synthesis and applications: To promote the conservation of deadwood‐dependent lichens, the amount of old forests in managed forest landscapes should be maintained or increased. A certain amount of deadwood hosted more lichen species when situated in a landscape with more old forest, while there was no effect of the local deadwood amount. This suggests that management aimed at increasing the local species density of deadwood‐dwelling lichens should focus on creating and maintaining habitat in the surrounding landscape rather than only adding deadwood to that local site. In other words, effective management for deadwood‐dependent lichen diversity requires landscape‐scale habitat protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensively managed agricultural landscapes often lack suitable habitats to support diverse wildlife, particularly harming pollinator communities. Besides mass flowering crops, remnant patches of natural and semi‐natural vegetation may play a key role in maintaining and conserving biodiversity. Yet, the effects of different natural habitats, including forests and grasslands, on different pollinator communities are poorly understood at the landscape scale.We examined the abundance, richness, and diversity of wild bees and hoverflies, two key pollinator groups, across a land‐use gradient spanning forest edges, grassland, wildflower strips, and sunflower monoculture. We also examined the distribution of hoverfly larvae trophic guilds and wild bee nesting traits across the above‐mentioned land‐use gradient. Finally, we evaluated the impact of landscape structure (forest, grassland, and water cover in the surrounding landscape) on pollinator community composition.Our results indicate that forest and grassland habitats supported a higher abundance and greater richness of pollinators than wildflower strips and sunflower monocultures. Furthermore, hoverflies were more sensitive to habitat and floristic homogenization than wild bees. Sunflower and wildflower habitats also hosted a lower diversity of larvae trophic guilds and wild bee nesting guilds as compared to forests and grasslands.Our study suggests that conserving and restoring forest and grassland habitats within agricultural mosaics may serve as the main 'refuge' for wild pollinators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural intensification and expansion has been suggested to be a major driver of the loss of biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. Recent studies have shown that landscape‐level effects in addition to on‐site management are of significant importance for insect declines.We here compared carabid beetle (Coleoptera, Carabidae) assemblages of wet meadows among three pairs of highly fragmented 'modern' and less fragmented 'traditional' agricultural landscapes, using pitfall trapping.Taxonomic diversity and abundance of Carabidae did not differ between modern and traditional landscapes, whereas the proportions of brachypterous, large‐bodied, and habitat specialist species were lower in modern compared to traditional landscapes.These results suggest that landscape type affects functional rather than taxonomic carabid beetle diversity, based on species turnover.To preserve functional diversity in agricultural landscapes, conservation strategies should consider the landscape level in addition to on‐site management, by securing connectivity between remnants of semi‐natural habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural expansion and intensification are major drivers of global change. Quantifying the importance of different processes governing the assembly of local communities in agroecosystems is essential to guide the conservation effort allocated to enhancing habitat connectivity, improving habitat quality or managing species interactions. We used multiple detection methods to record the occurrence of medium‐sized and large‐sized mammals in three managed landscapes of a heterogeneous Mediterranean region. Then we used a joint species distribution model to evaluate the relative influence of dispersal limitation, environmental filtering, and interspecific interactions on the local assembly of mammal communities in 4‐km2 plots. The partitioning of the explained variation in species occurrence was attributed on average 99% to environmental filters and 1% to dispersal filters. No role was attributed to biotic filters, in agreement with the scarce support for strong competition or other negative interactions found after a literature review. Four principal environmental factors explained on average 63% of variance in species occurrence and operated mainly at the landscape scale. The amount of shrub cover in the neighboring landscape was the most influential factor favoring mammal occurrence and accounted for nearly one‐third of the total variance. The proportion of intensively managed croplands and proxies of human activity within landscape samples limited mammal presence. At the microhabitat scale (~80 m2 plots) the mean percentage area deprived of woody vegetation also had a negative effect. Functional traits such as body mass or social behavior accounted for a substantial fraction of the variation attributed to environmental factors. We concluded that multiscale environmental filtering governed local community assembly, whereas the role of dispersal limitation and interspecific interactions was negligible. Our results suggest that further removal of shrubland, the expansion of intensive agriculture, and the increase of human activity are expected to result in species losses. The fact that community integrity responds to a single type of ecological process simplifies practical recommendations. Management strategies should focus on the conservation and restoration of shrubland, adopting alternatives to intensive schemes of agricultural production, and minimizing recreational and other human activities in remnant natural habitats within agroecosystems or mosaic landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insects of the order Coleoptera play an essential role in agricultural sustainability by supporting many ecosystem services (such as biological control, nutrient cycling or pollination). In agroecosystems, the Coleoptera community may be influenced by the surrounding landscape, which can provide living resources, like food or shelter, during different seasons, originating spillover movements between different environments.The present study aimed to evaluate the response of the Coleoptera community to the landscape surrounding vineyards at different buffers. For that, Coleoptera were sampled in six wine protected designation of origin (PDO) regions of Portugal (35 vineyards), and landscape configuration and composition metrics were calculated at buffers of 500, 750, 1000, 1500 and 2000 m radii around the vineyards.In total, 2954 Coleoptera individuals belonging to 36 families were collected. The most abundant families were Chrysomelidae, Coccinellidae and Latridiidae. Results indicated that intermediate habitat fragmentation levels, particularly in semi‐natural areas and vineyards, favoured Coleoptera biodiversity in vine‐producing regions. Moreover, the range of activity of Coleoptera seems to be larger than 1000 m.This work constitutes an important contribution to understanding the response of the Coleoptera community to the landscape context in vineyards in Portugal and contributes to the theoretical framework about the influence of habitat fragmentation on biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-crop habitats, depending on their composition, can enhance the abundance and diversity of natural enemies of crop pests, but also at the same time provide resources to pests, thereby reducing the effect on pest incidence and resulting yield losses. The objective of the present study was to test (1) the effect of semi-natural habitats in the landscape on crop colonization by pests and natural regulation, and (2) the relationship between natural regulation and pest incidence. The pearl millet head miner (MHM) was selected as a case study because it is a key pest of millet cultivated in traditional pesticide-free tree-crop agroforestry systems in which its control mostly relies on the action of natural enemies. A set of 24 millet fields were selected in a 20×20 km area in Senegal, from the analysis of high-resolution satellite images (Pléiades), and hypotheses on the relative abundance of semi-natural habitats (here trees and rangelands) in the agricultural landscape. Millet fields were monitored for pest infestation of panicles and pest natural regulation. We used partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-PM) to evaluate the relationships between the abundance and diversity of semi-natural habitats at the landscape scale, crop colonization, natural pest regulation, and pest incidence. Panicle colonization by the MHM was generally high (14–92%) and increased with the abundance of trees and to a lesser extent with the rangeland area at a 1000 m-radius around millet fields. However, regulation provided by natural enemies was amplified by the abundance of trees at a local scale (250 m-radius around millet fields). This was particularly true at early crop colonization of the MHM with parasitism and direct predation on eggs and young larvae. This multi-scale effect of semi-natural habitats on crop colonization and natural regulation could explain why no clear relationship between crop colonization and pest incidence, nor natural regulation and pest incidence, was observed. Future studies on the identification of complex species-specific interactions between trees and natural enemies should provide a better understanding of the ecological processes underlying the performance of natural regulation of MHM populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat loss can increase the susceptibility of individuals to parasitic infections, and hence, parasite load can serve as an early warning indicator of stress before the persistence of a population becomes threatened. In this study, we tested the effects of patch characteristics, isolation and landscape composition resulting from habitat loss on the tick load of individuals from central populations of the Eastern Green Lizard Lacerta viridis. We identified the spatial scale at which each landscape composition parameter has the strongest effect and evaluated its effects at this scale. Additionally, we tested the relationships between tick load and population density and body condition (BC) to understand possible mechanisms that determine tick loads in populations. We found that tick load was not affected by host population density. BC was not found to be affected by tick load, but BC did have a negative effect on lizards' tick loads. The proportion of habitat and cropland in the landscape and patch size had positive effects on tick loads, whereas the proportion of urbanized areas, isolation and perimeter/area ratio had negative effects. We discuss our finding in the context of how the landscape can affect tick populations and other potential hosts. We conclude that tick load can be a suitable early warning indicator of negative effects of habitat loss, reflecting the susceptibility of lizards to infestation. We suggest that this indicator be included in monitoring programs aiming at evaluating the status of populations of L. viridis in modified landscapes, and recommend that conservation measures be focused on the protection of habitat at broader scales to compensate negative effects of cropland and urbanized areas occurring at small scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Recognized as a critical ecosystem service in farmland, pollination is threatened by the decline of pollinators, notably due the homogenization of the landscape and the decline of floral resources. However, there is still a limited understanding of the interplay between landscape features and the pulses of floral resources provided by mass-flowering crops. Objective: The goals of this study were to (i) determine how pollination efficiency varies with the amount of floral resources at field and landscape scales through the oilseed rape (OSR) flowering period and (ii) quantify the magnitude of the pollination processes involved. Methods: Pollination efficiency (fruiting success) was measured using OSR plant phytometers placed in grasslands, cereals and OSR fields varying in quantity of floral resources at both field and landscape scales. The individual contributions of different processes to pollination were determined using a bagging experiment on plant phytometers. Results: Pollination efficiency was enhanced during both the temporal period and in landscapes with a high amount of OSR flowers, and semi-natural habitats as a result of higher pollinator presence. The bagging experiment also supported a complementarity between habitats for pollinators, as insect-pollination in grasslands and cereals was higher after OSR flowering, especially in OSR-rich landscapes, in regard to large-insect-pollination. Conclusions: The floral resource availability drives insect-pollination through attraction, spillover, and spatial and temporal complementarities between habitats. These results suggest that maximizing pollination efficiency in farmland landscapes partly consisting of OSR fields should include a combination of habitats that provide continuous floral resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Agriculture is one of the greatest pressures on biodiversity. Regional studies have shown that the presence of natural habitat and landscape heterogeneity are beneficial for biodiversity in agriculture, but it remains unclear whether their importance varies geographically. Here, we use local biodiversity data to determine which local and landscape variables are most associated with biodiversity patterns and whether their association varies between tropical and non‐tropical regions. Location: Global terrestrial area in forest biomes. Major taxa studied: More than 21,000 species of vertebrates, invertebrates, plants and other taxa. Methods: We used generalized linear mixed‐effects models to analyse the relationships between either community total abundance or species richness (derived from the PREDICTS database) and a number of site‐level (predominant land use and land‐use intensity) and landscape‐level variables (distance to forest, the percentage of natural habitat in the surrounding landscape, landscape homogeneity, the number of land‐cover types in the landscape, and total fertilizer application). We compared the associations of these variables with biodiversity in tropical and non‐tropical regions. Results: In most cases, changes in biodiversity associated with landscape‐level variables were greater than those associated with local land use and land‐use intensity. Increased natural habitat availability was associated with the most consistent increases in biodiversity. Landscape homogeneity was also important but showed different directions of biodiversity change between regions. Associations with fertilizer application or the number of land‐cover types were generally weaker, although still of greater magnitude than for the local land‐use measures. Main conclusions: Our results highlight similarities and differences in the association of local‐ and landscape‐scale variables with local biodiversity in tropical and non‐tropical regions. Landscape natural habitat availability had a consistent positive association with biodiversity, highlighting the key role of landscape management in the maintenance of biodiversity in croplands. Landscape‐scale variables were almost always associated with greater changes in biodiversity than the local‐scale measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Forest loss and fragmentation are major drivers of biodiversity decline globally. However, with the widely recognised notion that biodiversity is multifaceted, few studies have assessed the responses of different diversity metrics to forest landscape changes. Objectives: Here, we used a multifaceted approach to assess the effects of landscape composition, forest fragmentation (patch-level) and local habitat heterogeneity on avian alpha-diversity (taxonomic, functional, phylogenetic and functional-phylogenetic diversity) of different ecological groups. Methods: We conducted fixed-radius point-count surveys across 32 Southern Mistbelt Forest fragments of southern KwaZulu-Natal and northern Eastern Cape, South Africa. Using linear mixed-effect models, we related multiple facets of bird diversity to landscape composition (i.e., matrix quality), habitat fragmentation (i.e., isolation distance and fragment-size) and local habitat heterogeneity (i.e., forest-structural complexity). Results: Matrix quality was a significant positive predictor of functional (FRic, sesFRic) and phylogenetic (sesPD) diversity of forest-dependent (forest specialist) species and functional diversity (FRic) of the whole community. Habitat fragmentation had significantly negative effects (i.e. increasing isolation distance and decreasing fragment size) on multiple diversity facets of all ecological groups, but non-forest-dependent (forest generalist) species showed no responses to isolation distance. Unexpectedly, diversity facets of forest-dependent species declined with increasing local vegetation complexity. Conclusions: Large and connected forest fragments are vital for maintaining avian diversity facets and promoting local vegetation complexity could contribute to the loss of forest-dependent species (forest specialists) in the naturally fragmented Southern Mistbelt Forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat loss and the conversion of natural environments to anthropogenic land uses are among the main drivers of biodiversity decline worldwide. The remaining habitats are inserted in highly modified landscapes, presenting contrasting patch and landscape features. Understanding species' responses to these anthropogenic land‐use changes is essential for informing conservation planning.We evaluate which spatial predictors (measured at the patch and landscape scales) and species' life‐history traits best predict the occurrence of medium‐sized and large mammals in forest fragments of the threatened Atlantic Forest of South America.We gathered occurrence data for 36 medium‐sized and large mammal species recorded by camera traps, distributed over 220 forest fragments spanning the entire Atlantic Forest biome. Species were classified according to their characteristics as follows: 'hunted forest‐dependent', 'non‐hunted forest‐dependent', and 'generalist' species. Further, each species' occurrence was related to spatial predictors and life‐history trait variables.We revealed a severe defaunation of forest mammals occurring in most forest fragments in the Atlantic Forest. Landscapes containing large forest patches, low road density, and high human population density harboured high numbers of mammal species, including those exhibiting greater body mass. Nevertheless, mammal groups diverge in their sensitivity to landscape changes. Hunted forest‐dependent species mainly occurred in landscapes with lower edge density and numbers of patches and with less anthropogenic disturbance, while non‐hunted forest‐dependent species mainly occupied large forest fragments. Finally, generalist species also occurred in landscapes with low edge density and number of patches, but were more prevalent in landscapes with higher human population density.We stress the importance of maintaining large forest fragments, considering the effects of landscape configuration on conservation strategies, and reducing anthropogenic disturbances to ensure a greater persistence of mammal species in the Atlantic Forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Area sensitivity, a behaviour whereby smaller patches of habitat are avoided, is of significant conservation concern for North American grassland birds. However, it is unclear whether area sensitivity is caused by patch size per se, or whether it results from factors such as landscape openness, which often covaries with patch size. Objectives: We aimed to determine which characteristics of a grassland patch or the landscape surrounding it most influence habitat use by tall-grass prairie birds. Methods: Using point-count data collected from 20 tall-grass prairie patches in Southern Manitoba, Canada, we determined which spatial extent and landscape characteristics contributed most to area sensitivity for five species of grassland passerines and grassland bird species richness. We assessed the relative importance of patch size, landscape composition within spatial extents ranging up to 8000 m from sampling locations, and edge proximity then compared the importance of landscape characteristics to that of local habitat structure. Results: The proportion of open landscape dominated by low-stature plants had a positive effect on species richness and the relative abundances of all focal species, and was generally more important than patch size, habitat amount, edge proximity, or local habitat structure. Conclusions: These results suggest that landscape openness, not patch size or habitat amount, drives area sensitivity of grassland birds. Grassland patches embedded in open landscapes are less susceptible to area sensitivity and may be of high conservation value for grassland birds, even when small. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Current diversity and species composition of ecological communities can often not exclusively be explained by present land use and landscape structure. Historical land use may have considerably influenced ecosystems and their properties for decades and centuries. Objectives: We analysed the effects of present and historical landscape structure on plant and arthropod species richness in temperate grasslands, using data from comprehensive plant and arthropod assessments across three regions in Germany and maps of current and historical land cover from three time periods between 1820 and 2016. Methods: We calculated local, grassland class and landscape scale metrics for 150 grassland plots. Class and landscape scale metrics were calculated in buffer zones of 100 to 2000 m around the plots. We considered effects on total species richness as well as on the richness of species subsets determined by taxonomy and functional traits related to habitat use, dispersal and feeding. Results: Overall, models containing a combination of present and historical landscape metrics showed the best fit for several functional groups. Comparing three historical time periods, data from the 1820/50s was among the most frequent significant time periods in our models (29.7% of all significant variables). Conclusions: Our results suggest that the historical landscape structure is an important predictor of current species richness across different taxa and functional groups. This needs to be considered to better identify priority sites for conservation and to design biodiversity-friendly land use practices that will affect landscape structure in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed dispersal by frugivorous animals is important for plant mobility, regeneration and persistence. Human‐caused landscape change is thought to disrupt seed dispersal, but evidence is scarce. We performed a comprehensive meta‐analysis on the effects of habitat spatial pattern on frugivory and seed dispersal. We found 233 effects from 71 studies. At a patch or local scale, altered habitat spatial pattern was measured as declining patch size, increasing patch isolation or habitat edge (versus interior). At a landscape scale it was measured as declining amount of habitat, increasing mean patch isolation, increasing number of patches or increasing habitat edge in the landscape. We found overall negative effects of altered habitat spatial pattern on: 1) the quantity of frugivory or seed dispersal, 2) the number of species involved in a plant–frugivore interaction and 3) seed dispersal distance. Moderator variable analysis was only possible for the first of these. It revealed negative responses of the quantity of frugivory or seed dispersal to habitat loss at both the local scale (declining patch size), and the landscape scale (declining habitat amount), but little evidence for a response to habitat edge at either scale. In addition, altered habitat spatial pattern reduced the quantity of frugivory or seed dispersal more strongly in temperate than tropical areas. Finally, the few‐recorded effects of landscape‐scale fragmentation per se (increasing patch density or edge density) on the quantity of frugivory or seed dispersal were mixed and weak. Our meta‐analysis reinforces the notion that habitat loss is a major threat to frugivory and seed dispersal by animals, and reveals an insufficiency of studies of the effects of habitat fragmentation per se. Thus, based on the current literature, we conclude that maintaining and increasing habitat amount is vital for maintaining seed dispersal by frugivorous animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birds that inhabit open lands such as grasslands and shrublands are rapidly declining across North America. A common practice for multi‐species management is to focus on umbrella species whose habitat requirements overlap with several other species. We evaluated whether the northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; bobwhite) could serve as an umbrella species for open‐land birds in Ohio, USA. We related landscape metrics to abundance patterns and assessed whether bobwhite occupancy positively predicts presence of open‐land birds. We combined bird survey data from the second Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas (2006–2011) with land cover data from the 2011 National Land Cover Database (Homer et al. 2015) to construct single‐season N‐mixture models to identify landscape metrics that influence bobwhite abundance. Bobwhite abundance was positively predicted by forest cohesion, percent agriculture, percent barren, and percent grassland. Of the 34 focal species, bobwhites were a significant positive predictor for 12, and a significant negative predictor for 10. The model with only bobwhite occupancy probability as a predictor was the best supported model for only willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii). These results suggest that bobwhite land cover type requirements are too specialized to meet the needs of broader species guilds, instead affording protection for a narrower range of individual species that share specific habitat requirements with bobwhites. Management for bobwhites may still be able to promote co‐occurrence for declining species across multiple guilds by identifying locations where focused management can create more suitable conditions for species with positive co‐occurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Species introductions have reshaped island faunas for the last 200 years, often threatening native biodiversity. Approximately equal numbers of native and alien species currently co‐occur in the New Zealand avifauna, but they show distinct habitat use. Antagonistic interactions, habitat affinities and legacies of introduction history may concur to explain their segregation along habitat gradients. To investigate these processes, we explored how habitat, ecological traits and introduction history relate with the current composition of bird assemblages. Location: New Zealand Taxon: Birds Methods: We analysed 917 bird point counts spread along habitat and elevation gradients in the Canterbury region, South Island and related 10 ecological traits to landscape composition using a three‐table ordination method known as "RLQ analysis", accounting for spatial autocorrelation and phylogeny. We tested whether alien species' positions in the RLQ were related to proxies of introduction history. Results: Eighteen endemic, 11 native and 19 alien species were distributed along a gradient from forest to open‐habitat assemblages, in relation to foraging mode, nesting site and body size. A second gradient segregated species between native and exotic forests according to territoriality, sedentarity and diet. Traits accounted for the separation of native and alien bird species in forests, but not in open habitats. Phylogenetic signals emerged from the separation of native and alien species by forest type, and spatial structures suggested a landscape‐level, rather than regional or local determinism. These correlations were independent of introduction history, although open‐habitat assemblages tended to host alien species introduced later in time. Main conclusions: Habitat type and resource availability explain the spatial partitioning of New Zealand bird assemblages between native and alien species more consistently than competitive exclusion. We conclude that trait‐mediated ecological differences among species have likely played a predominant role in species' segregation among landscapes, while maintaining endemic bird assemblages in native forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landscape structure can affect waterbird distributions across wetlands. In the Caribbean region, little focus has been given to the studies testing how waterbird communities are affected by the landscape structure of coastal wetlands. We investigated the effects of landscape configuration on waterbird communities in southwestern Cuba and evaluated the contribution of the configuration of lagoons, mangrove and anthropogenic land use to waterbird diversity. Additionally, we identified the scale at which descriptors of waterbird community are most sensitive to landscape variables. We conducted waterbird surveys at 14 sampling points in coastal wetlands of southwestern Cuba during fall migration of 2016. Landscape structure was described with five landscape variables at three spatial scales. We found that at 6 km scale, mangrove mean patch area had a negative influence on waterbird abundance, while the percentage of landscape covered by lagoons had a positive effect at 2 km. However, a higher percentage of both mangroves and lagoons had an influence in waterbird composition variation at 2 km. The percentage of anthropogenic land use did not affect any response variable at the evaluated scales. Detecting the scale at which two important landscape resources (lagoons and mangroves) influence waterbird populations is an important tool for the successful management of these habitats. Study of these features could contribute to the adequate planning of protected areas along the coast of Cuba and the Caribbean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arthropod communities dwelling in adjacent habitats are able to impact one another via shared natural enemies. In agricultural landscapes, drastic differences in resource availability between crop and non‐crop habitats cause variation in insect herbivore densities over short distances, potentially driving inter‐habitat effects. Moreover, the composition of the landscape in which the habitats are embedded likely affects realised attack rates from natural enemies via impacts on local arthropod community structure.Here, we examine indirect effects between herbivore species within and between habitat types by calculating the potential for apparent competition between multiple populations. Firstly, we aim to determine how disparities in resource availability impact the strength of the potential for apparent competition occurring between habitats, secondly to examine the impact of landscape composition upon these effects, and finally to couch these observations in reality by investigating the link between the potential for apparent competition and realised attack rates.We used DNA metabarcoding to characterise host–parasitoid interactions within two habitat types (with divergent nutrient inputs) at 11 locations with variable landscape composition within an agroecosystem context. We then used these interaction networks to estimate the potential for apparent competition between each host pair and to compare expected versus realised attack rates across the system.Shared natural enemies were found to structure host herbivore communities within and across habitat boundaries. The size of this effect was related to the resource availability of habitats, such that the habitat with high nutrient input exerted a stronger effect. The overall potential for apparent competition declined with increasing land‐use intensity in the surrounding landscape and exhibited a discernible impact on realised attack rates upon herbivore species.Thus, our results suggest that increasing the proportion of perennial habitat in agroecosystems could increase the prevalence of indirect effects such as apparent competition among insect herbivore communities, potentially leading to enhanced population regulation via increased attack rates from natural enemies like parasitoid wasps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Habitat loss is widely recognized as the main driver of biodiversity loss around the globe, yet the effects of habitat fragmentation on biodiversity have been extensively debated in recent years. Objectives: We used a robust dataset of medium and large-sized mammals to test (a) the Habitat Amount Hypothesis, which postulates that species richness can be mainly predicted by the total amount of habitat surrounding the sampling site, and (b) the effects of habitat fragmentation per se, which may be expected to be weak or mainly positive on species richness. Methods: We compiled information on the occurrence of mammal species in 166 forest fragments across the Atlantic Forest. For each forest fragment, we extracted information on patch size, percentage of forest cover (a proxy for habitat amount), and edge density and number of fragments (fragmentation metrics). We related these metrics to mammalian richness considering separately for all species, forest-dependent species, disturbance-tolerant species, and different trophic guilds. Results: All richness measures strongly declined with decreasing forest cover, yet were unaffected by patch size, number of patches and edge density. The only exception occurred with herbivore richness, which was affected by number of patches. However, we found fragmentation per se effects only for herbivore richness. Conclusions: Our results show that mammal richness increased with habitat amount at the landscape, whereas habitat fragmentation per se had significant negative impacts on herbivores only. We therefore recommend maintaining highly forested landscapes and restoring severely deforested areas, being essential for ensuring high richness of mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strong declines of grassland species diversity in small and isolated grassland patches have been observed at local and landscape scales. Here, we study how plant–herbivore interaction webs and habitat specialisation of leafhopper communities change with the size of calcareous grassland fragments and landscape connectivity. We surveyed leafhoppers and plants on 14 small (0.1–0.6 ha) and 14 large (1.2–8.8 ha) semi-natural calcareous grassland fragments in Central Germany, differing in isolation from other calcareous grasslands and in the percentage of arable land in the surrounding landscape (from simple to complex landscapes). We quantified weighted trophic links between plants and their phytophagous leafhoppers for each grassland fragment. We found that large and well-connected grassland fragments harboured a high portion of specialist leafhopper species, which in turn yielded low interaction diversity and simple plant-leafhopper food webs. In contrast, small and well-connected fragments exhibited high levels of generalism, leading to higher interaction diversity. In conclusion, food web complexity appeared to be a poor indicator for the management of insect diversity, as it is driven by specialist species, which require high connectivity of large fragments in complex landscapes. We conclude that habitat specialists should be prioritized since generalist species associated with small fragments are also widespread in the surrounding landscape matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pyrodiversity begets biodiversity hypothesis suggests that wildfires drive habitat diversification, allowing species with different niches to coexist and increasing biodiversity. However, despite numerous wildfires studies, limited research has addressed species-specific effects of fire recurrence. We radio-tracked grey long-eared bats (Plecotus austriacus) from the largest maternity roost (a historical monastery) in an area of the Mediterranean coastal belt with one of the highest fire recurrence rates. Although shrublands cover over 80% of the surroundings and P. austriacus is known to forage in a wide range of habitats, the tracked bats barely used this habitat. They spent 92% of their flight time in scattered small Aleppo pine forest fragments, and never visited any habitat patches that burnt more than three times in the last 30 years. We also report some of the longest foraging and commuting distances (9.95 and 10.5 km) from the roost described for the species in the literature. These results showcase how P. austriacus essentially forage in small forest fragments avoiding recurrently burnt areas, and highlight the colonies' dependence on the monastery, probably due to limited alternative roost availability. This knowledge needs to be built on and accounted for in biodiversity conservation policies to ensure that species-specific responses to recurring fires in the Mediterranean are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In agricultural landscapes, arthropods provide essential ecosystem services such as biological pest control and pollination. Intensified crop management practices and homogenization of landscapes have led to declines among such organisms. Semi‐natural habitats, associated with high numbers of these organisms, are increasingly lost from agricultural landscapes but diversification by increasing crop diversity has been proposed as a way to reverse observed arthropod declines and thus restore ecosystem services. However, whether or not an increase in the diversity of crop types within a landscape promotes diversity and abundances of pollinating and predaceous arthropods, and how semi‐natural habitats might modify this relationship, are not well understood.To test how crop diversity and the proportion of semi‐natural habitats within a landscape are related to the diversity and abundance of beneficial arthropod communities, we collected primary data from seven studies focusing on natural enemies (carabids and spiders) and pollinators (bees and hoverflies) from 154 crop fields in Southern Sweden between 2007 and 2017.Crop diversity within a 1‐km radius around each field was positively related to the Shannon diversity index of carabid and pollinator communities in landscapes rich in semi‐natural habitats. Abundances were mainly affected by the proportion of semi‐natural habitats in the landscape, with decreasing carabid and increasing pollinator numbers as the proportion of this habitat type increased. Spiders showed no response to either crop diversity or the proportion of semi‐natural habitats.Synthesis and applications. We show that the joint effort of preserving semi‐natural habitats and promoting crop diversity in agricultural landscapes is necessary to enhance communities of natural enemies and pollinators. Our results suggest that increasing the diversity of crop types can contribute to the conservation of service‐providing arthropod communities, particularly if the diversification of crops targets complex landscapes with a high proportion of semi‐natural habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present evidence of plasticity in habitat use and range extension of the striped hog-nosed skunk (Conepatus semistriatus) in Brazil. We first compiled literature records of C. semistriatus across its known distribution (N = 390), added new records from primary data (N = 10), and compared the main landscape composition (forest, savannah, grassland, agriculture) among these occurrence sites (N = 400). We unveil that landscape composition among occurrence sites varied widely within and among biomes in Brazil (Caatinga, Cerrado and Atlantic Forest), indicating C. semistriatus presence from dense forested habitats to grasslands and anthropogenic areas (especially agricultural landscapes). Almost 30% of the occurrence records of C. semistriatus are outside of the species known distribution, including records in ecotones between Cerrado-Amazonia biomes, extending its occurrence area in 449,118 km2. We conclude that habitat modification is a driver for the occurrence of C. semistriatus in dense forested habitats, facilitating its distribution expansion to previously unexpected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Landscape and local habitat traits moderate wild bee communities. However, whether landscape effects differ between local habitat types is largely unknown. Objectives: We explored the way that wild bee communities in three distinct habitats are shaped by landscape composition and the availability of flowering plants by evaluating divergences in response patterns between habitats. Methods: In a large-scale monitoring project across 20 research areas, wild bee data were collected on three habitats: near-natural grassland, established flower plantings and residual habitats (e.g. field margins). Additionally, landscape composition was mapped around the research areas. Results: Our monitoring produced a dataset of 27,650 bees belonging to 324 species. Bee communities on all three habitats reacted similarly to local flower availability. Intensively managed grassland in the surrounding landscape had an overall negative effect on the studied habitats. Other landscape variables produced diverging response patterns that were particularly pronounced during early and late season. Bee communities in near-natural grassland showed a strong positive response to ruderal areas. Flower plantings and residual habitats such as field margins showed a pronounced positive response to extensively managed grassland and woodland edges. Response patterns regarding bee abundance were consistent with those found for species richness. Conclusion: We advise the consideration of local habitat type and seasonality when assessing the effect of landscape context on bee communities. A reduction in the intensity of grassland management enhances bee diversity in a broad range of habitats. Moreover, wild bee communities are promoted by habitat types such as ruderal areas or woodland edges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land clearing for agriculture results in fragmented landscapes with diminished resources for wildlife. Habitat loss and fragmentation are widespread problems; however, their impacts are rarely assessed simultaneously at multiple spatial and temporal scales. We used a focal site, multiscale design to examine how landscape characteristics that affect the probability of koala Phascolarctos cinereus presence varies over multiple spatial and temporal scales in a fragmented rural landscape in north‐western New South Wales, Australia. We modelled the effect of variables representing landscape characteristics at three spatial extents – transect, patch and site – over three seasonal periods (mid‐spring, late‐spring and mid‐summer). Koala activity level (as determined by faecal pellets) varied between surveys, and identifies short‐term seasonal changes in habitat use. Koala presence had the strongest association with patch scale variables (habitat suitability, soil fertility and patch area). Temporal variation in the effect of tree and landscape characteristics on koala presence highlights the limitations of surveys at a single point in time, and emphasizes that further research is needed to advance our understanding of what drives temporal variation in koala habitat use at multiple spatial scales. Our results show that to arrest declining koala populations in rural agricultural landscapes, conservation and management plans must consider landscape scale processes over a variety of time scales, and engage stakeholders across multiple properties and tenures, to conserve both disturbed and suitable habitat on private land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Species that use open patches in forested landscapes often select clearcuts. However, it is unknown whether local associations with clearcuts translate to an effect of clearcut amount in the surrounding landscape on occupancy or abundance at local sites. This question is important because forest management decisions are made at landscape scales. Objectives: We examined whether the amount of clearcut in the surrounding landscape influenced site occupancy of two threatened aerial insectivores, Common Nighthawk and Eastern Whip-poor-will. Both species nest in/near clearcuts at a local-scale. Methods: We used acoustic recorders placed on edges of recent clearcuts (≤ 15 years old, n = 49 sites) to measure presence-absence. We estimated occupancy in relation to the proportion of clearcut and open wetland within the surrounding landscapes at spatial extents between 0.5 and 5.0 km. Results: Occupancy of Eastern Whip-poor-will was not related to clearcut amount in the surrounding landscape at any scale. Common Nighthawk occupancy was lower in sites surrounded by landscapes with higher proportion of older (11–15 years old) clearcuts. Both species' occupancy was higher in sites where the surrounding landscapes had higher proportions of open wetland. Conclusions: Two possible mechanisms for our results include multi-scale selection of breeding sites or demographic responses to higher productivity in wetlands than clearcuts; both need further study. Our results show how the association of species with clearcut habitats at a local scale does not necessarily translate to a higher occurrence of those species at the landscape scale at which management decisions are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Global change pressures (GCPs) imperil species and associated ecosystem functions, but studies investigating interactions of landscape-scale pressures remain scarce. Loss of species-rich habitat and agricultural expansion are major threats for biodiversity, but if or how these factors interactively determine community-level shifts and conservation outcomes remains unclear. Objectives: We tested whether matrix simplification (dominance of cropland) and reduced connectivity (i.e. landscape-scale habitat loss) either additively, synergistically or antagonistically cause community shifts in butterflies, a group of high conservation relevance. Methods: We surveyed butterflies on 30 small calcareous grassland fragments (< 1 ha) in Central Germany, representing independent gradients in grassland connectivity (an index combining grassland area and proximity), and matrix quality (landscape proportion of cropland). Using proportional odds logistic regression, we assessed whether connectivity and matrix quality interactively altered the distribution of Red List statuses, and assessed effects of local scale management (mowing, grazing, short-term abandonment). Results: We found synergistic, conservation relevant effects: Connectivity boosted the proportion of red-listed species from 20 to 52% in crop land poor landscapes, but not in crop land rich landscapes, particularly driven by endangered and critically endangered species. Grazed sites had the lowest species richness, abundance, and proportions of conservation relevant butterflies. Implications: Mitigation measures targeting one landscape-scale pressure only may be inefficient, particularly for red-listed species. Increasing habitat connectivity bolsters butterfly communities and potential pollination services, but only if accompanied by measures to soften the matrix. Hence, halting biodiversity losses needs better understanding and implementation of complex conservation measures at the landscape scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land‐use change is reshaping terrestrial ecosystems world‐wide and is recognized as a key driver of biodiversity loss with negative consequences on ecosystem functioning. Understanding how species use resources across landscapes is essential for the design of effective management strategies.Despite recent advances in network ecology, there is still a gap between theory and applied ecological science, and we lack the information to manage entire landscapes to maximize biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service delivery. While several pioneering approaches have tried to link ecological networks and conservation science, applied ecologists still struggle to incorporate these models into research due to their inherent complexity.We propose the application of bipartite networks principles to create species–habitat networks. This approach explicitly links multiple species and habitat resources, provides tools to estimate the importance of particular species or specific habitat in a given landscape, and quantifies emerging properties of entire habitat networks. Most existing metrics used to study properties of bipartite ecological networks can easily be adapted to investigate species–habitat relationships. The tool use is relatively simple and does not require advanced computational expertise.Synthesis and applications. One of the biggest challenges in applied ecology is managing multiple habitats for the effective conservation of multiple species. One key advantage of this proposed approach is that the scale of the derived ecological information could match the scale of landscape management interventions. The versatility, visualization power and ease of interpretation of these networks will enable application of the species–habitat network concept to a wide array of real‐world problems, such as multispecies conservation, habitat restoration, ecosystem services management or invasion ecology. In particular, species–habitat networks could be applied to identify optimal landscape compositions and configurations to design effective interventions at the landscape scale. This approach also enables the detection of emerging network properties that could also be used to test the effects of large‐scale drivers of global change upon ecosystem structure and stability. One of the biggest challenges in applied ecology is managing multiple habitats for the effective conservation of multiple species. One key advantage of this proposed approach is that the scale of the derived ecological information could match the scale of landscape management interventions. The versatility, visualization power and ease of interpretation of these networks will enable application of the species–habitat network concept to a wide array of real‐world problems, such as multispecies conservation, habitat restoration, ecosystem services management or invasion ecology. In particular, species–habitat networks could be applied to identify optimal landscape compositions and configurations to design effective interventions at the landscape scale. This approach also enables the detection of emerging network properties that could also be used to test the effects of large‐scale drivers of global change upon ecosystem structure and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Increased floral diversity promotes higher bee diversity at the local scale. • External grasslands are more attractive than external field margins for wild bees. • Seasonal effect is highly significant for local bee diversity. • Effects of some ecological correlates of local bee diversity are season-dependent. • Increasing the quantity of semi-natural habitat is less effective than floral diversity. Abstract Biological diversity is influenced by many environmental factors, which can act either at a local scale (e.g. quality and quantity of feeding and nesting resources, habitat type) or at a landscape scale (e.g. habitat fragmentation, composition and configuration of landscape features). To effectively manage or promote biodiversity in heterogeneous environments such as intensive agrosystems, a thorough knowledge of the spatial and temporal scale of ecological factor effects is required. This study investigates the effects of ecological correlates on local wild bee diversity in semi-natural farmland habitats, and predicts changes in species richness according to local-scale and landscape-scale correlates to further guide bee conservation practices. Local floral richness, the proportion of semi-natural habitats in the landscape (1000 m radius) and the type of semi-natural habitats influenced bee richness at a field scale. However, the magnitude of the effect varied seasonally and according to local bee abundance. Model predictions showed that increasing floral richness on farms had a greater effect on bee richness than increasing the proportion of semi-natural habitats. While increasing the number of semi-natural habitats would be a more effective strategy for promoting bee diversity at the landscape scale, it may not be feasible in intensive farming systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past 150 years, semi-natural grasslands have suffered from either large-scale intensification of land use or abandonment. Lepidoptera are excellent model organisms to study the effects of land-use changes. In this study, we analysed the effects of landscape quality and habitat quality on the patch occupancy of two specialist Lepidoptera species, the butterfly Erebia medusa and the burnet moth Adscita statices, in small but well-connected semi-natural grasslands (N = 71) in central Germany. Our study revealed that habitat quality was the main driver of patch occupancy of the two species. The generalized linear model analysis revealed that the occurrence of both species was determined by the litter volume. Additionally, for A. statices the cover of the host plants (Rumex acetosella and R. acetosa) was a further predictor. In contrast, landscape quality had only a minor role on patch occupancy. For both species, the observed population structure resembled a classical metapopulation of the Levins type consisting of many small and highly connected patches. In the short and medium term, abandonment was beneficial for both species, as it maintained the litter layer. In the long run it would lead to vegetation dominated by competitive, high-growing grasses (e.g., Arrhenatherum elatius) and a decreasing cover of the less competitive host plants, especially Festuca ovina agg. and R. acetosella. Hence, we would recommend rotational grazing or mowing, if sufficiently large parts of the habitats were not under management every year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The intensification of agricultural practices that Western nations have experienced after World War II has led to an alarming decline in farmland biodiversity. With the aim of stopping and even reversing this decline, agri-environment schemes (AES) have been implemented in many European countries since the 1990s. In Switzerland, farmers are required to manage at least 7% of their land in the form of biodiversity promotion areas (BPA), which are extensively managed, wildlife-friendly farmland habitats such as hay meadows and traditional orchards. We investigated how the occurrence and characteristics of these BPA influence birds and butterflies in the Swiss lowlands. Butterfly species richness and abundance increased by 22% and 60%, respectively, when the proportion of BPA in the landscape increased from 5% to 15%. Likewise, bird species richness increased, but to a lesser extent, with the proportion of BPA in the landscape. For birds, the proportion of BPA characterized by a high ecological quality played a role in promoting both priority-farmland and red-listed species. For both taxonomic groups, the amount and quality of BPA habitats contributed more to species richness than their spatial configuration, connectivity included. This study shows that AES measures implemented at the field scale have positive effects on mobile species that are noticeable at the landscape scale, and that the fraction of AES in the cultivated landscape matters more than their spatial configuration, which has strong implications for designing multi-functional agro-ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Loss and fragmentation of semi-natural grasslands has critically affected many butterfly species in Europe. Habitat area and isolation can have strong effects on the local biodiversity but species may also be strongly affected by the surrounding matrix.Objectives: We explored how different land cover types in the landscape explained the occurrence of butterfly species in semi-natural grasslands.Methods: Using data from 476 semi-natural grasslands in Sweden, we analysed the effect of matrix composition on species richness and occurrence. Additionally, we analysed at which spatial scales butterflies responded to matrix types (forests, semi-natural grasslands, arable land and water).Results: Forest cover showed the strongest positive effect on species richness, followed by semi-natural grasslands. Forest also had a positive effect on red-listed species at local scales. Responses to matrix composition were highly species-specific. The majority of the 30 most common species showed strong positive responses to the amount of forest cover within 200-500 m. There was a smaller group of species showing a positive response to arable land cover within 500-2000 m. Thirteen species showed positive responses to the amount of semi-natural grasslands, generally at larger scales (10-30 km).Conclusions: Our study showed that surrounding forest is beneficial for many grassland butterfly species and that forests might mitigate the negative effects of habitat loss caused by agricultural intensification. Also, semi-natural grasslands were an important factor for species richness at larger spatial scales, indicating that a landscape consisting mainly of supporting habitats (i.e. forests) are insufficient to sustain a rich butterfly fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions: Long‐term fragmentation and land use in Europe have created a landscape pattern where small forest patches are embedded among agricultural landscapes. These small forest patches can be one of the few habitats left to maintain the species richness and ecosystem functions within intensively managed agroecosystems. We ask, which factors determine vascular plant species richness, community composition and forest community integrity in small forest patches in an agricultural landscape? Location: NE Estonia. Methods: We combine island biogeographic theory (patch area and isolation) with the properties of the surrounding landscape and local environmental conditions within a patch to study the drivers of species richness and community integrity. Results: Patch area together with local environmental factors (understorey light conditions and soil reaction) determined both species richness and community integrity. Total species richness and forest generalists were related to patch area alone, whereas forest specialists were additionally dependent on patch light conditions. Species richness of grassland specialists in the forest patches increased with the amount of natural habitat in the surrounding landscape, while the presence of synanthropic species was positively related to soil reaction. Forest community integrity was higher in larger, more shaded patches with low soil reaction, which together defined suitable conditions for forest communities and hindered the intrusion of species from other habitats. Conclusions: Under a suitable set of conditions, encompassing both favourable landscape and local environmental conditions, even small forest patches can provide habitat for both forest and grassland communities in agricultural landscapes. Comprehensive approaches, considering species composition, environment and landscape conditions simultaneously, are needed for making reliable predictions of biodiversity patterns. Small forest patches in agricultural landscapes can harbour diverse communities and help provide ecosystem services for the whole landscape. By analyzing a wide range of patch diversity and connectivity characteristics, we found that under suitable patch configuration and favourable environmental conditions even small forest patches can provide habitat for both forest and grassland communities in agricultural landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Semi‐natural habitats (SNH) provide essential resources for many organisms in agricultural landscapes and can increase biodiversity at the local and landscape scale. For the management of ecosystem services, it is crucial to understand how local characteristics of SNH and the surrounding landscape complexity affect beneficial species. We investigated this for hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae)—an important functional group providing both pest control and pollination services—in a total of 138 SNH within 35 agricultural landscapes in Switzerland and Germany. SNH differed in type (woody, herbaceous), shape (areal, linear) and availability of food resources (floral resources and aphids). They were located along a gradient of landscape complexity (1%–75% SNH in a 1 km radius). In total, 9,030 hoverflies belonging to 89 species were collected. In both countries, hoverfly community composition was mainly driven by SNH type and SNH shape, in addition to landscape complexity in Switzerland. Species richness of hoverflies increased with additional SNH at the landscape scale. However, the ubiquitous and dominant aphidophagous species Episyrphus balteatus was indifferent to landscape composition. Species richness of total and aphidophagous hoverflies was higher in woody than in herbaceous SNH. Hoverfly species richness was similar in linear and areal SNH, but non‐aphidophagous hoverflies were more vulnerable to landscape simplification in linear than areal SNH. Effects of the SNH type partly differed between the two countries. In Germany, the dominant aphidophagous species E. balteatus preferred woody over herbaceous SNH, while no such difference was found in Switzerland. Overall, local richness and abundance of floral resources were poor predictors for hoverfly abundance, richness or community composition. Synthesis and applications. Hoverfly species richness and community composition in semi‐natural habitats (SNH) were mainly driven by the SNH type and landscape complexity. Conservation and restoration of complex agricultural landscapes with a high proportion of different SNH types is therefore key for the conservation of hoverfly diversity, and thus likely to promote pest control and pollination services provided by them. Thereby, local improvement of SNH to promote hoverflies has to consider regional differences in habitat characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Landscape and habitat filters are major drivers of biodiversity of small habitat islands by influencing dispersal and extinction events in plant metapopulations.Objectives: We assessed the effects of landscape and habitat filters on the species richness, abundance and trait composition of grassland specialist and generalist plants in small habitat islands. We studied traits related to functional spatial connectivity (dispersal ability by wind and animals) and temporal connectivity (clonality and seed bank persistence) using model selection.Methods: We sampled herbaceous plants, landscape (local and regional isolation) and habitat filters (inclination, woody encroachment and disturbance) in 82 grassland islands in Hungary.Results: Isolation decreased the abundance of good disperser specialist plants due to the lack of directional vectors transferring seeds between suitable habitat patches. Clonality was an effective strategy, but persistent seed bank did not support the survival of specialist plants in isolated habitats. Generalist plants were unaffected by landscape filters due to their wide habitat breadth and high propagule availability. Clonal specialist plants could cope with increasing woody encroachment due to their high resistance against environmental changes; however, they could not cope with intensive disturbance. Steep slopes providing environmental heterogeneity had an overall positive effect on species richness.Conclusions: Specialist plants were influenced by the interplay of landscape filters influencing their abundance and habitat filters affecting species richness. Landscape filtering by isolation influenced the abundance of specialist plants by regulating seed dispersal. Habitat filters sorted species that could establish and persist at a site by influencing microsite availability and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although increasing landscape complexity is often advocated as a key intervention to sustain pest biocontrol, little is known on how increasing semi-natural habitats surrounding the crop can directly affect the density and damage of generalist pests. Our aim was to test how semi-natural habitats in the landscape influences the density and the impact of spotted wing drosophila (SWD) on sweet cherry. SWD is invasive pest native of South-East Asia that causes severe yield losses in several crops worldwide. We selected 32 conventional cherry orchards in NE Italy surrounded by landscapes with different proportions of forest and we quantified both pest density and crop damage using sentinel fruits. We observed a larger attack density in orchards surrounded by higher forest cover. The same trend was observed for female adult density. Forest habitats may provide ideal microclimatic conditions and alternative host plants that can promote population growth. The effect size of forest cover on both adult density and crop damage, despite the very large tested forest gradient (0–60%), suggests that a reduction of forest cover does not seem to be a viable option for controlling SWD. Indeed, semi-natural habitats can deliver multiple fundamental ecosystem services to the crops (e.g. biocontrol). However, current integrated pest management should take into account landscape composition and interventions should be particularly timely in forested landscapes where SWD can quickly attack the crop at higher density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past centuries, farmland has undergone a fundamental transformation through changed farming practices, such as the use of agrochemicals and advanced machine processing. Particularly since the 1970s, agriculturally driven land-use change has caused destruction of natural and semi-natural habitats, and as a consequence, severe loss of biodiversity. Hence, identifying landscape patterns and habitats that enhance species richness, and detecting species and traits that are most vulnerable to intensive land-use are prerequisites for conservation. To evaluate the effects of agricultural land-use and landscape composition on wild bees, we investigated 340 cross-transects in 34 test areas in the main agricultural regions of Austria within the framework of the biodiversity monitoring program BINATS. Using multivariate models (GLM, DCA), wild bees and potential explanatory parameters (e.g. Shannon landscape diversity index, plant diversity, flower cover) were documented, and their interrelationships analyzed. We found strong negative effects of increased agricultural land cover on species richness, abundance and functional richness. Species richness was positively correlated with an increasing area of semi-natural elements (e.g. extensive grassland, hedgerows, fallows) and the number of different habitat types, while wild bee abundance was best explained by the presence of semi-natural habitats and flower cover. Colletidae were significantly associated with the area of semi-natural elements, and were especially sensitive to agricultural intensification. Many species from communities that are present in complex landscapes disappeared in intensively managed farmland, and the majority of species decreased in response to simplified landscapes. A few species, however, even benefited. Our results emphasize the importance of diverse semi-natural elements and high regional flower cover within farmland for maintaining and enhancing species richness and abundance, and for promoting a positive spillover effect of pollinators to the surrounding agricultural landscape. Especially members of the family Colletidae, with a high proportion of specialized species, will benefit from diverse semi-natural habitat types. Given the unique importance of wild bees as pollinators of wildflowers and crops, it is crucial to improve and expand agri-environmental schemes to combat ongoing biodiversity loss in farmland. • Agricultural land-use had negative effects on species richness and abundance. • Bees were promoted by semi-natural elements, diverse habitat types and flower cover. • The family Colletidae was most positively affected by semi-natural elements. • The majority of species decreased in response to intensively managed farmland. • Agri-environmental schemes must be improved to combat biodiversity loss in farmland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural landscapes are characterised by dynamic crop mosaics changing in composition and configuration over space and time. Although semi-natural habitat has been often shown to contribute to pest biological control, the effects of increasing landscape heterogeneity with cropland have been disregarded. Here, we examine how cereal aphids, their enemies and biological control are affected by the composition and configuration of the crop mosaic and its inter-annual change due to crop rotation., We studied the abundance of cereal aphids, natural enemies and aphid parasitism over 2 years on 51 winter wheat fields. Arthropods were monitored at three distances (0, 10, 30 m) from field borders. Fields were embedded in landscapes of 1-km diameter selected along orthogonal gradients of compositional crop heterogeneity (crop diversity), configurational heterogeneity (field border and grassy field boundary length) and inter-annual change in cover of aphid host habitats (cereal, maize and grassland). We aimed to disentangle spatial and temporal heterogeneity effects through these independent landscape gradients., Aphid densities were lower in landscapes with smaller field size (more field borders) coupled with high amounts of grassy field boundaries. Aphid densities decreased also in landscapes with higher crop diversity when the cover of aphid host habitat had decreased from the year before. Aphid natural enemy densities decreased with smaller field size and high amounts of grassy field boundaries. Aphid parasitism decreased with the inter-annual expansion in aphid host habitat, but only in landscapes with small field sizes., Synthesis and applications. Our study shows for the first time that cereal aphid numbers can be reduced by optimising the composition, configuration and temporal heterogeneity of the crop mosaic. We highlight the value of maintaining small field sizes in agricultural landscapes and high densities of grassy boundaries for reducing aphid abundance. Landscape-wide crop diversification can reduce aphid densities as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat restoration is an important complement to protecting habitat for the conservation of biodiversity. Semi-natural grasslands are target habitats for ecological restoration in temperate Europe. Restoration of abandoned semi-natural grasslands often relies on spontaneous colonisation of plant species from the soil seed bank or the surrounding landscape. Although many studies show that the regional species pool is important for upholding local diversity, its effect on restoration outcome in semi-natural grasslands is poorly known. In this multi-landscape study, we examined grassland specialist species occurring in restored grasslands and the effect of specialist species pool, landscape composition and local temporal factors. We found that specialist richness and frequency was positively affected by specialist richness and frequency in the surrounding landscape. Specialist richness in the restored grasslands also increased with time since restoration. Moreover, specialist frequency in the restored grassland increased with the proportion of semi-natural and remnant grassland habitats in the landscape. We also found a positive relationship between the proportion of species occurring in both the restored grassland and its surrounding landscape and time since restoration, in landscapes with high proportions of semi-natural grasslands. This suggests that both temporal factors, as well as the landscape composition and species pool, affect plant recolonisation in restored semi-natural grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High cover of forest in the landscape matrix has been shown to weaken the negative effects of habitat fragmentation on grassland butterflies. No studies have however focused on examining species-specific responses of grassland butterflies to forest., The data from 3 years of butterfly monitoring in Southern Finland were used to test whether the amount of forest cover in the surrounding landscape affected the abundance of grassland butterfly species in semi-natural grasslands, field margins, and forest edges., More than half of the studied species benefitted from high cover of forest. Species with the strongest preference for forested landscapes were Lycaena virgaureae, Argynnis adippe, Argynnis aglaja, and Boloria selene, which probably find suitable resources in herbaceous habitats at forest edges and clearings., Several small-sized species were positively affected by surrounding forest cover in field margins but not in the other habitat types. Although field margins are suboptimal habitats for grassland butterflies, they provide important corridors for dispersal. High cover of forest in the landscape matrix may enhance butterfly dispersal along field margins by reducing windiness, which is likely to be most important for small-sized species with poor dispersal capacity., The most abundant grassland species showed little or no preference for forested landscapes., Our results suggest that high cover of forest enhances the persistence of most grassland butterflies, including declining species, in boreal agricultural landscapes. The responses to forest are however strongly dependent on species-specific properties and habitat types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Scale dependence of bat habitat selection is poorly known with few studies evaluating relationships among landscape metrics such as class versus landscape, or metrics that measure composition or configuration. This knowledge can inform conservation approaches to mitigate habitat loss and fragmentation. Objectives: We evaluated scale dependence of habitat associations and scaling patterns of landscape metrics in relation to bat occurrence or capture rate in forests of southwestern Nicaragua. Methods: We captured 1537 bats at 35 locations and measured landscape and class metrics across 10 spatial scales (100-1000 m) surrounding capture locations. We conducted univariate scaling across the 10 scales and identified scales and variables most related to bat occurrence or capture rate. Results: Edge and patch density, at both landscape and class levels, were the most important variables across species. Feeding guilds varied in their response to metrics. Certain landscape and configuration metrics were most influential at fine (100 m) and/or broad (1000 m) spatial scales while most class and composition metrics were influential at intermediate scales. Conclusions: These results provide insight into the scale dependence of habitat associations of bat species and the influence of fine and broad scales on habitat associations. The effects of scale, examined in our study and others from fine (100 m) to broad (5 km) indicate habitat relationships for bats may be more informative at larger scales. Our results suggest there could be general differences in scale relationships for different groups of landscape metrics, which deserves further evaluation in other taxonomic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well understood that agricultural expansion and associated loss of semi-natural habitat in the landscape are major drivers for the marked decline in biodiversity. While conserving remaining semi-natural habitat patches is essential to reverse ongoing biodiversity declines, increasing focus has also been put on diversifying cropland itself by increasing landscape crop diversity as a measure of compositional heterogeneity, and reducing field sizes as a measure of configurational heterogeneity. Both these cropland diversification approaches have shown promise to enhance biodiversity in the year of sampling, but it is unknown whether legacies of crop diversity in the landscape promote biodiversity by building up arthropod communities over time. We selected 14 faba bean fields in landscapes dominated by cropland. The fields were chosen along three gradients: landscape crop diversity of the year of sampling (2017), landscape crop diversity of the previous year (2016) and mean field size in landscapes. Using pitfall traps, we show that the carabid beetle species richness is higher in landscapes with higher crop diversity in the previous year. Especially, granivorous carabid beetles benefitted from legacies of crop diversity. Rove beetles were more abundant and genus rich in landscapes with larger field sizes, while spiders were not responding to any of the landscape variables. A diversity of crops in the landscape and their associated weed communities could provide more diverse food resources and shelter habitats, which build populations of carabid beetle species over time. There is a need to explore the effects of agri-environmental schemes across multiple years to better understand legacy effects, and to structure sustainable agricultural landscapes. • Landscapes with higher crop diversity in the previous year hosted higher carabid species richness. • Legacy effects of landscape crop diversity promoted granivorous carabid beetles. • Rove beetle activity density and genus richness increased with mean field size in the landscape. • Ground spiders did not respond to neither landscape composition nor configuration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollinators play pivotal roles in maintaining agricultural and natural plant communities, yet some bee populations are declining. Loss of pollinator habitats as a result of agricultural intensification and urbanization have reduced bee abundance and diversity. Additionally, climate change has affected bee distributions and led to disruption of plant-pollinator synchrony, impacting ecosystem processes. However, how these factors concurrently influence bee assemblages is poorly understood. Therefore, we evaluated bumble bee (Bombus) assemblages in relation to the proportion of agricultural, semi-natural, and urban land cover and interannual variation in temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity in Utah agroecosystems using Bombus captured as bycatch in pest monitoring traps from 2014 to 2018. Bombus assemblage composition was highest in agricultural sites with increased agricultural land cover in the surrounding area, low temperatures, and high relative humidity during the growing season; and lowest in sites with increased urban land cover, high temperatures, and low relative humidity. Functional dispersion did not differ among these groups indicating a range of tongue lengths, body sizes, hair lengths, and hair types were present within all agricultural sites. Further, high beta-diversity, as indicated by unique Bombus assemblages among sites, suggests that all agricultural sites in this study have potential conservation value for maintaining Bombus communities. Therefore, it is important that diverse habitats for pollinators are maintained through targeted management techniques. Additionally, our collection of Bombus from mid-May to mid-September identified phenological overlap within Bombus assemblages, which helps ensure pollination services are provided even if a particular species is lost due to environmental disturbances. However, while there is overlap in functional traits and phenology, considerations should be given due to widespread pollinator declines. Overall, evaluating landscape and climate variables together may yield more realistic results and better inform effective management and land-use planning strategies to prevent ecological homogenization and to foster future resiliency of Bombus populations. • The combined effects of land cover and climate impact Bombus in agroecosystems. • Bombus composition was highest with crop land, low temperatures and high humidity. • Bombus composition was lowest with urban land, high temperatures and low humidity. • Phenological overlap among species provides functional redundancy. • High Bombus turnover suggests all surveyed sites have conservation value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trophic downgrading due to loss of apex consumers has been detected in many ecosystems. Loss of larger predators implies that medium-sized mesopredators rise to the status of apex predators which are limited bottom-up rather than top-down. Hence the density of medium-sized predators should be more strongly related to land cover in absence of larger predators. We investigate this hypothesis at a continental scale (Eurasia) for a medium-sized predator, the red fox Vulpes vulpes , in presence and absence of an apex predator, the Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx . We predicted that in absence of lynx, fox density should be positively associated with open land covers, as these could favour foxes due to high prey availability. Our results showed that fox abundance was independent of land cover in presence of lynx. However, in absence of lynx, fox density was positively but asymptotically related to cropland, while negatively related to grassland. Fox density was highest when cropland constituted approximately 30% of the landscape, likely reflecting an optimal composition of foraging and breeding habitat. Grassland was associated with low productivity, likely reflecting low prey availability. Thus, cropland is favourable for red fox, but only in absence of top-down limitation by lynx. We suggest that there are two ecosystem states in Eurasia, one northern where lynx is present as an apex predator, and one south-eastern where red fox assumes the apex predator position and its abundance is subsidised by anthropogenic land cover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban forests are often modified and fragmented by human land use and the original habitat might exist only in remnant patches. Due to their specific habitat requirements and unwillingness to move through matrix many forest-dwelling mammals are susceptible to changes in landscape structure. It is important to understand how the availability of suitable habitat and landscape fragmentation affect species distributions, and what landscape characteristics are essential to the persistence of a given species to conserve urban wildlife. We investigated the effect of landscape composition and configuration on the occurrence of the Siberian flying squirrel, a small-sized arboreal rodent, in a partly urbanized area of Eastern Finland. All suitable and potential forest patches were searched to determine the presence or absence of species, and the landscape characteristics of occupied sites were compared to those of unoccupied sites. Flying squirrels occurred both at the edges of large suitable forested areas, but also in small forest fragments within residential areas. Surprisingly, urban areas did not have a negative effect on the flying squirrel occurrence. Occurrence probability was not either associated with the proportion of suitable habitat, but occupied sites contained larger amount of movement habitat and had shorter distances to nearest occupied sites than unoccupied sites. Our results show that flying squirrels can exist in urbanized landscape and near residential areas, but more detailed information on habitat use and survival is still needed to determine the long-term persistence and viability of the urban populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arthropod natural enemies provide valuable pest suppression in agricultural landscapes. Natural enemy abundance and diversity within a given crop, in turn, have frequently been shown to be positively related to the amount of semi-natural habitat in the landscape. However, other aspects of landscape structure may also influence natural enemy communities and may be more amenable to management., We simultaneously assessed the relationship among several metrics of landscape structure, as well as between these metrics and coccinellid activity in soybean fields. We used partial least squares regression to examine the coccinellid response to landscape structure., Coccinellid activity was lowest in landscapes dominated by annual crops grown in large fields and highest in landscapes dominated by semi-natural habitats such as grasslands and forests, with a higher diversity of crops grown in smaller fields., Landscape characteristics, including composition factors such as the type and amount of different land covers and configuration factors such as the interspersion of these land covers, are often correlated within a set of landscapes. Isolating the effects of individual landscape characteristics on natural enemy communities will be necessary to move forward with the development of management actions that can increase biocontrol services in agroecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Ecological communities may respond to local and landscape habitat interactions. [•] Number of snags and shrub cover had the strongest associations with avian species richness. [•] Amount of habitat in the landscape did not influence species’ responses to local habitat structure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]