Conventional Vineyards Research Articles

Differential effects of semi-natural habitats and organic management on spiders in viticultural landscapes

Organic management has the potential to mitigate negative impacts of intensive farming on biodiversity. We aimed to determine the effects of management system (organic vs. conventional), local habitat conditions and the surrounding landscape on ground-dwelling spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) in vineyards. We studied spider species richness, abundance and community composition in fifteen pairs of conventional and organic vineyards along a gradient of landscape composition in Germany. In spite of positive effects of organic management on the inter-row vegetation and soil organic matter, this management system only moderately enhanced species richness of spiders compared to conventional vineyards and did not have the strong positive effects on spider densities known from other cropping systems. Instead, due to high densities of the dominant species Pardosa agrestis, spider abundance was highest in landscapes with high vineyard cover. Densities of spiders other than P. agrestis increased with proximity to semi-natural habitats (SNH). Spider community composition was shaped by management system and cover of SNH. Our results suggest that organic vineyards still promote spiders relative to conventional vineyards, but less strongly than in other cropping systems. In addition, semi-natural habitats enhance the spider fauna in viticultural landscapes and may thus facilitate natural pest control.

Effects of conventional and organic (manure) fertilization on soil, plant tissue nutrients and berry yields in vineyards. The use of the original native soil as a control

The effects of conventional and organic (manure) fertilization on soils of vineyards were examined in the area of Nemea in southern Greece. The soil properties of the adjacent natural environment (maquis), which served as a control (considering the land use changes as treatments), were also examined and compared with those of the vineyards. The null hypothesis was that there was no difference among them. The results rejected the null hypothesis. It was found that the maquis top soil had the highest C concentration than both types of vineyards and the organic vineyard had significantly higher C concentration than the conventional one. The organic soil N followed the same pattern. The vine leaves (blades) in the conventional vineyards had significantly higher concentrations of Ca, Mg, Mn, and Zn. The average values of Mg and Zn concentrations in leaves in the organic vineyards were below the suggested ranges for nutrient sufficiency in vines and for this reason a foliar application of Mg and Zn is recommended for the organic vineyards. The average berry yield was significantly higher in the conventional vineyards.

Shared and unique features of bacterial communities in native forest and vineyard phyllosphere.

Phyllosphere bacteria have received little attention despite their important roles in shaping plant performance traits. In this study, we characterize the bacterial communities on leaves of native trees inhabiting sclerophyllous forests in central Chile, one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. Additionally, we provide profiles of bacterial communities on grape leaves and berries of organic and conventional vineyards. Results of 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequence analysis showed that 45% of OTUs were shared across forest leaves, grape leaves, and grape berries. Conventional management had higher number of OTUs shared with forest leaves than organic management. In addition, grape leaves subjected to conventional management had higher alpha diversity than those with organic management, while no significant effect of agricultural management was observed in grape berries. Indicator analysis showed that Bdellovibrio, Beijerinckia, and Spirosoma were typical for forest leaves, whereas Enhydrobacter, Delftia, Proteiniclasticum, Arsenicicoccus, and Alkaliphilus were typical for the vineyard phyllosphere. Regarding agricultural managements, Beijerinckia, Sedimentibacter, Nesterenkonia, Gluconobacter, Conexibacter, and Anaeromyxobacter were typical for conventional grape leaves, whereas no genus‐level indicator was found for organic vineyard leaves. These results provide new insights of the diversity patterns of the phyllosphere microbiome in native and cultivated lands and suggest that both of these microbiomes are connected and integrated systems.

Influence of agricultural management on bat activity and species richness in vineyards of central Chile

Agricultural intensification is one of the major causes for the global loss of biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. As an alternative to conventional farming, organic management is considered a way to mitigate some of the negative impacts on biodiversity in agricultural landscapes; however, their benefits for bats are not very conclusive. We investigated the hypothesis that organic farming benefits bats in vineyards by improving conditions for foraging through increased availability of prey. We also hypothesized that bat activity would vary between edges and the interior of vineyards in response to prey availability that in turn would be influenced by agricultural management. Bat activity was quantified along edge and the interior of each vineyard type by using acoustic surveys. In addition, we sampled nocturnal flying insects at each site using light traps. Species richness and overall bat activity were significantly higher in organic than conventional vineyards, with organic edges concentrating the highest bat activity. Our results suggest negative effects of agricultural intensification on insectivorous bats. The high bat activity along edges compared to the interior of vineyards suggest that these structural features of the landscape are important components for bat populations in vineyards, and therefore should be considered within agricultural management in order to promote bat abundance and their role as pest suppressors.

Organic farming favours bird communities and their resilience to climate change in Mediterranean vineyards

Farmland birds have suffered notable declines in Europe in recent decades, mainly due to agricultural intensification and climate change. Organic farming, which has been shown to enhance biodiversity, is increasingly being put into practice in European vineyards. Nevertheless, no previous studies have reported significant positive responses in avian communities to organic practices. On the other hand, cover cropping is a common practice in both organic and conventional vineyards and is thought to have positive effects on bird communities and, particularly, on insectivorous species that may help control pests in agroecosystems. In this work, we studied bird communities in Mediterranean vineyards in Catalonia (NE Iberian Peninsula) in both the breeding and wintering seasons, and tested the effects of two common management options – organic vs. conventional farming and herbaceous cover vs. bare soil – on bird communities. In particular, we focused on (a) insectivorous birds that may help control pests and (b) avian species negatively affected by climatic warming whose population fluctuations may reflect the resilience of these bird communities to future climate change. Organic farming had a positive effect on vineyard bird communities and, specifically, increased species richness and overall bird abundance. This farming technique also positively affected the abundance of both insectivorous species and species whose populations are declining due to climate change. The presence of inter-row herbaceous cover between vines also had positive effects on bird community parameters, specifically in spring and in organic vineyards, when herbaceous cover favours species richness and the abundance of insectivorous species. However, further investigations are still needed to better understand the effects of different types of vegetation cover - i.e. plant origin and composition (e.g. sown vs. spontaneous vegetation) and proportion of vegetation cover (full vs. partial vegetation cover) - when employed as tools in wildlife conservation. This work provides useful information regarding bird conservation, which will help mitigate the effects of climate change on bird populations.

Drivers of entomopathogenic fungi presence in organic and conventional vineyard soils

Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are important antagonists of soil-dwelling insect pests adapted to living in agricultural soils. Little is known about EPF in vineyards, where they could be effective against soil-borne pests such as grapevine phylloxera or larvae of the June beetle. However, the high frequency of fungicide applications might reduce the effectiveness of EPF in vineyard soils. We compared effects of organic and conventional management, fungicide applications and soil parameters on natural occurrence of EPF in vineyards. In 15 pairs of organic and conventional vineyards in Germany, soil was sampled and tested for EPF with a baiting method and subsequent genetic identification. A set of plant protection and soil parameters were measured per site. Three taxa could be verified with Metarhizium being the most abundant one. Presence of EPF in general and of Metarhizium spp. was enhanced by a high C:N-ratio. Differences between management systems were minor, with Metarhizium spp. being more abundant in conventional vineyards. We could not detect a negative effect of fungicides on the presence of EPF. Metarhizium spp. was more frequently detected with increasing copper content of vineyard soils. We conclude that EPF are able to persist even in intensively managed vineyard systems. Thus, it would be worthwhile to further explore their potential for the biological control of vineyard pests.

Antioxidant activity and phenolic content of organic and conventional vine cane extracts

Phenolic antioxidants, such as resveratrol and polydatin, occur in grapevine as secondary metabolites responsible for the plants protection against biotic and abiotic stress. The antioxidant profile and content depends on agro-climatic conditions, which may act as stress factors. In order to determine the significance of the use of spraying pesticides on the antioxidant content in pruned canes, we examined samples of white and blue Vitis vinifera varieties from conventional and organic vineyards. Phenols from these samples were extracted by 40% ethanol. HPLC was used to determine differences in the stilbenoid composition and the DPPH assay was used to compare the antioxidant activities. While the farming approach did not alter the total polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity of the samples, the resveratrol content was higher in samples from conventional vineyards. These results could be significant for further reusing of winery waste.

Organic farming promotes bee abundance in vineyards in Italy but not in South Africa

Although grapevine is a crop that produces fruit without insect pollination, vineyards may provide resources for bees and other pollinators. Flower resources such as pollen and nectar are provided by the vine plants as well as other flowering plants including cover crops grown between the vine rows. Little is known about how management and landscape context affects bee communities in pollinator-independent crop systems such as grapevine. This study investigates the effect of organic versus conventional management on bee species richness and abundance in vineyards in Italy and South Africa both having a Mediterranean climate. In each country, six pairs of organic and conventional vineyards were studied in simplified and complex agricultural landscapes. A total of 433 bee individuals from 25 species and 1049 individuals from 15 species were recovered in pan traps from Italy and South Africa respectively. Bee abundance showed region specific response to the effects of vineyard management. Flowering plants and proportion of uncultivated land mediated differences in bee abundance. Higher flowering plant species richness and flower density were found in organic vineyards compared to conventional vineyards in South Africa but these flowering plant indices were not significantly different between the two vineyard management types in Italy. This emphasizes the necessity for local and region specific studies for informing conservation, as even in the same crop system with a similar climate, the effects of farm management differed between countries.

Soil erosion in sloping vineyards under conventional and organic land use managements (Saar-Mosel Valley, Germany)

German vineyards are one of the land uses most prone to soil erosion. Due to their placement on mainly steep slopes and non-conservative cultivation practices, runoff and soil loss are a serious problem for wine growers. In the Saar-Mosel valley (Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany), there is a tendency towards organic management of vineyards with protective grass cover in the inter-rows. Since there is a lack of information about organic-conventional tillage in German vineyards related to soil erosion processes, this study presents a comparison between these two soil management practices. For this purpose, 22 rainfall simulations were performed as well as a medium-term monitoring by using 4-paired Gerlach troughs in two experimental sites in the Saar-Mosel valley. The mean simulated runoff coefficient and suspended sediment load in conventional vineyards amounted up to 23.3% and 33.75 g m-2, respectively. In the organic site, runoff and soil loss were only recorded in one out of the 11 simulations. Runoff and sediment was collected in the Gerlach troughs for 33 natural rainfall events. In the conventional vineyard, the total measured soil loss was 3314.63 g m-1 and 6503.77 g m-1 and total runoff volumes were 105.52 L m-1 and 172.58 L m-1. In the organic site, total soil losses reached 143.16 g m-1 and 258.89 g m-1 and total runoff was 21.65 L m-1 and 12.69 L m-1. When soil loss was measured without corresponding runoff or precipitation, soil erosion was activated by tillage or trampling. Finally, the conventional vineyard showed a higher variability in soil loss and runoff suggesting less predictable results.

Management matters: A comparison of ant assemblages in organic and conventional vineyards

Abstract Agriculture is one of the dominant types of soil use throughout the world, and understanding patterns of species distributions across agroecosystems is a significant challenge for the future. The intensive use of agrochemicals affects the presence and distribution of several taxa, and organic agricultural methods are believed to be more environmentally sound than conventional ones. In general, organically grown crops host higher species richness for many different taxa, although this evidence is not always unequivocal. The aim of this study was to contribute to understanding whether different management options (organic vs. conventional) affect ant assemblages in vineyards, one of the most important permanent crops in Mediterranean-type environments. To this purpose, we analyzed ant assemblages from organic and conventional vineyards in the Chianti area, Italy. To reduce confounding effects, we chose vineyards with similar soil management (frequency of tillage) and placed within a comparable habitat matrix. The results of this study showed that organic and conventional vineyards hosted a similar species pool, but the structure of their assemblages differed and the effect of insecticides particularly appears to be relevant. Both ant abundance and the number of species per unit area were significantly greater in organic than conventional vineyards. The use of insecticides appeared to be particularly relevant given that vineyards that did not use insecticides also had greater alpha and beta diversity than vineyards where these chemicals were used.

Management systems may affect the feeding ecology of great tits Parus major nesting in vineyards

Abstract The current intensification of agriculture is leading to growing concern about the sustainability of modern farming systems, since farmland biodiversity has severely declined. While several studies have shown that vineyard management systems (i.e. organic vs. conventional) are important factors determining biodiversity and influencing population trends, there is a paucity of studies focusing on the effects at finer levels, such as breeding behaviour, habitat selection and movements. Here, we examined the effects of vineyard management systems on the breeding ecology of great tits (Parus major) in north-western Italy. We used nest-boxes to video-record feeding efforts of parents, and radio-telemetry to detect the movements of the males. Habitat composition between the two management systems differed. Organic vineyards were characterized by a high grass cover and the presence of fruit trees, while the presence of bare ground and the use of herbicides were typical for conventional vineyards. The number of nestlings fed by parents per visit and the weight of nine day old nestlings were significantly higher in organic than in conventional vineyards. The diet of nestlings was unaffected by the management system, but depended on the landscape characteristics. Caterpillars were the favourite prey in forest-dominated areas, whereas other invertebrates increased in vineyard-dominated areas. Feeding home range was also independent of the management system, but depended on the age of males (larger in adults). Habitat selection of feeding parents within home ranges was non-random in relation to habitat availability and changed according to the distance from the nest: parents selected forests when they moved far from the nest and used vineyards when remaining in the surroundings of the nest-box. Our results suggest that management systems may affect parental feeding ecology of great tits nesting in vineyards. Differences in the number of nestlings fed per visit and in the weight of the nestlings suggest that conventional vineyards offer fewer feeding resources (and/or of lower quality) than organic vineyards, with potential negative effects on survival of juveniles.

Fungal endophytes of wild and hybrid Vitis leaves and their potential for vineyard biocontrol.

Plants are colonized by diverse assemblages of fungal endophytes that have potential as biocontrol agents for a variety of crops, including grapevine. Although the diversity of symbionts can be very high in wild plants, the fungal endophytes of wild Vitis plants have not yet been investigated. We surveyed the fungal endophytes of 6 wild populations of Vitis riparia, as well as a cold-tolerant, hybrid grapevine in 5 vineyards (1 certified organic), using 454 pyrosequencing. We detected between 43 and 235 operational taxonomic units per sample, with the highest richness and diversity in the wild, the lowest in conventional vineyards, and intermediate levels in the organic vineyard. Wild plants supported a range of taxa not seen in the conventional vineyards, and vineyards were dominated by relatively few taxa. We also isolated fungi from the wild plants and tested them for their ability to inhibit pathogens of grapevine. Several wild isolates (e.g., Ramularia spp.) were strongly inhibitory to grapevine pathogens. We show that wild Vitis supports a distinct and highly diverse community of fungal endophytes and may represent a rich repository of potential vineyard biocontrol agents.

Regional-scale analysis of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: the case of Burgundy vineyards

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Aim</strong>: To improve knowledge of arbuscular fungal communities for a sustainable management in vineyards.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Methods and results</strong>: In 16 plots across Burgundy under contrasted soil properties and agricultural practices, we assessed arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) diversity in vine roots, using pyrosequencing of ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacers (ITS). AMF sequences could be retrieved from all plots across Burgundy, both in organic and in conventional vineyards with high chemical inputs. Sequences from the survey were almost exclusively affiliated to molecular taxa in the Glomerales, including six “core species” found in all plots, corresponding to 77% of all sequences, suggesting a relatively low species diversity in vine roots. A large part of the molecular taxa had no close similarity to previously-reported sequences.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Conclusion</strong>: AMF diversity observed in vine roots was relatively low and a significant proportion of molecular taxa shared between the sites. Nevertheless, some differences in the AMF community composition were observed between the plots.</p><strong>Significance and impact of the study</strong>: This is the first large-scale study of AMF diversity in French vineyards using high-throughput sequencing, which will contribute to a better understanding of ecology of these fungi in vine roots, thus providing essential knowledge for future applications in sustainable agriculture in vineyards

Ratio LE para el ajuste de perfiles longitudinales en cursos fluviales de montaña. Aplicación a la cuenca del Río Almáchar (Málaga, España)

La ratio LE (Logarítmica exponencial) puede ser una herramienta geomorfológica eficaz para ajustar perfiles longitudinales de cuencas fluviales montuosas de pequeña extensión. Debe ser aplicada utilizando la altitud como variable independiente. Para el río Almáchar de la provincia de Málaga (España), con elevadas pendientes y una vocación agrícola fundamentalmente vitivinícola, se ha conseguido un ajuste final de R2=0,96. Estos cálculos permiten detectar y cuantificar en qué intervalos se han producido anomalías o rupturas (knickpoints) de origen geomorfológico y/o geológico. Para este caso, los tramos con mayores diferencias entre el perfil real y el ajustado fueron los intervalos de altitud comprendidos entre 200-300 m y mayores a 500 m.s.n.m. Los resultados muestran una correlación directa entre la disminución de las anomalías con la aparición de vegetación natural (0,86), y un aumento de ellas con el incremento de los cultivos de la vid y la construcción de caminos.

Organic versus conventional systems in viticulture: Comparative effects on spiders and carabids in vineyards and adjacent forests

Farming systems and management regimes of vineyards may affect local biodiversity of plants and invertebrates. While most studies have focused on the overall biodiversity of vineyards, there has been little consideration of the response of different ecological guilds to vineyard management, or to how vineyard management affects communities of adjacent semi-natural habitats.We study here two functional guilds of carabids and five of spiders in Langa Astigiana (NW-Italy) with the following aims: (i) to assess the comparative effects of organic and conventional farming systems, along with associated habitat and landscape variables, on species richness and abundance in vineyards; and (ii) to compare the same within forest patches surrounding organic and conventional vineyards.The different guilds exhibited distinct preferences for habitat characteristics (i.e. grass cover), landscape context and farming systems. Generalized Linear Mixed Models showed that spider preferences mostly depended upon habitat variables, while carabid preferences depended on small-scale landscape variables. In general, organic farming increased biodiversity and abundance of arthropod predators, even though different guilds of carabids and spiders responded differently. Brachypterous carabids, ambush spiders, ground-hunter spiders and other hunters preferred organic vineyards, whereas macropterous carabids, specialist spiders (mostly ant-eating spiders) and sheet web weavers selected conventional vineyards. The research we report here shows that preferences for vineyards with different farming systems has been driven not only by farming systems per se (i.e. omission of synthetic pesticides), but also by habitat characteristics and small-scale landscape structure. Arthropod diversity was greater in the forest patches adjacent to organic vineyards than to conventional ones. This suggests that organic systems may sustain a higher diversity of carabids and spiders both in vineyards and in the adjacent forest patches as well. We conclude that although conventional systems may promote the diversity of some guilds, organic systems should take priority.

Beauty with benefits: butterfly conservation in Washington State, USA, wine grape vineyards

The butterfly fauna of south central Washington State, USA is characterized by shrub-steppe specialists adapted to hot, dry summers and cold winters. However, the shrub-steppe ecosystem has diminished at an alarming rate due to extensive agricultural development fostered by access to an abundant water supply from the Cascade Mountains. This has resulted in loss and fragmentation of habitat for ~50 species of butterflies which are now in decline. Viticulture is a major agricultural industry in south central Washington and has transitioned in recent years to a sustainable, low pesticide-input enterprise. Current viticultural pest management research is focused on restoration of shrub-steppe habitat and native plants to enhance and sustain beneficial arthropod populations (predators and parasitoids) for pest control. Butterfly populations were surveyed during 2012–13 in a pair of vineyards (habitat-enhanced, conventional) in each of four viticultural regions [Columbia gorge (CG), Walla Walla valley (WWV), Yakima valley (YV), Wahluke slope (WS)] in south-central Washington. The habitat-enhanced sites supported a significantly greater number of flowering plant species (mostly native) than conventional vineyard sites. Twenty nine butterfly species were recorded from the habitat-enhanced vineyards with only nine of these recorded from the conventional vineyards. Overall, there were double the number of species in habitat-enhanced vineyards [mean (±SE) 5.62 ± 0.85] compared to conventional vineyards (2.75 ± 0.75) although this was not statistically significant. A significantly greater number of species occurred in the CG and WWV habitat-enhanced vineyards (10.5 ± 0.5) compared to the conventional vineyards (3.5 ± 0.0) in these regions. Smaller numbers of butterfly species occurred in YV and WS vineyards with no significant differences between habitat-enhanced and conventional sites. Butterfly abundance was significantly greater in habitat-enhanced vineyards (20.37 ± 5.34 individuals/visit) compared to conventional vineyards (5.5 ± 0.9) with greatest differences in the CG and WWV vineyards. The pest management strategy of restoring native plants and habitats in a low pesticide-input crop like wine grapes in central Washington may have substantial benefits for butterfly abundance, diversity and conservation. Many of the flowering native perennials important in attracting and sustaining endemic biological control agents, are also larval hosts and/or nectar sources for threatened shrub-steppe butterflies.

Importance of soil and vineyard management in the determination of grapevine mineral composition

The spatial variability of the mineral composition of grapevines in production vineyards along the east Adriatic coast was determined and compared between conventional and sustainable vineyard management. Cluster analysis shows a high level of spatial variability even within the individual locations. Factor analysis reveals three factors with strong loading for the macronutrients K and P and the micronutrient Mn, which explain 67% of the total variance in the mineral composition. Here, 26% to 34% of the variance of these three elements can be explained by abiotic and biotic soil parameters, with soil concentrations of K, Fe and Cu, organic matter content, and vesicular colonisation showing the strongest effects on the mineral composition of the grapevines. In addition, analysis of the mineral composition data shows significant differences between differently managed vineyards, with increased bioaccumulation of P and K in sustainable vineyards, while Zn bioaccumulation was increased in conventional vineyards. Our data confirm the importance of soil and vineyard management in the concept of terroir, and demonstrate the effects of sustainable management practices on the mineral nutrition of grapevines that result from modified nutrient availability related to changes in the abiotic and biotic characteristics of the soil.

Application of remote sensing techniques to discriminate between conventional and organic vineyards in the Loire Valley, France

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Aim</strong>: To test the use of Remote Sensing imagery and techniques to differentiate between conventional and organic vineyards.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Methods and results</strong>: Conventional and organic vineyards were identified on three satellite images acquired by the ASTER sensor of the Loire Valley. A sample of 46 conventional and 12 organic plots was used; grape varieties were Chenin Blanc (33 plots) and Cabernet Franc (25 plots). Mean reflectances were extracted from pixels inside each plot for the nine spectral bands (visible and infrared) of ASTER. A statistical discriminant analysis was performed. The vegetation index NDVI was also analysed. Results showed that all 12 organic plots, and 41 out of 46 conventional plots were correctly separated, a 91.4% success rate. Also, 23 out of 25 Cabernet, and 30 out of 33 Chenin plots were also correctly identified, also a 91.4% success rate. Regarding NDVI, there are no differences between conventional and organic vineyards within a 5% significant level. Analyses focused on the influences of chemical treatments on vineyard colors and on the effects of light reflected by inter-row spaces, suggested that both processes introduce spectral changes in conventional vineyards, mainly in short-wave infrared. Results also indicate that infrared information is essential to spectral discrimination.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Conclusion</strong>: The use of chemicals, typical to conventional viticulture, has an impact on leaf composition and cell structure, being an important factor to imprint a characteristic reflectance pattern to these vineyards; the contribution to the integrated reflectance from inter-row vegetation is probably also a differentiating factor. Both causes act synergistically to build a significant spectral difference between conventional and organic vineyards.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Significance and impact of the study</strong>: Remote Sensing techniques can be used as a first approach to vineyard monitoring, producing relevant information on viticultural methods, which can be used as early indicators of the need for field inspection or conventional laboratory analysis.</p>

Occurrence of root endophytic fungi in organic versus conventional vineyards on the Croatian coast

The aim of this study was to determine the abundance and diversity of root endophytic fungi in organic versus conventional vineyards on the eastern Adriatic coast (Croatia). Samples were collected from four locations in the karst region along the coast. Each of these locations included both organically and conventionally managed vineyards of cv. ‘Plavac mali’ on Vitis berlandieri×Vitis rupestris rootstock. The total root colonization ranged from 39% to 78% for the grapevines, and from 9% to 99% for the dominant weeds, with generally significantly higher fungal colonization in the organic than the conventional vineyards. Increased abundance of the smallest class of fungal spore (diameter, 40–100μm) was observed in organic vineyards. There was a similar pattern for fungal diversity, with the overall dominance of Ascomycota, and an average of 8.5% of all sequences belonging to Glomeromycota. Our study confirms the initial hypothesis that the change in vineyard soil management toward more sustainable practices improves the abundance and diversity of endophytic fungi, thus suggesting their greater ecological importance in environments with significantly reduced inputs.

Insect–flower interactions: network structure in organic versus conventional vineyards

AbstractEcosystems are made up of various mutualistic and antagonistic plant and animal interactions. These interactions are subject to various global change phenomena such as land use change and habitat modification. While the effect of environmentally friendly farming practices on the taxonomic diversity of plants and animal species has been reported, it is uncertain whether these schemes provide benefit for species interaction networks. We compared insect–flower interaction networks by analyzing important web structure indices from organic and conventional vineyards and natural vegetation sites in five different localities in the Cape Floristic Region biodiversity hotspot. Average number of insect–flower interactions was higher in organic vineyards compared with conventional vineyards and natural sites. Abundance of flowering plants contributed significantly to explain the observed difference in number of interactions in the model. Other network indices were similar between the different land use types. Our results support the importance of less intensive farming for promoting biodiversity. Approaches such as organic farming are especially beneficial for important interaction networks that drive the process of maintaining biodiversity. The potential of well‐managed vineyard ecosystems for promoting conservation of ecologically important insect–flower interactions is demonstrated.