Birds In Agricultural Landscapes Research Articles

Satellite-derived measures of habitat structure perform as well as locally recorded measures in predicting predation on artificial nests in central European agricultural landscapes

Ground nesting birds have declined throughout Europe, with the reduction of habitat structure in agricultural areas being a key contributing factor. Habitat structure is vital not only for providing food and suitable microclimates for these species but also limits nest predation. Field assessments of habitat structure have, historically, been the most common way of identifying areas of low nest predation. However, they are limited in their applicability over wide areas due to time, money, and logistics. Remotely sensed measures (e.g., recorded by a satellite) can address these issues. Normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) is a measure of the ‘greenness’ of an area and correlates with habitat structure. We conducted an artificial nest experiment over three years (2019, 2020, 2023) in Baden, Austria to test the relationship of NDVI to nest predation in an agricultural landscape. Critically, we compared whether NDVI could predict nest predation as well as locally recorded variables (ground cover, vegetation height, etc, ). We report that NDVI performs equally well at predicting nest predation, with predation decreasing with higher values of NDVI, signifying greater habitat structure. This was supported by our finding that predation probability decreased with greater ground cover (a locally recorded variable). Additionally, we found that areas with greater partridge numbers had higher predation and circumstantial evidence that birds are the primary predator in our study area. Overall, our study shows that satellite-derived measures of habitat structure have untapped potential in identifying areas of high nest predation for European ground nesting birds in agricultural landscapes.

The effect of shade tree species on bird communities in central Kenyan coffee farms

SummaryShade coffee is a well-studied cultivation strategy that creates habitat for tropical birds while also maintaining agricultural yield. Although there is a general consensus that shade coffee is more “bird-friendly” than a sun coffee monoculture, little work has investigated the effects of specific shade tree species on insectivorous bird diversity. This study involved avian foraging observations, mist-netting data, temperature loggers, and arthropod sampling to investigate bottom-up effects of two shade tree taxa - native Cordia sp. and introduced Grevillea robusta - on insectivorous bird communities in central Kenya. Results indicate that foliage-dwelling arthropod abundance, and the richness and overall abundance of foraging birds were all higher on Cordia than on Grevillea. Furthermore, multivariate analyses of the bird community indicate a significant difference in community composition between the canopies of the two tree species, though the communities of birds using the coffee understorey under these shade trees were similar. In addition, both shade trees buffered temperatures in coffee, and temperatures under Cordia were marginally cooler than under Grevillea. These results suggest that native Cordia trees on East African shade coffee farms may be better at mitigating habitat loss and attracting insectivorous birds that could promote ecosystem services. Identifying differences in prey abundance and preferences in bird foraging behaviour not only fills basic gaps in our understanding of the ecology of East African coffee farms, it also aids in developing region-specific information to optimize functional diversity, ecosystem services, and the conservation of birds in agricultural landscapes.

Organic farming positively affects the vitality of passerine birds in agricultural landscapes

Conventional farming has been implicated in global biodiversity loss, with many farmland birds in decline. Organic farming is often considered a more ecological alternative since it generally hosts greater faunal diversity. To date, the impact of conventional agriculture on the decline in avian species has mainly been assessed through the lens of biodiversity loss; few studies have examined the effects of conventional farming on individual life-history trait components. Behaviour represents the final integrated outcome of a range of biochemical and physiological pathways and can be considered a proxy of health as it is more sensitive than other life-history traits, potentially allowing environmental changes to be better tracked. The goal of this study was to understand how exposure to conventional versus organic farming affects the behaviour of passerine birds in real conditions. By sampling 6 species of passerine birds in 10 hedgerows in organic landscapes and 10 hedgerows in conventional landscapes during the breeding period, we found evidence that organic farming sharply increased the vitality of individuals, irrespective of species. This was measured through behaviour such as flee attempts, aggressivity, pecking and distress calls when captured, all of which were higher in birds caught in organic hedges than those caught in conventional landscapes. We posit that passerines living in organically farmed landscapes benefit from reduced pesticide exposure rather than a greater abundance of food, as body condition was identical in the two contexts. These findings suggest that the behaviour of passerines can be a useful indicator of the state of the environment and can thus serve as an early warning of specific environmental change in agricultural areas. Further studies assessing the life-history traits of farmland birds may be a valuable aid to understanding the impact of conventional agriculture on biodiversity.

Response of endangered bird species to land-use changes in an agricultural landscape in Germany

Land-use intensification in agroecosystems has led to population declines in many taxonomic groups, especially farmland birds. Two contrasting conservation strategies have therefore been proposed: land sharing (the integration of biodiversity conservation in low-intensity agriculture) and land sparing (the spatial separation of high-yielding agriculture and areas for conservation). Despite the large academic interest in this field, only few studies have taken into account stakeholders’ perspectives of these strategies when assessing conservation implications. We modeled the effects of three land-use scenarios (a business-as-usual, a land-sharing, and a land-sparing scenario), developed together with regional stakeholders, on the habitat area of 13 regionally endangered bird species in the Middle Mulde River Basin (Saxony, Germany). We used random forest models based on environmental variables relating to land-use/cover, climate and soil characteristics, occurrence of linear landscape elements (hedges and tree rows), and distance to water and major roads. Responses to the three land-use scenarios were species-specific, but extensively managed permanent grassland and the density of forest edges were positively associated with the occurrence of most bird species. Overall, the land-sharing scenario provided the largest breeding habitat area: 76% of the species had a significant (p < 0.05) increase in breeding habitat, and none showed a significant decrease. Our findings confirm that balancing the different, often contrasting habitat requirements of multiple species is a key challenge in conservation and landscape management. Land sharing, which local stakeholders identified as the most desirable scenario, is a promising strategy for the conservation of endangered birds in agricultural landscapes like our study region.

Seasonal Diversity and Distribution Patterns of Birds in Agricultural Landscapes of Gujrat, Pakistan

Seasonal Diversity and Distribution Patterns of Birds in Agricultural Landscapes of Gujrat, Pakistan

Optimizing conservation in species-specific agricultural landscapes.

Recovery of grassland birds in agricultural landscapes is a global imperative. Agricultural landscapes are complex, and the value of resource patches may vary substantially among species. The spatial extent at which landscape features affect populations (i.e., scale of effect) may also differ among species. There is a need for regional-scale conservation planning that considers landscape-scale and species-specific responses of grassland birds to environmental change. We developed a spatially explicit approach to optimizing grassland conservation in the context of species-specific landscapes and prioritization of species recovery and applied it to a conservation program in Kentucky (USA). We used a hierarchical distance-sampling model with an embedded scale of effect predictor to estimate the relationship between landscape structure and abundance of eastern meadowlarks (Sturnella magna), field sparrows (Spizella pusilla), and northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus). We used a novel spatially explicit optimization procedure rooted in multi-attribute utility theory to design alternative conservation strategies (e.g., prioritize only northern bobwhite recovery or assign equal weight to each species' recovery). Eastern meadowlarks and field sparrows were more likely to respond to landscape-scale resource patch adjacencies than landscape-scale patch densities. Northern bobwhite responded to both landscape-scale resource patch adjacencies and densities and responded strongly to increased grassland density. Effects of landscape features on local abundance decreased as distance increased and had negligible influence at 0.8 km for eastern meadowlarks (0.7-1.2 km 95% Bayesian credibility intervals [BCI]), 2.5 km for field sparrows (1.5-5.8 km 95% BCI), and 8.4 km for bobwhite (6.4-26 km 95% BCI). Northern bobwhites were predicted to benefit greatly from future grassland conservation regardless of conservation priorities, but eastern meadowlark and field sparrow were not. Our results suggest similar species can respond differently to broad-scale conservation practices because of species-specific, distance-dependent relationships with landscape structure. Our framework is quantitative, conceptually simple, customizable, and predictive and can be used to optimize conservation in heterogeneous ecosystems while considering landscape-scale processes and explicit prioritization of species recovery.

Small things are important: the value of singular point elements for birds in agricultural landscapes.

Farmland birds belong to the most endangered group of vertebrates in Europe. They are an important component of farmland biodiversity considering the numerous functions they perform (e.g. seed dispersal, improving germination, increasing gene flow, nutrient recycling, and pest control). Therefore, their decline imposes substantial risks on agricultural ecosystems. In general, farmland bird conservation includes land-use and management alterations leading to less-intensive farming and land-sparing for breeding habitats (e.g. agri-environment-climate schemes, and organic farming). However, theoretical concepts describing farmland biodiversity maintenance and applied conservation measures usually ignore the role of singular, often very small, natural or man-made elements in an agricultural landscape. These elements play a role in the populations of certain species, their biology and in the general species richness of farmland. Furthermore, the importance of these elements has never been empirically tested, which means that conservationists and practitioners are not aware of their measurable value for birds. Herein, we define and identify singular point elements in the agricultural landscape (SPELs) which are potentially important for breeding farmland birds. We also describe each SPEL and evaluate its importance for birds in farmland based on a systematic review of the available literature. Using a horizon-scanning technique, we then polled field ornithologists about their personal observations of birds in relation to SPELs and the evaluation of the potential roles of such structures for birds. We identified 17 SPELs that vary in naturalness and age: singular trees, singular shrubs, erratic boulders, puddles, electricity pylons, wind turbines, spiritual sites, hunting platforms, fence and border posts, wells, road signs, scarecrows, piles of manure, piles of brushwood/branches, piles of stones/debris, piles of lime, and haystacks. Analysis of the literature revealed knowledge gaps, because some SPELs are frequently mentioned in ecological studies (e.g. trees, shrubs, pylons), but others such as spiritual sites, stones, hunting platforms, wells, road signs, or piles of lime are ignored. Despite the fact that some authors incorporate the effects of some SPELs in their studies, little research to date has aimed to assess the impact of various SPELs on farmland bird species numbers and distribution. Horizon scanning revealed that ornithologists often observe birds on various SPELs and thus, attribute to SPELs many functions that are important for maintaining bird populations. Horizon scanning also highlighted the importance of SPELs for many declining bird species and suggested possible mitigation of negative changes in the agricultural landscape by retaining SPELs within fields. We suggest that a better understanding of the role of SPELs for farmland birds is required. We also recommend that SPELs are considered as a potential tool for the conservation of birds, and existing conservation programs such as agri-environment-climate schemes and organic farming should be updated accordingly. Finally, we suggest that SPELs are included in predictive models that evaluate habitat suitability for farmland biodiversity.

Year-round relevance of manure heaps and its conservation potential for declining farmland birds in agricultural landscape

Agricultural intensification has resulted in the homogenization of landscape structure and a massive loss of farmland biodiversity. Despite various conservation attempts, farmland bird populations are continuously declining leading to local extinctions and range contractions of many species. These declines are tightly connected with decreased abundance and availability of crucial food resources within farmland, resulting in reduced reproductive success during breeding and low survival during winters of farmland bird species. Therefore, identification of high‐quality foraging habitats in farmland and its seasonal changes could be useful for farmland bird conservation. In this study, we investigated the year-round importance of manure heaps for birds in intensively-used agricultural landscapes. We compared species richness and abundance of birds on manure heaps and adjacent farmland during breeding, post-breeding and wintering seasons. Furthermore, we compared abundance and species richness between permanent and temporal manure sites. We found that abundance and species richness of all birds, farmland specialists and red-listed species were higher at manure sites than at control sites within adjacent farmland in all seasons. The differences in abundances and species richness between manure heaps and control sites were larger in winter, except for species richness of farmland specialist for which this difference was largest in spring. Additionally, we found that permanent manure sites had higher abundances and species richness of all birds and farmland specialists in autumn than temporary manure sites. In spite of the negative impact of manure facilities to surrounding environment, this study brings first comprehensive evidence of year-round importance of manure heap stands for bird communities, including species with conservation concern and thus uncovers its hidden potential for farmland bird conservation in agricultural landscapes.

An Evaluation of Five Agricultural Habitat Types for Openland Birds: Abandoned Farmland Can Have Comparative Values to Undisturbed Wetland

Populations of birds inhabiting wetlands and grasslands are decreasing globally due to farmland expansion and subsequent agricultural intensification. In addition to conserving natural habitats, managing cultivated farmland and abandoned farmland are likely to be important future conservation measures; however, their relative suitability as avian habitat remains understudied. In this study, we evaluated five habitat types (wetland, pasture, cropland, abandoned farmland, and solar power plant) for openland birds in an agricultural landscape in central Hokkaido, northern Japan. Abandoned farmlands had bird species richness and total bird abundance values similar to those of wetlands. These values were generally higher in abandoned farmlands and wetlands than in croplands, pastures, and solar power plants. The per pair reproductive success of Stejneger's Stonechat Saxicola stejnegeri and the amount of its prey (arthropods) did not differ among the five habitat types. Three species (Black-browed Reed Warbler Acrocephalus bistrigiceps, Common Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus, and Japanese Bush Warbler Cettia diphone) arrived earlier in wetlands than in other habitat types. These results suggest that, although protecting the remaining wetlands is of prime importance for the conservation of openland birds in agricultural landscapes, valuing and managing abandoned farmlands would be a promising alternative.

黄淮平原农业景观鸟类多样性及生境差异

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 黄淮平原农业景观鸟类多样性及生境差异 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201712132246 作者: 作者单位: 河南大学黄河中下游数字地理技术教育部重点实验室;河南大学环境与规划学院,河南大学生命科学学院 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学基金项目（31600374，41371195）；河南省教育厅科学技术研究重点项目（16A180022）；河南省博士后科研项目（2015049） Bird diversity during the breeding period in different habitats in an agricultural landscape in the Huang-Huai plain Author: Affiliation: Key Laboratory of Geospatial Technology for the Middle and Lower Yellow River Regions, Ministry of Education, Henan University, Kaifeng, China; College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Kaifeng, China,School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China Fund Project: The National Natural Science Foundation of China (General Program, Key Program, Major Research Plan) 31600374, 41371195 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:农业景观中的鸟类多样性对生态系统功能和服务的形成与维持具有重要作用。黄淮平原区是我国最重要的农业景观区之一，为探讨区域内农业景观中鸟类多样性特征和不同生境间的差异，在研究区农业景观不同生境中布设样点，调查繁殖期鸟类多样性特征。结果显示：（1）共记录到32科、49属、66种的10044只个体，但优势科属明显；（2）物种丰富度、多样性和均匀度均表现出在沟渠、湖泊生境中较高，农田和村庄生境中相对较低，但物种多度呈现出村庄生境中最高，其次是沟渠和农田生境，湖泊生境中最低；（3）在区系分布上，各生境中均以广布种为主，生态类群上，鸣禽在各生境中均占绝对优势，涉禽和游禽主要分布在沟渠和湖泊生境中，从居留型来看，留鸟是各生境中的主导类群，候鸟、旅鸟和迷鸟比例很低；（4）鸟类群落异质性分析显示，各生境间的相似性总体上较高，表明区域内农业景观中鸟类组成具有较高的重叠性。研究显示农业景观中湖泊和沟渠的存在能有效的提高区域鸟类的丰富度和多样性，而沟渠的存在能有效的提高鸟类个体多度，农田和村庄有助于特定类群多度的增加，因此在未来的区域持续农业景观的构建中一方面要重视自然、半自然非农生境的作用，另一方面也不能忽视不同生物类群对景观异质性响应和对生境特征需求的差异。 Abstract:The diversity of birds in agricultural landscapes plays an important role in the formation and maintenance of ecosystem functions and services. The Huang-Huai plain is among the most important agricultural areas in China. With the continuing expansion of agricultural lands and the intensification of land-use, bird diversity in agricultural landscapes is declining all worldwide. To explore the diversity of birds in different habitats of the agricultural landscape in the Huang-Huai plain, we set up transects across different habitats in this area and investigated bird diversity characteristics during the breeding period. Our results showed that:(1) a total of 10044 individuals in 32 families, 49 genera, and 66 species were recorded; however, several families and genera were obviously dominant. (2) Species richness, diversity, and evenness were all higher in the habitats of ditch and lake, and relatively low in habitats of farmland and village. However, species abundance was highest in the village habitat, followed by ditch and farmland habitats, whereas in the lake habitat it was the lowest. (3) Analysis of faunal distribution showed that cosmopolitan species dominated any given habitat. In terms of ecological groups, the songbirds were the dominant species in all habitats, whereas the waders and swimming-birds were mainly distributed in the ditch and lake habitats. In terms of residence type, however, residents formed the dominant group in all habitats, and migrators, travelers, and stragglers appeared occasionally. (4) The high community similarity among the habitats indicated that bird species compositions were overlapped substantially across habitats in the agricultural landscape. Overall, the habitats of ditch and lake in the agricultural landscape could effectively improve the regional species richness and diversity, and the presence of ditches could further increase the abundance of birds, whereas the habitats of farmland and village may only enhance the abundance of specific bird species. This study emphasized the potential contributions of natural and semi-natural habitats to the construction of a sustainable agricultural landscape in the future; however, the differences in the responses to landscape heterogeneity and habitat requirements of different biological groups should not be ignored. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Conservation of Neotropical migratory birds in tropical hardwood and oil palm plantations.

Tropical forests in the Americas are undergoing rapid conversion to commercial agriculture, and many migratory bird species that use these forests have experienced corresponding populations declines. Conservation research for migratory birds in the tropics has focused overwhelmingly on shade coffee plantations and adjacent forest, but both cover types are now in decline, creating an urgent need to evaluate conservation opportunities in other agricultural systems. Here we compare how a community of 42 Neotropical migratory bird species and a subset of five conservation-priority species differ in usage and habitat associations among a secondary forest baseline and four expanding commercial plantation systems in Guatemala: African oil palm, teak, rubber, and mixed-native hardwoods. We found that mixed-native hardwood plantations supported the highest richness and diversity of all migrants and that the three hardwood plantation types generally outperformed oil palm in richness and diversity metrics. Despite this, oil palm supported high abundance of several common and widespread species also experiencing range-wide population declines and may therefore play an important role in conserving common species. Mature secondary forest hosted low abundance and diversity of the full migratory community, but high abundance and richness of conservation priority migrants along with native hardwood and teak plantations. Likewise, the percentage of forest cover on the landscape was positively associated with priority migrant abundance and richness but negatively associated with the abundance of migrants in general, highlighting how individual species within the broad group of Neotropical migratory landbirds respond differently to anthropogenic changes in land use. Across all cover types, the retention of tall overstory trees increased the abundance, richness, and diversity of all migrants, which indicates that vertical structural diversity and remnant trees are important habitat features for birds in agricultural landscapes. Our findings show that conservation opportunities exist in hardwood and oil palm plantations, though the species likely to benefit from conservation action will vary among plantation types. For the subset of conservation priority migrants, our results suggest that conservation efforts should combine strategies that retain and restore secondary forest, promote the adoption of native hardwood and teak plantations, and promote the retention of tall, remnant trees in agricultural landscapes.

Composition of Birds in Agricultural Landscapes of Peddagattu and Sherpally Area: A Proposed Uranium Mining Sites in Nalgonda, Telangana, India

The study was carried out from December 2010 to March 2014 to obtain the list of bird species, their density, diversity, species richness and evenness associated with five different crops viz., Paddy, Cotton, Castor, Red gram and Fruit garden in agricultural habitat of Nalgonda district. The current study highlights the status of avian diversity in relation to different crops, order wise versus crop wise species distribution and their clusters among the over- lapping species. A unique attempt of assembling birds, between crops and among the species shows significant variation in the relative density and diet selection of each bird species. Among which seven threatened bird species (IUCN Red list) were documented.

Fauna and bird population of agricultural landscapes of forest and steppe zone in Tula Region

The article analyzes the features of the composition and distribution of communities of different types of birds in agricultural landscapes (agrolandscapes, agricultural land and farmland) of forest and steppe zone in Tula Region. The author of the paper shows the materials and methods of study, research techniques and the results of work for several years. Moreover the author shows the results of information data of long-period research which help to see a wide diversity of birds (biological diversity) of the avifauna of agricultural landscapes. The article discusses the differences of aviafauna (on the example of different types of landscapes and the degree of transformation of the territory) which determine the necessity for further reseraches in Tula Region. To do it, it is important to analyze the results of researches of different authors concerning the situation in other surrounding regions. The author believes it will help to compare the fauna diversity and identify the reasons of diversity. The results of work are important for further reseraches concerning the monitoring of local avifauna of different agricultural landscapes in Tula Region and surrounding regions. Moreover it will help to create the new special lists, bird atlases, Red book, and documentation.

The dynamics of fauna and population of birds in agricultural landscapes on the border of Kazan International Airport

The dynamics of fauna and population of birds from agricultural lands near Kazan International Airport has been studied for one year. A total of 60 bird species have been registered, of which 26 species must be considered as highly dangerous to flying aircraft. With regard to seasonal activity, the nesting period (April – June) is the most hazardous, since it is characterized by maximum species richness and total population density of birds, as well as their high species diversity. Furthermore, a serious danger is posed by the period of postnesting nomadic movements and the onset of migrations (July – September) when the species diversity turns out to be the highest and the total population density begins to decrease. It has been recommended based on the obtained results that the current crops should be replaced by cultivars that will be less attractive to birds. In spring and autumn, certain bird hazing and frightening measures must be taken on a more regular basis.

How many insects can a great tit population prey on in apple organic orchards? A modelling bioenergetics study

Orchards represent relevant study systems for investigating the functional role of insectivorous birds as regulators of pest insect populations. In this context, we used a bioenergetics model (Wiens and Innis, 1974) to estimate the seasonal variation in daily insect consumption by natural populations of the great tit (Parus major) in organic apple orchards. This model allowed us to estimate the changes in both adult densities and energy requirements in a P. major population, using field-measured parameters such as the brood size, and the length of incubation. The calculation of insect consumption rate by birds was based on both the existing literature on great tit diets and the simulated energy requirement of a great tit population. The effect of a temperature increase on energy requirement has been quantified. This study opens the way to consider the functional role of birds in agricultural landscapes and how this role may translate to ecosystem services.

Buffer strip management to deliver plant and invertebrate resources for farmland birds in agricultural landscapes

To address the decline in farmland birds across agricultural landscapes a key approach under agri-environment schemes has been the widespread creation of perennial grass-only buffer strips along field boundaries. However, despite a high dependency on these strips to enhance biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, it appears that benefits for farmland birds during the breeding season have been limited. We investigated the provision of plant and invertebrate resources for farmland birds in buffer strips that were established with three different seed mixes, including the standard grass-only habitat. We hypothesised that resource provision would differ between seed mix types due to differences in original composition. We also investigated three different types of management aimed at influencing sward composition and habitat structure, namely cutting, scarification and the application of graminicide. These approaches were used to influence the accessibility of structurally complex swards to farmland birds. We hypothesised that the abundance of plant and invertebrate resources and access to these resources would be directly related to management type. The abundance of plant resources and sward structure were determined using quadrats and the drop disc method respectively, whilst the invertebrates were assessed using suction sampling. The study demonstrated the value of including forbs (herbaceous plant species) in seed mixes used to establish buffer strips by increasing plant resources for farmland birds, although this was not coupled with an increase in beetle abundance and mass. However, grass-only buffer strips managed with annual cutting were shown to provide similar levels of invertebrate resources to farmland birds as with the more complex seed mixes, but it is likely that access to these resources was restricted by tall homogenous swards and a limited amount of bare ground. The study demonstrated that novel buffer strip management techniques can strongly influence both the resource abundance and resource access by farmland birds. Scarification in particular was shown to be highly effective at opening up the sward to increase access by farmland birds, but was associated with a reduction in plant resources. Given the financial barriers for the use of seed mixes that contain forbs to establish buffer strips, importantly the study has shown that the value of existing grass-only buffer strips for farmland birds can be enhanced through the use of scarification. Consequently, as an alternative to annual cutting, we recommend that scarification is periodically applied to narrow (1–3m) strips next to the crop edge to enhance the value of grass-only buffer strips for farmland birds.

Reproductive success of songbirds and waterfowl in native mixed-grass pasture and planted grasslands used for pasture and hay

ABSTRACT Conservation of grassland birds in agricultural landscapes requires an understanding of the demographic consequences of nesting in native and planted grasslands. Much of the native grassland in agricultural regions has been converted to cropland. Subsequently, seeding cropland to perennial grasslands has become a common strategy to restore habitat for grassland birds, but these grasslands also may be used as hay and pasture forage for livestock. Our objectives were to determine (1) if the abundance of grassland songbirds and the reproductive success of songbirds and waterfowl varied between native pasture and planted grassland, and (2) if the amount of grassland in the surrounding landscape influenced the abundance and reproductive success of songbirds or the nest survival of waterfowl in native and planted grasslands. Our results suggest that planted grasslands used for pasture and hay in our region are likely ecological sinks for grassland specialist songbirds. Sprague's Pipit (Anthus spragueii...

Contrasting effect of isolation of hedges from forests on farmland vs. woodland birds

Hedges and forest edges play a major role in providing nesting sites, food resources and shelter for birds in agricultural landscapes of western and central Europe. We investigated the response of farmland vs. woodland birds at two degrees of isolation of hedges from forest and to vegetation structure. We surveyed 200 m long sections of six forest edges, six hedges connected to forests and six isolated hedges. Species richness and abundance of farmland birds were higher in hedges than in forest edges, species richness and abundance of woodland birds were lower in hedges than in the forest edges. Species richness and abundance of both groups did not differ between connected and isolated hedges. Width and height of hedges and edges did not affect the species richness and abundance of either farmland or woodland birds. Furthermore, bird community composition differed between habitat types (hedge vs. forest edge) and also between hedge isolation levels (hedges connected to forest vs. isolated hedges). Based o...

The importance of drainage ditches for farmland birds in agricultural landscapes in the Baltic countries: does field type matter?

Land drainage exhibits a considerable impact on biodiversity. Drainage ditches-a regionally common landscape element-carry a number of benefits for birds associated with farmland. The aim of this study was to quantify a relative value of ditches for farmland birds depending on the type of surrounding fields. Survey data on farmland bird communities and farmland landscape structure across Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were used. Count plots were situated within either arable fields or grasslands, or their combination and contained two types of ditches, with grassy margins or with tall vegetation such as bushes and trees. Focal species were selected based on their plausible use of ditches. Species richness and abundance of farmland birds were positively associated with the presence of ditches with tall vegetation, but the plausible role of ditches with only grassy margins remained unclear. For some species, the relationship was more pronounced in arable land than in grassland. Regional agricultural policy should support the retention of ditches, especially those with complex structure, in farmland. This action is crucial in landscapes dominated by crop production, as they face the most intense utilisation.

Agricultural intensification and biodiversity partitioning in European landscapes comparing plants, carabids, and birds

Effects of agricultural intensification (AI) on biodiversity are often assessed on the plot scale, although processes determining diversity also operate on larger spatial scales. Here, we analyzed the diversity of vascular plants, carabid beetles, and birds in agricultural landscapes in cereal crop fields at the field (n = 1350), farm (n = 270), and European-region (n = 9) scale. We partitioned diversity into its additive components alpha, beta, and gamma, and assessed the relative contribution of beta diversity to total species richness at each spatial scale. AI was determined using pesticide and fertilizer inputs, as well as tillage operations and categorized into low, medium, and high levels. As AI was not significantly related to landscape complexity, we could disentangle potential AI effects on local vs. landscape community homogenization. AI negatively affected the species richness of plants and birds, but not carabid beetles, at all spatial scales. Hence, local AI was closely correlated to beta diversity on larger scales up to the farm and region level, and thereby was an indicator of farm- and region-wide biodiversity losses. At the scale of farms (12.83-20.52%) and regions (68.34-80.18%), beta diversity accounted for the major part of the total species richness for all three taxa, indicating great dissimilarity in environmental conditions on larger spatial scales. For plants, relative importance of alpha diversity decreased with AI, while relative importance of beta diversity on the farm scale increased with AI for carabids and birds. Hence, and in contrast to our expectations, AI does not necessarily homogenize local communities, presumably due to the heterogeneity of farming practices. In conclusion, a more detailed understanding of AI effects on diversity patterns of various taxa and at multiple spatial scales would contribute to more efficient agri-environmental schemes in agroecosystems.