Abstract
Abstract Plant species diversity is threatened in many agricultural landscapes due to the changes it has to undergo. Although the modification of the agricultural landscape pattern is observed across Europe, both extensive and intensive agricultural landscapes still co-exist in Poland. The objective of the study was to examine the flora in field margins in intensively and extensively managed agricultural landscapes, located across three regions in SE Poland. The flora was compared with respect to species richness, diversity, and evenness indices. Detrended correspondence analysis was employed to characterise variation in species composition. Agricultural landscape type made a higher contribution than the topography or geology to species richness and composition in field margins. Field margins function as important habitats for general vascular plant species diversity and are useful for the conservation of rare, threatened, endangered or bee plants. A significant decline in species diversity was observed over a distance of 1000 m from the habitat elements. Plants growing on field margins are mainly perennials; however participation of annuals clearly increases in intensive landscapes. The participation of wind-dispersed species decreased in an open-spaced intensive landscape. Animal-dispersed plants predominated in an extensive landscape with forest islands. Irrespective of landscape type, native species predominated. However, these habitats create the biota and corridors for alien-invasive species as well.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.