Using the response-effect trait framework to disentangle the effects of agricultural intensification on the provision of ecosystem services by Mediterranean arable plants

Abstract

Abstract Agricultural intensification structures arable plant communities, including shifts in species assemblages and trait distributions, which affect the provision of ecosystem services. We used a response-effect trait framework to characterize the impact of agricultural intensification on two ecosystem services delivered by arable plants to pollinator and non-pollinator insects and birds. Agricultural intensification was characterized by field position as a gradient of the impact of crop management at field scale and the surrounding landscape heterogeneity, which can be divided into compositional and configurational heterogenenity. Shifts in functional assemblages of response and effect traits were analyzed by multivariate analyses, whereas changes in single trait metrics were analyzed by mixed-model effects. At field scale, we found a trade-off between ruderal and competitive species. The contrasting disturbance regime from boundaries to inner-fields overflows the potential shifts in functional assemblages both for response and effect traits due to the gradient of landscape heterogeneity. Conversely, some response and effect single trait metrics changed along gradients of landscape heterogeneity. We thus propose a response-effect trait framework to capture functional relationships along different trophic levels. Compositional heterogeneity affected traits linked to the provision of suitable habitat for insects and birds, whereas configurational heterogeneity affected traits linked to pollination. Incorporating this framework into decision-making processes may help to focus conservation efforts on maintaining the delivery of ecosystem services.