Factors affecting plant species richness in field boundaries in the Mediterranean region

Abstract

Field boundaries are expected to support the maintenance of biodiversity in agroecosystems, since they provide the habitat for a range of plant species. However, plant diversity in field boundaries has decreased substantially in recent decades. This pattern is generally linked with the intensification of agricultural land use at field and landscape level. Therefore, we aimed to test the effect of farming management (field and boundary management), boundary structure (width and habitat assemblage considering the Mediterranean grassland element), and landscape heterogeneity on plant species richness of field boundaries. Plants were recorded along 30 field boundaries next to organic fields and 30 next to conventional fields located in 15 agrarian localities of NE Iberian Peninsula along a gradient of landscape complexity. A total of 517 plant species were identified in the 60 field boundaries. We recorded 162 species (31%) catalogued as rare, very rare or extremely rare in the flora of the Catalan Countries. Our results showed the importance of landscape heterogeneity, field management and habitat assemblage, since they were found to be the most influential variables for plant species richness; whereas boundary width and boundary management were seen to contribute less to explaining plant diversity. Accordingly, agri-environmental schemes should be designed to promote organic farming and maintain the structure of the landscape mosaic in order to benefit plant diversity in field boundaries in the Mediterranean region.