Abstract
Simple SummaryThe continuous intensification of agricultural production has resulted in higher yields and more yield security. However, these achievements went along with the substitution of heterogeneous agricultural landscapes by homogeneous ones with poor crop diversity, short crop rotations, and thanks to the high efficacy of modern herbicides and also to minimum in-crop diversity. A severe increase in plot size led to the elimination of ecologically valuable structural elements that had provided floral resources and nesting sites. Over the few last decades, several studies have been conducted to try to find solutions against insect decline and to preserve biodiversity. In the present study, the integration of cover plants between the lines of the vineyards to enhance biodiversity is shown. The benefits of the cover plants use are presented based on the results achieved on five intensive wine farms in Spain. Our findings suggest that the use of cover plants provide a wide range of enhancements in the insect community with a significant increase both in the number of species and the number of individuals showing an important influence over time, which would tend to have a significant conservation impact thanks to its effect as a reservoir of species.(1) Modern, intensive agricultural practices have been attributed to the loss of insect biodiversity and abundance in agroecosystems for the last 80 years. The aim of this work is to test whether there are statistically significant differences in insect abundance between different zones and over time on the vineyard field. (2) The study was carried out in five intensive wine farms in Spain over a three-year period (2013–2015). Each field was divided into two zones, one where cover plants were planted, and another remained unchanged (without cover). (3) A clear trend to increase the average number of insect species and individuals throughout the years in all farms was observed. Moreover, the zones with cover plants showed a significant difference with respect to the zones without. (4) The use of permanent cover plants allows creating areas of refuge for the insects favouring their conservation and reducing the agriculture impact in the insect decline.
Highlights
All the farms were with captured from the than area showed a greater number of genera and individuals in the areas cover plants without cover plants and from the area with
Similar results were observed when analysing the abundance of genera in order of genera found in each locality, year, and study zone is in each ofin the sampling areas and treatment zone (Figure 1)
The percentages of insect species when comparing the zone with cover plants and without always were greater in the zone with plants, being the average average increase increase of 12.10%, 12.10%, having the the lowest lowest value value in in Carpio
Summary
Since World War II, governments have been supporting farmers to increase their productivity despite the increased costs of production and its environmental impact. Intensification and industrialization of agriculture are often cited as contributing factors in insect declines [1–5]. Land-use changes in the 1950–1970s notably impacted modern intensive agricultural practices, resulting in a substitution of heterogeneous agricultural landscapes by homogeneous ones. A big increase in farm size led to an elimination of edges and other ecologically valuable structural elements that had provided floral resources and nesting sites [4,6–10]. Habitat loss caused vital changes in the natural communities of birds, insects and mammals. The intensification measures have led to soil quality losses [3,11–14]
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