Landscape Ecosystem Research Articles

Contribution of Agro-Environmental Factors to Yield and Plant Diversity of Olive Grove Ecosystems (Olea europaea L.) in the Mediterranean Landscape

Olive cultivation (Olea europaea L.) is one of the most significant sources of income for agricultural areas in the Mediterranean basin, and the olive oil industry as well as the environmental protection are an important part of the Greek agricultural sector. Generalized Linear Models were applied in order to investigate the predictive strength of several biodiversity components and agro-environmental factors for yield and herbaceous plant diversity (species richness) in organic and conventional olive groves of Greece. Our study highlights an increase in yields of organic olive groves by increasing manure application and the earthworms’ density. In the conventional olive groves, yields increase by increasing soil organic matter and the application of inorganic fertilizer N. Also, the herbaceous plant species richness increases with increasing the Shannon diversity index of herbaceous plants, the field area, the application of organic fertilizer K and the manure in organic olive groves. As for the conventional ones, herbaceous plant species richness increases with the increase of the application of inorganic fertilizer N. Moreover, some plant species could be regarded as indicators of the differently managed olive groves. Conclusively, this study contributes to the integration of biodiversity conservation with ecologically sustainable agriculture and conservation of agroecosystem. Finally, it could be utilized as a decision and management tool to the scientific and agricultural community reinforcing the knowledge about the agro-environmental impact in olive grove management systems.

城市用地扩展对生态风险影响的多情景模拟——以内蒙古呼和浩特市为例

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 城市用地扩展对生态风险影响的多情景模拟——以内蒙古呼和浩特市为例 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201912042638 作者: 作者单位: 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（41261109，41761032）；内蒙古自然科学基金项目（2016MS0410，2020MS04003） Multi-scenario simulation of the impact of urban expansion on ecological risk: A case study of Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: 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:城市用地扩展对生态环境的负面效应日益显著。以呼和浩特市为研究区，在分析城市用地扩展时空特征的基础上，调整优化CA模型，对近景年城市用地扩展进行多情景模拟。从城市扩展、生态景观、粮食安全、生态退化等角度构建生态风险压力评价体系，对各情景下城市用地扩展所致的生态风险压力进行评估，得到的主要结论有：1990-2017年，呼和浩特市城市扩展强度指数不断下降，扩展速率经历了"上升-下降"的波动阶段，空间扩展阶段性特征明显；运用CA模型预测2025年、2030年城市用地扩展，只有耕地保护型、生态经济型方案下建设用地扩展速率处于下降态势，扩展强度指数进一步下降；研究时段内，研究区城市扩建压力上升2.2%，景观生态压力增加1.9%，粮食储备压力提高1.4%，生态退化压力抬高11%，生态风险压力提升15%，生态风险预警达到中警水平；到2030年，趋势外推和耕地保护情景下生态风险压力等级由Ⅲ过渡到Ⅳ，城市化发展情景下生态风险压力等级由Ⅲ跃升至Ⅴ，只有生态经济情景下生态风险压力等级由Ⅲ回落到Ⅱ。 Abstract:The negative effects of urban land expansion on ecological environment are increasingly becoming significant. Taking Hohhot City as the study area, this paper aims to adjust and optimize the Cellular model with multi-scenario simulation of urban land expansion based upon the analysis of the spatial and temporal characteristics of urban land expansion in recent years. In this paper, an evaluating system for ecological risk pressure is established to assess the ecological risk pressure resulted from urban land expansion under different circumstances. The evaluating system consists of four dimensions, namely, urban expansion, ecological landscape, grain security, and ecological degradation. Four conclusions are reported as follows. First of all, from 1990 to 2017, the urbanization expansion index of Hohhot was uninterrupted downward, and the expansion rate has seen a stage marked by an up-to-down fluctuation. We argue that the urban land expansion has manifested a strong periodical characteristic. Second, after making predictions for the expansion degree of urban land in 2025 and 2030 through the CA model, we conclude that only under the scenarios of agrarian protection and ecological economy, the expansion rate of construction land will manifest as a downward trend, and the index of expansion intensity will be in further decline. Third, during the study period, the pressures from urban expansion, landscape ecosystem, grain reserves, ecological degradation, and ecological risk have increased by 2.2%, 1.9%, 1.4%, 11% and 15%, respectively. These pressures lead to the intermediate level of the ecological risk forewarning. Last but not the least, by the end of 2030, the ecological risk pressure level, will upgrade from Ⅲ to IV under the scenarios of trend extrapolation and agrarian protection, and to V under the scenario of urbanization development. However, it will degrade from Ⅲ to Ⅱ under the scenario of ecological economy. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Dinamika antropogenih i prirodnih krajobraznih ekosustava Slovečansko-Ovruškog grebena u Ukrajini

The need for landscape management cannot be satisfied by static data alone. Landscape ecosystems are complex dynamic objects and the successful protection or operation of such areas depends on the quality of monitoring their dynamics and the forecasts built on its basis. Forecasting accuracy also depends on the quality of the modelling and this is why it is necessary to highlight the most universal and key characteristics of ecosystems. The Slovechansko-Ovruchsky ridge, which has a phenomenally high variety of landscapes, is well suited as an object for testing approaches to modelling. The authors singled out 11 territorial parts of the Slovechansko-Ovruchsky ridge at the level of landscapes and tracts. The differentiation of these landscapes was assessed using the synphytoindication method to determine the value of natural and anthropogenic dynamics. This made it possible to build prognostic algorithms for ecosystem changes using geobotanical data and produce prospects to create the best suitable landscape protection strategy or more effective and safe exploitation of landscapes.

도시화가 진전된 전통마을의 풍수해석과 비보경관

This study was performed to interpret the traditional villages neighboring to the capital region and to analyze the existing patterns and function of various bibos to amend the fengshui flaws. The case study sites were 15 villages in all and the biblical study and site survey were made at the same time. The results of the study are summarized as follows. First, Yangpyeong District has the bibos by means of the chosan (造 山:Artificial mountain), pavilion and forest. Its functions were to block the bad landscape, extend the energy stream of the ground or make the forest on the water hole (穴:the last defense of water discharging). The villages at Yangpyoeng District are situated at the river sides. The bibo things(裨補物 )were to solve the fengshui issues on the river. Second, the Yongin District has beautiful features of the mountains. The most of the actions were to make the forests at the water hole(The last defense of water discharging) or extend the energy stream on the ground or use the stones. Yongin District was mountainous area, but the most of the villages were bibo things to solve the fengshui issues on the river because the villages embrace the river. Third, the river near the Icheon District is the merging point to Southern Han River(南漢江) and most of the villages are located on the plain. In spite of seating at the plain, the villages were bibo things to solve the fengshui issues on the river because the villages embrace the river.The most popular bibo patterns on the sites for studying were to make the forest at the last defense of water discharging. Next was to extend the energy stream of the ground and chosan(Artificial mountain). Sometimes, the bibos which use the stones were found. The bigo forests with the biggest weight are needed to extend the function of reserving the landscape ecosystem of bibo things including these forests because they show the weather controlling effect, recuperation effect and effect of meeting point for villagers.

SPATIAL MODELING OF THE THREAT OF DAMAGE TO THE PEATLAND ECOSYSTEM IN THE MAINLAND OF BENGKALIS REGENCY, RIAU PROVINCE

Peatlands are the stretch of ecosystem landscape with unique characteristics, both physically, chemically, and biodiversity. Anthropogenic activities in peatland use and disasters pose a threat to the preservation of the peatland ecosystem, which has impacts toward abiotic to the element of biodiversity (biotic). The purpose of this research is to model how the threat of the peatland ecosystem by using spatial data modeling. The method in this research using cloud-based GIS data analysis from Google earth engine, modeling distance parameter to variable modeling of interaction among landscapes on the peatland, and weight sum the value over raster-based spatial layer to determinate the thereat in the peatland ecosystem. The results of this study found zones where hot spots often occur. Modeling with euclidean distance to all modeling variables (except temperature) gives a clear effect on how the threats from each landscape interact with each other. We found that the threat of peatland damage in the high threat class dominates the plantation area reaching 30.9% of the total peatland area, whereas the forest landscape only has a high threat with a percentage of 1.9% and a low threat which the ecosystem is stable and natural reaching over 34.7 %. From this model, we succeeded in bringing up the idea to determine the priority area for policies where need to be done in handling the protection of peatland ecosystems, especially in plantations where the highest percentage of the ecosystem threat is in the high level with integrated peatland management.
 Keywords: Peatland ecosystem, landscape, threat

Savannah Phenological Dynamics Reveal Spatio-Temporal Landscape Heterogeneity in Karamoja Sub-region, Uganda

Phenological properties are critical in understanding global environmental change patterns. This study analyzed phenological dynamics in a savannah dominated semi-arid environment of Uganda. We used moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer normalized difference vegetation index (MODIS NDVI) imagery. TIMESAT program was used to analyse the imagery to determine key phenological metrics; onset of greenness (OGT), onset of greenness value, end of greenness time (EGT), end of greenness value, maximum NDVI, time of maximum NDVI, duration of greenup (DOG) and range of normalized difference vegetation index (RNDVI). Results showed that thicket and shrubs had the earliest OGT on day 85 ± 14, EGT on day 244 ± 32 and a DOG of 158 ± 25 days. Woodland had the highest NDVI value for maximum NDVI, OGT, EGT, and RNDVI. In the bushland, OGT occurs on average around day 90 ± 11, EGT on day 255 ± 33 with a DOG of 163 ± 36 days. The grassland showed that OGT occurs on day 96 ± 13, EGT on day 252 ± 36 with a total DOG of 156 ± 33 days. Early photosynthesis activity was observed in central to eastern Karamoja in the districts of Moroto and Kotido. There was a positive relationship between rainfall and NDVI across all vegetation cover types as well as between phenological parameters and season dynamics. Vegetation senescence in the sub-region occurs around August to mid-September (day 244–253). The varied phenophases observed in the sub-region reveal an inherent landscape heterogeneity that is beneficial to extensive pastoral livestock production. Continuous monitoring of savannah phenological patterns in the sub-region is required to decipher landscape ecosystem processes and functioning.

Opportunities and Threats of Mediterranean Evergreen Sclerophyllous Woody Species Subjected to Extreme Drought Events

Climate change and extreme drought and heat events impact the Mediterranean evergreen sclerophyllous vegetation in South Europe, especially in Iberian and Italian peninsula, where widespread crown defoliation and dieback have been observed since the 90s of the XX century. Field observations and long-term experiments showed different sensitivity of the various woody species, Quercus ilex and Arbutus unedo being prone to drought, whereas Phillyrea latifolia and Pistacia lentiscus appeared to be resistant. The present review aims at exploring the phylogenetic and evolutionary basis of the resistance (or susceptibility) to drought of Mediterranean vegetation and its possible mechanisms of resilience. The main findings are summarized as follows: (1) Mediterranean regions in the world are refuge areas for several plant evolutive lineages and migratory routes. Evergreen sclerophyllous species, currently presented in Mediterranean basin, evolved under different climatic conditions; (2) the evergreen habitus represents an adaptation to mild drought conditions. Deciduous (specially summer deciduous) species are better performing under severe drought and low air relative humidity than evergreen species; (3) severe drought events acts selectively by favouring the species evolved in the Quaternary era and those originated in drier regions; (4) the evergreen trees and shrubs are resilient to the severe drought events and can restore the pre-event condition by resprouting from dormant buds in the cambium tissue. This ability is related to the non-structural carbohydrate content in the parenchyma-rays in woody stems. The amount and availability of these strategic reserve can be compromised by frequent drought events; (5) plant seed regeneration can be affected by drought and seedling establishment may be limited by soil dryness and microenvironment conditions; (6) the role of phenotypic plasticity of the species and epigenetic responses in Mediterranean-type ecosystems, although discussed in few papers, is still poorly known. We hypothesize that instead of latitudinal (South to North) or altitudinal (lowland to upland) plant migrations, Mediterranean forest ecosystems may respond to climate change by modulating their species composition and community structure with genetic resources (i.e., taxonomic diversity) already present in loco. Changes in vegetation assemblages and community structure may lead changes in ecological and landscape ecosystem values, with changes in related ecosystem services. A redefinition of management criteria of natural resources and a pro-active silviculture to make forest ecosystems more resilient are required.

Impact of the Invasive Argentine Ant in Citrus Agroecosystems: Effects on the Diversity and Frequency of Native Ant Species Foraging on Tree Canopy.

Simple SummaryWe aimed at assessing the impact of the Argentine ant invasion on the native ant community in citrus ecosystems. We compared the Argentine ant’s invaded and uninvaded citrus orchards in the south of Portugal, estimating species richness and the frequency of ant assemblages foraging on the tree canopy. The results suggest that the Argentine ant has a negative impact on the native ant community structure, markedly reducing the diversity and frequency of native species. This impact was more or less pronounced depending on the season. Possible implications for citrus pest management are discussed.The invasion of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) can alter the entire ecosystem with serious impacts on the native community structure (e.g., ant diversity) and processes (e.g., trophic interactions) leading to biodiversity loss and pest outbreaks. Most studies addressing these impacts have been conducted in natural or semi-natural areas, few are those conducted in agricultural ecosystems, such as citrus orchards. These are dominant agricultural ecosystems in Mediterranean landscapes. Furthermore, most studies have been conducted in a short span, not evidencing seasonal fluctuations. In this work, we assessed the ecological impact of the Argentine ant on the native ant communities in citrus orchards, in the region of Algarve, southern Portugal. By using principal response curve, we compared seasonal variation on ant assemblages in invaded and uninvaded citrus orchards foraging on tree canopy from a two-year sampling. The Argentine ant had a marked negative impact on the native ant community foraging on citrus canopy. In the uninvaded orchards, the native ant community had a rich assemblage composed of 16 ant species, in its majority (72%) controlled by the dominant species Lasius grandis Forel, Tapinoma nigerrimum (Nylander) and/or Pheidole pallidula (Nylander). In the invaded orchards, the native ant community was poorer and highly modified, mostly dominated by the Argentine ant (80%). Apparently, the only native ant species not affected by the presence of the Argentine ant was Plagiolepis pygmaea (Latreille). A significant negative effect was found between the proportion of infested trees by L. humile and the number of native ant species per orchard. Differences in the native ant community in the invaded and uninvaded orchards persisted over seasons and years. However, negative impacts were higher in the spring and summer, and less pronounced in the autumn. We discuss implications for citrus pest management.

Open Access and Plan S: An International Comparison

MODERATOR: Jennifer Deyton Senior Partner J&J Editorial Cary, North Carolina SPEAKERS: Brittany Swett Executive Director J&J Editorial Cary, North Carolina Margaret Perkins Managing Editor New England Journal of Medicine Boston, Massachusetts REPORTER: Judy Connors Owner Do It Write Editorial, LLC Metro Philadelphia are The impetus for this informative and timely discussion on Plan S was the ABEC (Associação Brasileira de Editores Cientificos) meeting in Brazil, where most journals are already Open Access (OA) and would not be affected as severely as other non-OA journals would be by the European move towards OA/Plan S. The persistent question is how other countries would address the potential implementation of Plan S. This session was developed to identify differences in potential Plan S implementation between the United States, South America, North America, Asia, and Europe. While the COVID-19 global pandemic has certainly slowed international participation, starting this conversation is critical. The first speaker, Brittany Swett, discussed what editorial offices need to know now about Plan S. The publishing landscape ecosystem is complex and includes many participants—libraries, society publishers, authors, institutions, and commercial publishers—and, as such, publishing vendors, innovator/technology groups, non-profits and consultants all have a role to play in developing a plan. Swett stated, “The general disruption of the digital age, technology uses, and the speed of knowledge exchange have all caused a continual evolution in the landscape of sharing data.” The scholarly publishing environment has undergone a transition, starting in the late 1990s when journal mergers and acquisitions dictated a new infrastructure for […]

Ailanthus altissima Forests Determine a Shift in Herbaceous Layer Richness: A Paired Comparison with Hardwood Native Forests in Sub-Mediterranean Europe

Ailanthus altissima is an invasive alien species (IAS) present throughout Europe and included in the list of alien species of Union concern. In sub-Mediterranean areas of central Italy, there is a lack of knowledge about this invasive species and its interactions with the native forest ecosystems. We aim to find what are the main differences in vegetation structure and floristic diversity between A. altissima forests and native forests through the assessment of the principal ecological parameters that differ between the forest types. We performed 38 phytosociological relevés and sampling of ecological parameters in A. altissima forest communities and neighboring native forests. We analyzed how species richness, diversity, life forms, life strategies, structural characteristics, and ecological parameters changed in A. altissima forests compared with native ones. We found that in A. altissima forests, there is a shift in herbaceous layer richness, with a higher presence of annual ruderal herbs and the absence of herbaceous species linked to the forest environment. The ecological parameters that diverge from the native forests were total nitrogen, total carbon, and C/N ratio. A. altissima forest communities could threaten the biodiversity of the native forest ecosystems in the sub-Mediterranean landscape, favoring ruderal species and inhibiting the presence of typical forest species.

Scientific and practical aspects of land use optimization in the agrosphere

The article presents modern literature data on the need to improve the development of agricultural lands, taking into account the current state of agriculture. Paying attention to this issue requires special attention, as it has acquired not only theoretical but also practical significance. Intensification of negative tendencies of anthropogenic influence on edaphotope lead to a number of ecological crises of global character. We analyzed the state of land use of Lviv region and reflected the main problems of land use optimization. The dynamics of changes that took place in the structure of the land fund by types of lands is shown. An extremely important component of sustainable development of society is the quality of life provided by the continuous development of environmental innovations. The destruction of the structure of the edaphotope of the region causes the emergence and development of environmental crises and catastrophes. Preservation of high potential and quality functioning of edaphos requires changes to the constant effective maintenance of balance, which should be based on the principles of sustainable harmonious development and rationalization of land resources. In terms of regions of aridity coefficients according to research, it can be argued that natural and climatic conditions have a direct impact on the efficiency of agricultural production. Such results require a review of technologies, their modernization and the development of recommendations for their adaptation. Resource-saving land use of new territorial entities in the post-reform period includes two factors – economic and environmental. For proper organization and optimization of land holdings, it is advisable to create agro-landscapes with a clearly planned structure, which should take into account the ratio of functional-territorial orientation, economic assessment and environmental safety. This means that the main and main goal of harmonious targeted use should take into account a number of indicators of the land use system, which requires special attention to agroecosystems in the interdependent close development of environmental and economic aspects. No less important is the environmental factor of land use, as further ignoring it can create economic collapse. In this regard, the most important requirement of the time is the development, improvement and widespread implementation of resource- and energy-saving, environmentally friendly farming systems. Ecological tolerance of certain territories of land resources should be laid down in the process of designing land management developments, paying special attention to the properties of landscape ecosystems, taking into account adjacent land plots. In particular, in order to preserve the balance of agricultural landscapes, it is necessary to implement a set of preventive measures.

Conservación, desarrollo y descentralización: lecciones de un modelo de gestión territorial público-privado en el sur de Chile

Este estudio aborda la implementación del Sistema Regional de Áreas Protegidas(SIRAP), estrategia concebida con el objetivo de mejorar la representatividad de ecosistemas vulnerables en paisajes rurales y descentralizar la gestión de las áreas protegidas en Chile, esta vez considerando aquellos ecosistemas situados en predios privados. El objetivo consistió en conocer cuáles son los desafíos que enfrentan los territorios locales para implementar este tipo de categoría y qué gobernanzas son las más adecuadas para una gestión eficiente de estas áreas. A través de una revisión bibliográfica y análisis documental, se analizaron los resultados del proceso de descentralización llevado a cabo por el SIRAP en dos comunas de la región de Los Ríos (Chile), en donde esta estrategia se materializó y se tradujo en la creación de una nueva categoría de área protegida denominada Paisaje de Conservación Valle Río San Pedro, que incluye la creación de un “Consejo de Desarrollo” y una “Asociación de Municipalidades Paisajes de Conservación para la Biodiversidad de la región de Los Ríos”.

Does the use of biological traits predict a smooth landscape of ecosystem functioning?

The biodiversity crisis has increased interest in understanding the role of biodiversity for ecosystem functioning. Functional traits are often used to infer ecosystem functions to increase our understanding of these relationships over larger spatial scales. The links between specific traits and ecosystem functioning are, however, not always well established. We investigated how the choice of analyzing either individual species, selected modalities, or trait combinations affected the spatial patterns observed on a sandflat and how this was related to the natural variability in ecosystem functioning. A large dataset of 400 benthic macrofauna samples was used to explore distribution patterns. We hypothesized that (1) if multiple species (redundancy) represent a trait combination or a modality their spatial patterns would be smoothed out, and (2) the lost spatial variability within a trait combination or modality, due to the smoothing effect, would potentially affect their utility for predicting ecosystem functioning (tested on a dataset of 24 samples). We predicted that species would show heterogeneous small spatial patterns, while modalities and trait combinations would show larger and more homogeneous patterns because they would represent a collection of many distributions. If modalities and trait combinations are better predictors of ecosystem functioning than species, then the smoother spatial patterns of modalities and trait combinations would result in a more homogeneous landscape of ecosystem function and the number of species exhibiting specific traits would provide functional redundancy. Our results showed some smoothing of spatial patterns progressing from species through modalities to trait combinations, but generally spatial patterns reflected a few dominant key species. Moreover, some individual modalities and species explained more or equal proportions of the variance in the ecosystem functioning than the combined traits. The findings thus suggest that only some spatial variability is lost when species are combined into modalities and trait combinations and that a homogeneous landscape of ecosystem function is not likely.

Critical Zone Storage Controls on the Water Ages of Ecohydrological Outputs

AbstractSpatially explicit knowledge of the origins of water resources for ecosystems and rivers is challenging when using tracer data alone. We use simulations from a spatially distributed model calibrated by extensive ecohydrological data sets in a small, energy‐limited catchment, where hillslope‐riparian dynamics are broadly representative of humid boreal headwater catchments that are experiencing rapid environmental transition. We hypothesize that in addition to wetness status, landscape heterogeneity modulates the water pathways that sustain ecosystem function and streamflows. Simulations show that catchment storage inversely controls stream water ages year‐round, but only during the drier seasons for transpiration and soil evaporation. The ages of these evaporative outputs depend much less on wetness status in the oft‐saturated riparian soils than on the freely draining hillslopes that subsidize them. This work highlights the need to consider local dynamics and time‐changing lateral heterogeneities when interpreting the ages, and thus the vulnerability, of water resources feeding streams and ecosystems in landscapes.

River embankments mitigate the loss of grassland biodiversity in agricultural landscapes

AbstractAgricultural intensification has resulted in severe declines in the extent and diversity of seminatural habitats in Europe, whereas the extent of secondary habitats has increased considerably. River embankments have become one of the most extensive and widespread secondary habitats in former floodplains. We compared the diversity patterns of secondary dry and wet grasslands on river embankments with those of seminatural dry and wet grasslands in a Hungarian agricultural landscape using the following community descriptors: (a) species diversity, (b) phylogenetic diversity and (c) functional diversity. We also performed trait‐based analyses to evaluate the ecosystem services provided by these secondary grasslands. Both grassland types of the embankments showed significantly higher Shannon diversity compared with their seminatural counterparts. The cover of generalist species (i.e., cosmopolitan species, weeds and nonindigenous plant species) was high in the secondary grasslands. We found significant differences in phylogenetic diversity between the secondary and seminatural grasslands: secondary grasslands showed significantly lower mean nearest taxon distances than the seminatural grasslands. Functional diversity did not differ between the secondary and seminatural grasslands according to the Rao's quadratic entropy. However, we found higher community‐weighted means of specific leaf area, plant height and flowering period in the secondary grasslands, which are related to important ecosystem services (via biomass production and pollination). Well‐planned management actions and restoration activities could help further improve the ecological function and conservation value of secondary grasslands on river embankments, contributing to the maintenance of species diversity and sustaining the functionality of ecosystems in agricultural landscapes.

Climate vibrations and ecosystemogenesis of the Ukrainian Society from the Birth of Christ to the formation of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania

Fluctuations in the climate of Eurasia during the Middle Holocene led to various adaptations of agriculture and livestock, which were engaged in the primitive ethnic groups in the current territory of Ukraine. Using the methods of paleogeography, paleoclimatology, paleobiology, the dynamics of landscape ecosystems are reconstructed and presented in the form of verbal and graphic models of the past dynamics. This allows us to understand the nature of agricultural sustainability, climatogenic transformation of landscapes and the peculiarities of the formation of the Ukrainian ethnic group in a dynamic natural environment. We show the decisive role of natural properties of local primary landscape ecosystems in the history of Ukrainian society from the time of the collapse of the Roman Empire to the beginning of the small ice age in Ukraine. The dynamics of the global and local climate (mesoclimate) is traced and analyzed and its connection and significant influence on the motivation of tribal movement in Central and Eastern Europe are shown. Migration waves, population outbreaks in some tribes, and the decline and assimilation of others are linked to the biotic, behavioral, and ultimately social and economic adaptation of peoples and the changing natural environment. The most effective and efficient adaptation is determined by the bioethological advantages of aboriginal (indigenous - those formed in the primary ecosystem) human tribal populations, prone to use their own ways of survival in local natural landscapes and often able to assimilate immigrant cultures. customs. According to our conclusions, based on the study of climate history and age dynamics of landscape ecosystems, the agricultural adaptability of primitive ethnic groups was the key to the survival and transformation of tribes into a nation during the Middle Holocene. The relatively stable ten-thousand-year climatic period of the Holocene already had extremes of high temperatures in the Minoan (Trypillia period), Roman warm subperiods (the period of prosperity of the Russian state), which are not yet surpassed. Ending in the middle of the twentieth century. it passes into the Anthropocene, and the climate changes rapidly in the direction of warming. Without an in-depth paleoecological analysis of the dynamics of landscape and biome ecosystems, it will be impossible to develop rational ways to adapt the agro-complex and environmentally safe nature management to the modern transformation of the Earth's climate and mesoclimate.

Analysis of the Habitat Fragmentation of Ecosystems in Belize Using Landscape Metrics

Landscape metrics have been of game changing importance in the analysis of ecosystems’ composition and landscape cohesion. With the increasing urban and agricultural expansion, the natural flora and fauna of many highly diverse areas have been degraded. Fragmentation of ecosystems and habitats have stressed the biodiversity of Belize. To understand the dynamics of this change, a study was conducted using three moderately separate years of ecosystem landscape data. The metrics used for the analysis were area-weighted mean shape index (AWMSI), mean shape index (MSI), edge density (ED), mean patch size (MPS), number of patches (NUMP), and class area (CA). These metrics were produced for the years 2001, 2011, and 2017. The classes of agricultural use, lowland savannas, mangroves and littoral forests, urban, and wetlands were the subjects for analysis. Using the GIS extension Patch Analyst, parametric runs were performed. From these results, a one-way ANOVA test of the NUMP, Tukey HSD test, and Scheffé Multiple Comparison test were performed. The results indicate that there has been significant habitat fragmentation, especially from the years 2001 to 2011. Agricultural areas increased by 19.37% in just 10 years, with the NUMP of some habitats increasing by 284%. The results also show fluctuation in ED and a decrease in overall MPS, all indicating high fragmentation. These changes have been mostly induced due to the expansion of agricultural activities and urbanization, especially in the northern parts of Belize. It is imperative that additional policies be implemented to deter the effects of habitat fragmentation upon the existing ecosystems of Belize and elsewhere.

Distribution of Urban Blue and Green Space in Beijing and Its Influence Factors

Urban blue and green space is a key element supporting the normal operation of urban landscape ecosystems and guaranteeing and improving people's lives. In this paper, 97.1k photos of Beijing were captured by using web crawler technology, and the blue sky and green vegetation objects in the photos were extracted by using the Image Cascade Network (ICNet) neural network model. We analyzed the distribution characteristics of the blue–green space area proportion index and its relationships with the background economic and social factors. The results showed the following. (1) The spatial distribution of Beijing's blue–green space area proportion index showed a pattern of being higher in the west and lower in the middle and east. (2) There was a positive correlation between the satellite remote sensing normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the proportion index of green space area, but the fitting degree of geospatial weighted regression decreased with an increasing analysis scale. (3) There were differences in the relationship between the housing prices in different regions and the proportion index of blue–green space, but the spatial fitting degree of the two increased with the increase of study scale. (4) There was a negative correlation between the proportion index of blue–green space and population density, and the low-population areas per unit blue–green space were mainly distributed in the south of the city and the urban fringe areas beyond the Third Ring Road. The urban blue–green space analysis that was constructed by this study provides new aspect for urban landscape ecology study, and the results proposed here also provide support for government decision-makers to optimize urban ecological layouts.

Assessing the acute toxicity of insecticides to the buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris audax)

The buff-tailed bumblebee, Bombus terrestris audax is an important pollinator within both landscape ecosystems and agricultural crops. During their lifetime bumblebees are regularly challenged by various environmental stressors including insecticides. Historically the honey bee (Apis mellifera spp.) has been used as an ‘indicator’ species for ‘standard’ ecotoxicological testing, but it has been suggested that it is not always a good proxy for other eusocial or solitary bees. To investigate this, the susceptibility of B. terrestris to selected pesticides within the neonicotinoid, pyrethroid and organophosphate classes was examined using acute insecticide bioassays. Acute oral and topical LD50 values for B. terrestris against these insecticides were broadly consistent with published results for A. mellifera. For the neonicotinoids, imidacloprid was highly toxic, but thiacloprid and acetamiprid were practically non-toxic. For pyrethroids, deltamethrin was highly toxic, but tau-fluvalinate only slightly toxic. For the organophosphates, chlorpyrifos was highly toxic, but coumaphos practically non-toxic. Bioassays using insecticides with common synergists enhanced the sensitivity of B. terrestris to several insecticides, suggesting detoxification enzymes may provide a level of protection against these compounds.The sensitivity of B. terrestris to compounds within three different insecticide classes is similar to that reported for honey bees, with marked variation in sensitivity to different insecticides within the same insecticide class observed in both species. This finding highlights the need to consider each compound within an insecticide class in isolation rather than extrapolating between different insecticides in the same class or sharing the same mode of action.

USING INDICATOR FAUNA ELEMENTS IN BIOTOPE MAPS FOR URBAN LANDSCAPE PLANNING

With the developing technology and increasing population, cities are rapidly and unplanned growing around the world and therefore the natural environment and species are under threat. To eliminate the negative effects of this treatment, qualified tools and data are needed to make appropriate planning decisions. To benefit from the biotope maps, which are important data sources, they should be prepared rapidly in parallel with the speed of urbanization. Detection of sensitive ecosystems in urban landscapes can be achieved by mapping biotopes. These maps are also important for the development, management, and continuity of ecological infrastructures. From this point of view, to obtain a biotope map that will be prepared for urban landscape planning, it is thought that the determination of the required biotope classes with indicator fauna elements may be more practical. In this study, the literature based on indicator fauna elements was examined and evaluated concerning urban landscape planning. As a result, it was determined that biotope maps, prepared based on indicator fauna elements, could be obtained rapid and qualified data.