Species Of Conservation Value Research Articles

Spring forth diversity: Specialist species contribute to the conservation value of headwater springs and streams at the landscape scale

AbstractHeadwater springs and streams often occur in relatively remote areas, reducing their exposure to human influences and thus increasing their collective capacity to support high biodiversity. Their aquatic macroinvertebrate communities can include species of conservation interest, some of which are specialists associated with groundwater inputs, low water temperature or temporary flow. However, the inaccessibility of some spring and stream networks has left their communities poorly characterized, limiting our capacity to implement effective conservation strategies. We characterized the biodiversity and conservation value of macroinvertebrate communities in a network of 51 relatively inaccessible and unimpacted headwater spring and stream sites spanning multiple catchments in a single landscape type: the chalk downland of south England. At each site, we kick sampled macroinvertebrate communities and recorded environmental variables, including flow permanence. To represent each community, we calculated taxa richness, coverage‐adjusted Hill‐Shannon diversity, the local contribution to beta diversity, and an index of richness and species rarity. We used the latter three metrics to rank sites based on their biodiversity and conservation value and analyzed relationships between metrics and environmental variables. We found specialists of springs, cold waters, groundwaters and temporary flow regimes, including rare species of conservation value. Some metrics responded to environmental variables, but top‐ranking sites had highly variable environmental characteristics. We highlight the value of individual headwater streams with contrasting characteristics as contributors to ecologically heterogeneous site networks. Our results can inform landscape‐scale management strategies that protect headwaters as refuges that support biodiverse communities, including rare species, as they adapt to global change.

Assessment of conservation status of riparian vascular plant species in a dry season exposed flood plain area of the Incalaue river catchment, Niassa Special Reserve, Northern Mozambique

Riparian vegetation usually gets less focus in biodiversity assessments and yet species diversity is important knowledge when applying patch specific conservation value in the Niassa Special Reserve (NSR). This study assessed the composition and conservation status of riparian species in an exposed river basin downstream location. Purposive sampling was used in the selection of sites and respondents to maximize data collection. The study found 19 species belonging to 15 families with 52.63% of them having a frequency of ⩾50% in sampling plots. There were 10 species that are endemic to the sub-Sharan Africa Region. Fabaceae was the dominant family with 5 species. The species with the highest population was Flacourtia indica (Burm. f.) Merr. Species richness ranged from 0.35 to 0.98 with a mean of 0.66 ± 0.22. The IVI ranged from 34.70 (F. indica (Burm. f.) Merr) to 4.43 (Tribulus cistoides L.) with a mean of 15.79 ± 7.79. Threats of species loss and ecosystem disturbance were agriculture, infrastructure development and plant harvests. There was a reported decline in species availability over the previous 10 years by 18.7% of the respondents. The results added to existing studies and records of vegetation species of conservation value in areas exposed to loss in the NSR. This study advances research on vegetation range dynamics in the NSR and presents a need to mitigate human land use impacts on riparian vegetation species composition.

Major field margin vegetation types in France and their relationships with climate, agricultural landscapes and management intensity

ABSTRACT Arable field margins are an important semi-natural habitat providing multiple functions in agroecosystems. Despite three decades of research, analyses of species assemblage and functional traits are lacking. Leveraging a national monitoring network in metropolitan France, we aim to provide a comprehensive taxonomic and functional synthesis of field margin flora, outline main field margin types and explore their associations with management practices, climate, and agricultural landscapes. We analysed data from 532 field margins surveyed between 2013 and 2017, using both uni- and multivariate analyses. Field margins exhibited great diversity with 711 distinct taxa (12% of all flora in mainland France) at the national scale and an average of 16 species per 10 m2 locally. While field margins contained few species of conservation value, they offered a refuge for many declining species as well as rare arable weed species. We identified seven main field margin types, each linked to distinct conditions of climate, soil, landscape and agricultural practices. Mediterranean field margins notably differed from all others. In the main cluster, vineyard margins also stood out as distinct from annual crop margins. Additionally, field margins in landscapes with a high proportion of grassland differed from those within intensively cultivated field crop plains in conventional agriculture. Overall, our study highlights the high botanical diversity of field margins and their interest for plant conservation in agricultural landscapes. Promoting the installation and/or maintenance of field margins through agri-environmental schemes should thus favour biodiversity conservation and associated ecosystem provision.

Complementary effects of biodiversity and ecosystem services on spatial targeting for agri-environment payments

Landscape multi-functionality is often valued by scientists and appreciated by citizens. In agro-ecosystems this often translates into policy that aims to protect biodiversity through conservation incentives, sometimes spatially targeted to decrease the impact of productive activities. Incentive schemes that aim at protecting a range of other benefits, are still rare. Resources are often limited and spatial heterogeneity can be high, so there is a need to investigate whether efficient schemes could be designed through the targeting of areas that offer both high biodiversity and ecosystem services. Using Scotland’s agricultural landscapes, we build on previous work to investigate whether there is spatial coincidence between species richness of species targeted by agri-environment schemes and four key ecosystem services, namely nutrient retention, carbon sequestration, pollination and prevention of soil erosion. We used models of the distribution of these ecosystem services and the distribution of 83 species of conservation value and relevant to lowland grasslands and croplands. Through spatial analysis we showed that complementarity depends on scale and that, at the landscape scale, it would be possible to define a zonation that encompasses areas that offer relatively higher levels biodiversity and ecosystem services. Conservation incentives schemes could become more inclusive and more efficient if they targeted the identified areas.

Woody Plant Conservation Value of Three Contrasting Forest Management Regimes in Southwest Ethiopia

The future of the Afromontane forest of southwest Ethiopia is highly influenced by coffee management intensity. The study was conducted to investigate the woody species conservation value of a human-modified forest in southwest Ethiopia. We assessed woody species composition, regeneration and forest stand structure across three different management regimes (i.e., natural forest, coffee forest and coffee agroforest using 189 plots of 400 m2 (20 m × 20 m). A total of 64 species belonging to 33 families were identified and recorded across the three forest management regimes. About 83% of the recorded woody species were maintained in the coffee agroforest. The three forest types shared 61% of the recorded woody species. The coffee agroforest had maintained four strata or layers of stand structure. Nevertheless, the total abundance, density and basal area of woody species decreased from the natural forest to coffee forest and coffee agroforest. The Analysis of Similarity (ANOSIM) showed significant difference between the natural forest, coffee forest and coffee agroforest (Global RAnosim = 0.36, p < 0.001). Similar regeneration patterns were recorded under the forest management regimes. Coffee agroforests simplify the woody plant composition and stand structure of the Afromontane forest in southwest Ethiopia.

Reinventory of the vascular plants of Mormon Island Crane Meadows after forty years of restoration, invasion, and climate change

The majority of tallgrass prairie has been lost from North America's Great Plains, but remaining tracts often support significant biodiversity. Despite permanent protections for some remnants, they continue to face anthropogenic threats including habitat fragmentation, invasive species, and climate change. Conservationists have sought to buffer remnants from threats using prairie restoration but limited research has assessed such practices at the landscape-level. We reexamine the flora of Mormon Island, the largest tract of lowland tallgrass prairie remaining in the Central Platte River Valley (CPRV) of Nebraska, USA, nearly 40-years after it was initially inventoried and following widespread restoration. We also conducted preliminary inventories of nearby Shoemaker Island and adjacent off-island habitats using an ecotope-based stratified random sampling approach. We examined change at Mormon Island between 1980-1981 and 2015–2020 and compared it to adjacent conservation lands using a number of vegetation indices. We documented 389 vascular plant species on Mormon Island, 405 on Shoemaker Island, and 337 on off-island habitats from 2015-2020, which represented an increase in native and exotic species richness on Mormon Island compared to 1980–1981 results. Floristic quality index (FQI) values increased at Mormon Island between 1980-1981 and 2015–2020. Paradoxically, the distribution of exotic-invasive species also expanded. Mormon Island from 2015-2020 was more similar to Shoemaker Island and off-island habitats from 2015-2020 than Mormon Island from 1980-1981. Widespread restoration introduced a number of high conservation value species native to Nebraska but novel to the CPRV, which improved FQIs despite increased exotic species invasion. These concurrent trends appear to have driven biological homogenization across the study area. Restoration did not fully buffer Mormon Island from exotic species invasion but it may have partially mitigated the impact considering the persistence of most native species across a 40-year period. We recommend using “local ecotype” seed for restorations to preserve distinctive local communities.

Population genetics and geometric morphometrics of the freshwater snail Segmentina nitida reveal cryptic sympatric species of conservation value in Europe

Segmentina nitida Müller 1774 is a rare European freshwater snail of drainage ditches and marshland, which has seen a marked decrease in range (~ 80%) over the last 100 years in the UK. This has been attributed to over-dredging of drainage ditches for land management, conversion of grazing marshes to arable farmland, as well as eutrophication. Segmentina nitida is identified as a priority species in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UKBAP) that recommends further research to inform reintroduction and translocation for its conservation. We used nuclear markers (microsatellites and ITS2) and a mitochondrial (COI) marker to investigate population structure in S. nitida individuals sampled from Poland, Germany, Sweden, and the UK to identify differences within and between populations. Data based on 2D landmark-based geometric morphometrics of S. nitida shells was used to determine if phenotypic variation followed genetic differentiation. Two distinct genetic lineages of S. nitida were identified in ITS and COI phylogenies as well as cluster analysis of microsatellite markers, one of these lineages was present in eastern Europe (Poland, Sweden- Lineage 2), and one in western Europe (UK, Germany- Lineage 1), with lineages co-occurring in German populations. No genetic admixture was observed in German populations containing both lineages. These two lineages were also distinct in shape, with lineage 2 individuals having significantly wider shells and taller and wider apertures than those in Lineage 1. ~ 85% of shells assigned to the predicted lineage in a discriminant analysis of Procrustes shape coordinates. We infer that S. nitida includes at least one sympatric cryptic species. We discuss the implications of these findings on the conservation status of S. nitida in the UK and Europe.

Comparing the efficiencies of individual-scoring and complementarity-based algorithms in prioritizing existing protected areas

Evaluation of conservation priorities in existing protected areas (PAs) is critical for effective allocation of limited conservation resources and optimization of PA structure. Traditional approaches of prioritizing within existing PAs are based on individual-scoring and complementarity-based algorithms, and are often guided by individual natural features rather than complementarity among PAs. However, the efficiencies of synthesizing individual-scoring and complementarity-based algorithms in prioritizing PAs are still unknown. Here, we implemented three algorithms for prioritizing 42 Nature Reserves (NRs) in Yunnan Province, China, including an individual-scoring algorithm (ISA), species-number complementarity algorithm (SNCA), and a new species-value complementarity algorithm (SVCA) which synthesized the former two algorithms. Subsequently, the species number and species conservation value evaluated the efficiencies of three algorithms and explored their implications in conservation planning. We found that the spatial distribution of priority levels of NRs varied in different biogeographical regions, and that most of the national NRs received higher conservation priorities than provincial NRs in all three algorithms. Additionally, the average species number conservation efficiency in SNCA was 3.45 and 1.61% higher than in ISA and SVCA, respectively, while the average species conservation value efficiency in SVCA was 1.83 and 3.37% higher than in SNCA and ISA. These results indicated that SNCA could protect more species at a minimum cost if conservation planning was aimed only at protecting the number of species. However, when species conservation value is the focus of conservation planning, SVCA was more cost-effective. Our analysis supports efforts at efficient allocation of conservation resources in individual PAs and entire PA network at different biogeographical scales, and informs decision-makers on leveraging cost-effective conservation efforts in the future.

Temporal and Spatial Succession Law of Abor Diversity in Xiaoxing’an Mountains

The national forest nature reserve in the Xiaoxing’anling area was studied. Based on the diversity of α and β, three forest types of grassland, birch forest, and larch forest were analyzed. Based on the diversity law of latitude gradient, the nature reserve was discussed in forest type. A difference in a diversity of different forest types was succession changes. A method based on quantitative evaluation of species conservation value was constructed. The community structure and species composition of nature reserves were systematically analyzed, and the conservation value of species and the conservation value of rare and endangered species were scientifically evaluated. The results showed that the Shannon Wiener index and Margalef index of grassland, birch forest, and larch forest showed a decreasing trend with the increase of latitude. Compared with the other four latitudes, the grassland, birch forest and larch forest of Dazhanhe Nature Reserve showed a decreasing trend from the north to south Jaccard index and Sorenson index, and the Cody index showed an increasing trend. The Jaccard index and the Sorenson index have peaks in friendly areas, and the species similarity is high, indicating that the friendly areas may be the interlaced areas of Xiaoxing’anling. The Shannon Wiener index and the Margalef index of the nature reserve from the early stage of succession to the middle and late succession increased continuously, reaching the maximum in the middle and late stages, and began to decline in the later stage of succession, which is consistent with the mid-specie.

Pastoralism in the highest peaks: Role of the traditional grazing systems in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem function in the alpine Himalaya.

Rangelands cover around half of the planet's land mass and provide vital ecosystem services to over a quarter of humanity. The Himalayan rangelands, part of a global biodiversity hotspot is among the most threatened regions in the world. In rangelands of many developing nations policies banning grazing in protected areas is common practice. In 1998, the Indian state of Sikkim, in the Eastern Himalaya, enacted a grazing ban in response to growing anthropogenic pressure in pastures and forests that was presumably leading to degradation of biodiversity. Studies from the region demonstrate the grazing ban has had some beneficial results in the form of increased carbon stocks and regeneration of some species of conservation value but the ban also resulted in negative outcomes such as reduced household incomes, increase in monocultures in lowlands, decreased manure production in a state that exclusively practices organic farming, spread of gregarious species, and a perceived increase in human wildlife conflict. This paper explores the impact of the traditional pastoral system on high elevation plant species in Lachen valley, one of the few regions of Sikkim where the grazing ban was not implemented. Experimental plots were laid in along an elevation gradient in grazed and ungrazed areas. Ungrazed areas are part of pastures that have been fenced off (preventing grazing) for over a decade and used by the locals for hay formation. I quantified plant species diversity (Species richness, Shannon index, Simpson diversity index, and Pielou evenness index) and ecosystem function (above ground net primary productivity ANPP). The difference method using movable exlosure cages was used in grazing areas to account for plant ANPP eaten and regrowth between grazing periods). The results demonstrate that grazing significantly contributes to greater plant species diversity (Species richness, Shannon index, Simpson diversity index, and Pielou evenness index) and ecosystem function (using above ground net primary productivity as an indicator). The multidimensional scaling and ANOSIM (Analysis of Similarities) pointed to significant differences in plant species assemblages in grazed and ungrazed areas. Further, ecosystem function is controlled by grazing, rainfall and elevation. Thus, the traditional transhumant pastoral system may enhance biodiversity and ecosystem function. I argue that a complete restriction of open grazing meet neither conservation nor socioeconomic goals. Evidence based policies are required to conserve the rich and vulnerable biodiversity of the region.

Current State and Drivers of Arable Plant Diversity in Conventionally Managed Farmland in Northwest Germany

Agricultural intensification has led to dramatic diversity losses and impoverishment of the arable vegetation in much of Europe. We analyzed the status of farmland phytodiversity and its determinants in 2016 in northwest Germany by surveying 200 conventionally managed fields cultivated with seven crops. The study was combined with an analysis of edaphic (soil yield potential), agronomic (crop cover, fertilizer and herbicide use) and landscape factors (adjacent habitats). In total, we recorded 150 non-crop plant species, many of them nitrophilous generalist species, while species of conservation value were almost completely absent. According to a post-hoc pairwise comparison of the mixed model results, the cultivation of rapeseed positively influenced non-crop plant species richness as compared to winter cereals (wheat, barley, rye and triticale; data pooled), maize or potato. The presence of grassy strips and ditch margins adjacent to fields increased plant richness at field edges presumably through spillover effects. In the field interiors, median values of non-crop plant richness and cover were only 2 species and 0.5% cover across all crops, and at the field edges 11 species and 4% cover. Agricultural intensification has wiped out non-crop plant life nearly completely from conventionally managed farmland, except for a narrow, floristically impoverished field edge strip.

Genetic diversity, relatedness and inbreeding of ranched and fragmented Cape buffalo populations in southern Africa.

Wildlife ranching, although not considered a conventional conservation system, provides a sustainable model for wildlife utilization and could be a source of valuable genetic material. However, increased fragmentation and intensive management may threaten the evolutionary potential and conservation value of species. Disease-free Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer) in southern Africa exist in populations with a variety of histories and management practices. We compared the genetic diversity of buffalo in national parks to private ranches and found that, except for Addo Elephant National Park, genetic diversity was high and statistically equivalent. We found that relatedness and inbreeding levels were not substantially different between ranched populations and those in national parks, indicating that breeding practices likely did not yet influence genetic diversity of buffalo on private ranches in this study. High genetic differentiation between South African protected areas highlighted their fragmented nature. Structure analysis revealed private ranches comprised three gene pools, with origins from Addo Elephant National Park, Kruger National Park and a third, unsampled gene pool. Based on these results, we recommend the Addo population be supplemented with disease-free Graspan and Mokala buffalo (of Kruger origin). We highlight the need for more research to characterize the genetic diversity and composition of ranched wildlife species, in conjunction with wildlife ranchers and conservation authorities, in order to evaluate the implications for management and conservation of these species across different systems.

The trade-off between biodiversity and sustainable fish harvest with area-based management

Abstract While fisheries provide food and employment for hundreds of millions of people, they also can have significant impact on biodiversity. We explore the potential of area-based fisheries management to simultaneously maintain biodiversity and high levels of sustainable food production. We used two illustrative examples of fisheries that have different gear types, areas, and species to evaluate the trade-off between biodiversity and harvest. We calculate the optimal effort by gear and area that maximizes a weighted objective function of biodiversity and harvest, ranging from 100% of the weight on harvest to 100% on biodiversity. We found for both case studies that the trade-off was highly convex, with win–win solutions allowing for high levels of both fishery harvest and conservation. This is achieved by reducing or eliminating fishing effort that negatively impacts high conservation value species while maintaining fishing effort with gears and in areas where there is low conservation impact. We suggest that, in most fisheries, such situations can be found and that effective area-based management can provide for high levels of biodiversity protection and food production.

Patterns of Co-occurrence of Rare and Threatened Species in Winter Arable Plant Communities of Italy

Detecting patterns of species co-occurrence is among the main tasks of plant community ecology. Arable plant communities are important elements of agroecosystems, because they support plant and animal biodiversity and provide ecosystem services. These plant communities are shaped by both agricultural and environmental drivers. The pressure of intensive agriculture worldwide has caused the decline of many characteristic arable species and communities. Italy is the European country where arable plant biodiversity is the best preserved. In this study, we assessed the patterns of co-occurrence of rare and threatened arable plants in 106 plots of winter arable vegetation located from Piedmont to Calabria, in the mainland part of the country. For this purpose, we based our investigation on the analysis of a recently acquired dataset and on the European list of rare and threatened arable plants. We highlight how different species of conservation interest tend to occur in the same community. On the other hand, generalist and more competitive taxa show similar patterns of co-occurrence. We suggest that single species of conservation value could be suitable indicators of a well-preserved community. On the other hand, to be effective, conservation strategies should target the whole community, rather than single species.

Contribution to knowledge of the Balkan Lepidoptera (Lepidoptera: Macrolepidoptera)

One species Caradrina draudti (Boursin, 1936) is reported here as a new for continental Europe, one species is new for the Balkan Peninsula and Bulgaria, one species is confirmed for the Balkan Peninsula, two species are new for the Republic of North Macedonia and two others are reported for the second time from this country. One species is new for Serbia; another one is reported for the second time from Serbia. Six genera and 18 species are new for Albania and 4 species are reported for the second time from this country. Three genera and six species are new for Montenegro. Data for some other interesting species and species of conservation value are also presented. Most specimens are collected at light in 2019. With illustrations of specimens and their genitalia when necessary. With new taxonomical notes for Charissa pentheri (Rebel, 1901).

Land use and climate change impacts on distribution of plant species of conservation value in Eastern Ghats, India: a simulation study.

Effective monitoring of the current status of species distributions and predicting future distributions are very important for conservation practices at the ecosystem and species levels. The human population, land use, and climate are important factors that influence the distributions of species. Even though future simulations have many uncertainties, such studies can provide a means of obtaining species distributions, range shifts, and food production and help mitigation and adaptation planning. Here, we simulate the population, land use/land cover and species distributions in the Eastern Ghats, India. A MaxEnt species distribution model was used to simulate the potential habitats of a group of endemic (28 species found in this region) and rare, endangered, and threatened (RET) (22 species found in this region) plant species on the basis of IPCC AR5 scenarios developed for 2050 and 2070. Simulations of populations in 2050 indicate that they will increase at a rate of 1.12% relative to the base year, 2011. These increases in population create a demand for more land for settlement and food productions. Land use land cover (LULC) simulations show an increase in built-up land from 3665.00km2 in 2015 to 3989.56km2 by 2050. There is a minor increase of 0.04% in the area under agriculture in 2050 compared with 2015. On the other hand, the habitat simulations show that the combined effects of climate and land use change have a greater influence on the decline of potential distributions of species. Climate change and the prevailing rate of LULC change will reduce the extents of the habitats of endemic and RET species (~ 60% and ~ 40%, respectively). The Eastern Ghats have become extensively fragmented due to human activities and have become a hotspot of endemic and RET species loss. Climate and LULC change will enhance the species loss and ecosystem services.

Ecological restoration of an urban demolition site through introduction of native forb species

Urban brownfields can provide habitats for endangered native plant species but may also support invasive non-native species. The aim of our study was to develop and test different measures for the ecological restoration of an urban brownfield. We aimed to enhance native plant species richness by seeding two native forb seed mixtures containing 25 (HD-mixture) and 13 species (LD-mixture), respectively, without affecting spontaneously colonizing plant species of nature conservation value. Additionally, we tested the effects of species introduction and mowing on the establishment of invasive non-native plant species, woody species development, and perennial grass dominance.With establishment rates of 84% (HD) and 92% (LD) in the first study year and about 60% for both seed mixtures in the fourth year, species introduction was successful and led to rapid re-vegetation of the formerly bare brownfield. Although seeding did not result in increased species richness using either seed mixture, the dominance of perennial grasses was significantly reduced by the establishment of forb species from the HD-mixture. Overall, we observed the spontaneous establishment of ten plant species of conservation value; seeding affected these species only temporarily, in the second year. Seeding (with either seed mixture) and mowing both resulted in reduced cover of woody species and a lower frequency of the invasive non-native Robinia pseudoacacia.Our study demonstrated the high nature conservation value of dry and nutrient-poor urban brownfields for spontaneously occurring threatened plant species. Further studies have to evaluate if the reduced cover of grasses and woody species through introduction of site-specific native forb species might increase these sites’ aesthetic value and broader acceptance of brownfields by urban residents.

Taxanomic Composition and Conservation Status of Plants in Imbak Canyon, Sabah, Malaysia

A study of plant diversity and their conservation status was conducted in Batu Timbang, Imbak Canyon Conservation Area (ICCA), Sabah. The study aimed to document plant diversity and to identify interesting, endemic, rare and threatened plant species which were considered high conservation value species. A total of 413 species from 82 families were recorded from the study area of which 93 taxa were endemic to Borneo, including 10 endemic to Sabah. These high conservation value species are key conservation targets for any forested area such as ICCA. Proper knowledge of plant diversity and their conservation status is vital for the formulation of a forest management plan for the Batu Timbang area.

Both forest reserves and managed forests help maintain ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity

The present study focuses on ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi, a group of fungi that are extremely vital to the functioning of forest ecosystems. Over a three-year period, we monitored above- and belowground communities of ECM fungi in protected and managed stands located in Poland in Central European mixed forests dominated by Scots pine. Ectomycorrhizal fungi have been evaluated in three pairs of forest reserves and adjacent managed forests using a combination of classical and molecular identification methods. We found that the managed forests harbored, in total, a higher number of fungal taxa than the reserves (105 vs. 93); however, no significant difference in the average number of ECM fungal taxa was found between both management strategies (69.0 ± 6.0 vs. 61.3 ± 11.5). This was true both for sporocarps and ectomycorrhizal communities. In terms of environmental factors, soil nitrate concentration and number of trees were found to be the main drivers shaping the ECM fungal communities. The species composition of ECM fungal communities was to a large extent similar between forest reserves and managed forests, and only a small pool of species was found uniquely on one of the stand types. Species of conservation value (red-listed and rare species in Poland) have been noted on stands influenced by both management strategies. Our results suggest that both forest reserves and managed forests contribute to maintaining ECM fungal diversity, with managed forests contributing a higher total taxa pool, and each management regime contributing a certain number of taxa not found in the other.

Long-term consequences of agricultural policy decisions: How are forests planted under EEC regulation 2080/92 affecting biodiversity 20 years later?

Large-scale afforestation of agricultural land was carried out in the 1990s under the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union. This policy aimed at delivering environmental benefits, among them positive biodiversity effects. However, knowledge of the long-term biodiversity impacts of these afforestation schemes remains very limited, particularly for insects. We provide a case study examining the biodiversity impacts of afforestation carried out in Mediterranean grasslands in southern Portugal. We sampled orthopterans and butterflies in native oak and pine plantations established under EEC regulation 2080/92, and in older exotic eucalyptus plantations. Sampling was also conducted in grassland habitats (permanent pastures and fallow land) adjacent to each plantation, and at plantation-grassland edges. In general, plantations supported lower orthopteran species richness and fewer orthopterans of conservation value than grassland and edges, particularly for eucalyptus plantations. Conversely, plantations were of higher conservation value for butterflies, and edges supported the highest butterfly richness. Plantations hosted some orthopteran and butterfly species that did not occur in grasslands, and so contributed to increase species richness at the landscape scale. Overall, results underline the importance of grassland, especially for orthopterans, and show that native plantations and associated edges can also provide habitat for species of conservation value. Therefore, retaining large grassland tracts and planting native rather than exotic tree species might minimize the negative effects of plantations for insect biodiversity in Mediterranean grassland. Overall, findings show that agricultural policy decisions can have protracted implications for biodiversity, thereby requiring long term environmental assessments and monitoring.