Semi-natural Vegetation Research Articles

Semi-natural habitats are key to breeding bird diversity in intensified vineyard landscapes across Europe

In climatically suitable regions across Europe, vineyards can be the dominant perennial crop type. While many wine-growing landscapes are intensively managed, they may still be an attractive habitat for a wide range of bird species. In this study we investigated how breeding birds in three wine-growing regions in Europe (Germany: Palatinate, France: Bordeaux, Austria: Leithaberg) are influenced by the composition of the landscape, focussing on woody semi-natural vegetation.We recorded bird vocalizations with autonomous sound recorders in 93 landscapes across Europe. Bird species were identified according to their songs and calls. The landscape in a 200-m buffer around the recording points was mapped. In total, we recorded 72 bird species, including species typical for vineyard landscapes such as cirl bunting (Emberiza cirlus), hoopoe (Upupa epops) and turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur). For all three countries we found that an increase in overall woody vegetation in the landscape led to an increase in species richness and altered community composition. Most species were recorded in landscapes with abundant hedges, small woods and tree rows rather than in vineyard-dominated landscapes but e.g. woodlark (Lullula arborea) and linnet (Linaria cannabina) showed an opposite preference.We conclude that in intensively used wine-growing landscapes the ongoing decline in farmland birds and the ecosystem services they provide can be reversed by the reintroduction of semi-natural woody vegetation between vineyards. These in many cases linear structural elements can be included in the landscape with only small losses in production area.

Vegetation phenology as a key driver for fire occurrence in the UK and comparable humid temperate regions

Background Fire activity in the UK and comparable regions of northwest Europe is generally out of phase with peak fire weather conditions. Aims Here, we assess the potential effect of phenology on fire occurrence patterns for the UK. Methods We examined fire occurrence and vegetation phenology in the UK for 2012–2023, mapped onto the main fire-affected vegetation cover types within distinct precipitation regions, allowing the fire occurrence for fuels in different phenological phases to be explored across distinct ‘fuel’ types and regions. Key results The UK’s fire regime is characterised by burning in semi-natural grasslands and evergreen dwarf shrub ecosystems in early spring when vegetation is still dormant. During the high-greenness phase in late spring and summer, fire activity is reduced by a factor of 5–6 despite typically elevated fire weather conditions within that period. Conclusions and implications Semi-natural vegetation in the UK is very resistant to burning during the high-greenness phase. However, this ‘fire barrier’ is diminished during severe drought episodes, which are predicted to become more extreme in the coming decades. Incorporating phenology information into models therefore has great potential for improving future fire danger and behaviour predictions in the UK and comparable humid temperate regions.

Urban scavenging: vertebrates display greater sensitivity to land-cover and garden vegetation cover than invertebrates

Scavenging removes carrion or littered food waste from the environment, promoting nutrient cycling, and reducing waste management costs. These ecosystem services are important in urban environments, where high human population densities result in increased littered food waste. It is unclear how the magnitude of scavenging across urban-rural gradients is influenced by agent, land-cover type, and patch size. We investigated scavenging provision by vertebrates and invertebrates across a gradient of urbanisation, based on impervious surface cover, in woodlands and gardens in Liverpool, UK. The percentage dry weight loss of bait after 48 h, deployed within vertebrate exclusion cages or exposed to vertebrates and invertebrates, was used to quantify scavenging provision. General linear mixed effects models were used to assess the relative contributions of vertebrates and invertebrates across an urban-rural gradient, variation in scavenging between woodlands and gardens, and the effects of semi-natural vegetation cover on scavenging in gardens. We consider patch size as a preliminary assessment of how fragmentation influences scavenging. Vertebrates contributed substantially more to scavenging than invertebrates across the urbanisation gradient. Vertebrate scavenging was greater in woodlands than gardens, while invertebrate scavenging remained consistent. Scavenging increased with patch size in gardens, but not woodlands. Vertebrate scavenging increased with patch size and garden semi-natural vegetation cover. Urban woodlands and gardens make important contributions to scavenging-mediated ecosystem services. There is a need to increase the cover of semi-natural vegetation in gardens to increase their contributions, and protect and expand woodlands, especially in areas with a high demand for scavenging-mediated ecosystem services.

Ethnobotany around the Virovitica Area in NW Slavonia (Continental Croatia)-Record of Rare Edible Use of Fungus Sarccoscypha coccinea.

Slavonia is the most developed agricultural region in Croatia. With rich and fertile soils that have enabled the cultivation of a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and cereals, Slavonia has always met the food needs of its population. Today, the biocultural diversity of local varieties and semi-natural vegetation has irretrievably disappeared. Our aim was to document the remaining local knowledge of plant use in this area through in-depth semi-structured interviews, which were conducted in 2022-2023. All possible aspects of the use of plants and fungi were recorded as food, animal feed, medicine, construction, jewelry, rituals and ceremonies, dyes, etc. The names and uses of local plant varieties were also recorded. The results show 1702 entries-a total of 296 plant taxa from 76 families and 28 fungi from 16 families. The most frequently named plants were: Urtica dioica, Robinia pseudoacacia, Rosa canina, and Sambucus nigra. The plants with the greatest variety of uses were Morus alba, Rosmarinus officinalis, Triticum aestivum, and Zea mays. Interesting uses were identified. The leaves of the ornamental plant Hosta sieboldiana are still used today as food for wrapping meat with rice, the aquatic plant Trapa natans is eaten like chestnuts, and Pteridium aquilinum was once consumed as a vegetable. In addition, Ambrosia artemisiifolia and Sambucus ebulus were given to horses to prevent and avoid blood poisoning. Some forest species had a special significance and were revered or favored. The most frequently mentioned edible fungi were Boletus sp., Cantharellus cibarius, and Lactarius piperatus. Auricularia auricula-judae is the only species stated to have been used exclusively as a raw snack. Evidence of edible use of Sarccoscypha coccinea, which was reported as traditionally consumed in the past, was of particular interest. Despite the modernization and agricultural nature of the region, many interesting uses of plants and fungi were identified. Further efforts should be directed towards documenting this knowledge to facilitate its dissemination in the communities that possess it, or at least to preserve it for future generations.

Factors driving plant diversity in the spontaneous vegetation of the novel ecosystem of post-coal mining spoil heaps and their relationship with soil respiration

The subject of the paper is the analysis of the relationship between spontaneous vegetation diversity and soil respiration in novel post-coal mine ecosystem. In the natural and semi-natural ecosystems, soil respiration process (Rs) is a crucial ecosystem function regulating terrestrial ecosystems’ carbon cycle. Soil respiration depends on the quality and quantity of the soil organic matter (SOM), the soil microbes’ activity, and root metabolism. The listed factors are directly related to the composition diversity of vegetation plant species (biochemistry). For many years, soil respiration parameters have been studied in natural and seminatural vegetation communities and ecosystems. However, there still need to be a greater understanding of the relationship between vegetation plant species diversity and soil respiration as a crucial ecosystem function. Plant species diversity has to be analysed through both the taxonomic diversity and the functional diversity. These approaches reflect the composition, structure, and function of plant species communities. We hypothesise that the diversity of the spontaneous vegetation species composition shapes the amount of soil respiration in a post-coal mine novel ecosystem. The soil respiration differs significantly along the vegetational types driven by habitat gradients and is significantly higher in highly functional richness and dispersion vegetation patches. Contrary to our expectation, soil respiration was the highest in the less diverse vegetation types – both taxonomical and functional evenness were non-significant factors. Only functional dispersion is weakly negative correlated with soil respiration level (SRL).

Testing effectiveness in nature reserve management using GIS-based tools: a 25 years monitoring of land use change in a Mediterranean coastal wetland

Land-cover change dynamics were investigated in a Mediterranean coastal wetland to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of nature reserve management. A multitemporal analysis of land cover maps was conducted, utilizing visual interpretation of aerial orthophotos from the summer seasons of 1996, 2008, 2015, and 2021. Landscape changes were evaluated by transition matrices and chord diagrams. Maps were classified in accordance with CORINE land cover types at a fourth level of detail. The multitemporal analyses provided a comprehensive overview of landscape changes within the reserve over the past 25 years. The most notable changes were the increase of wetland areas and the reduction of agricultural and artificial areas. Moreover, seminatural vegetation constantly extended over time. These changes reflected the continuous management activities within the nature reserve, encompassing agreements for water supply, restoration projects, and measures to counteract illegality. These operational actions induced fine-grained ecological changes (outcomes at ecosystem level). This study highlighted the importance of remote sensing and landscape analysis, matched with fine-grained management data, as tool for long-term monitoring. Such an approach provides valuable support in evaluating the effectiveness of strategies promoted in nature reserves hosting wet coastal ecosystems of high conservation concern.

Nature on our doorstep: How do residents perceive urban parks vs. biodiverse areas?

The role of nature in enhancing urban well-being is well-established, but perceived naturalness may not always align with scientific definitions. Our study aimed to investigate whether areas selected for nature-related activities demonstrate increased biodiversity, offer diverse experiences, and integrate both social and ecological perspectives. We aimed to bridge the gap between perceived naturalness and objective ecological richness. Integrating social and environmental parameters, we considered both objective indicators, such as the presence of rare species, and subjective perspectives. Extensive geotagged surveys among 401 working-age Warsaw residents, coupled with field analyses, and biodiversity data collected for the scale of the whole city, allowed to juxtapose human perception with tangible ecological indicators. Our results revealed that only 14% of the locations identified by respondents as natural were associated with high biological diversity. In contrast, over 30% were in areas with low biological diversity, lacking rare species. Factors like presence of natural and semi-natural vegetation types, distance from buildings, population density, presence of water, noise, and extreme temperatures were found to be significant. We distinguished four types of natural areas: close to home, open grassland, high naturalness, and forested, reflecting different preferences and alternative choices when high-quality natural areas are not nearby. Most notably, urban parks emerged as key locations for nature contact, even though objective measures of biodiversity were often low. This underscores the need for a comprehensive understanding of how urban residents interact with and value natural spaces, bridging the gap between subjective experiences and objective ecological richness within the city's green areas. Our study highlights the complex interplay between the physical properties of urban green spaces, individual perceptions, and the ecological aesthetics influencing these interactions. In particular, the concept of perceived naturalness emerges as a critical factor, often contrasting with objective, quantifiable naturalness, and necessitating a nuanced approach in urban planning and public health contexts to cater to diverse needs and preferences of city dwellers.

Preserving the spots: Jaguar (Panthera onca) distribution and priority conservation areas in Colombia.

The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a charismatic species considered Vulnerable in Colombia but yet largely unknown in the country. The species is mostly threatened by the continuous decline in its habitats, mostly derived from deforestation and habitat loss, additional to hunting and conflicts with humans. Thus, the future of jaguars in Colombia depends on protecting and recovering existing habitats. The aims of this study were to 1) evaluate jaguar distribution and identify the remnant patches of habitat in Colombia, 2) define an ecological connectivity network within the country, and 3) propose a priority areas portfolio for the conservation and recovery of jaguars. We used a presence background model for estimating species potential distribution and subsequently identified remaining habitat patches across the country based on land cover and species-specific ecological attributes. We then created an ecological connectivity network based on circuit theory and following a multi-criteria approach identified jaguar priority areas for conservation (JPCA) and recovery (JPRA). Jaguar potential distribution comprises 1103122.43 km2, from which 56.71% maintain suitable patches of potential habitat. We identified 960 corridors between remnant patches of natural or semi-natural vegetation. Based on the criteria, JPCAs with greater importance were identified in each of the five Colombian regions. JPRAs were located mainly towards the Andean and Caribbean regions. These JPCAs and JPRAs could serve as a guide for designing and implementing management strategies for the long-term conservation and recovery of the species in Colombia.

Mapping livestock grazing in semi-natural areas in the European Union and United Kingdom

ContextLivestock grazing throughout Europe has resulted in high diversity of semi-natural areas in past centuries. Currently, most low intensity grazing relying on semi-natural vegetation is found primarily in marginal lands. These areas still host a high-level of biodiversity but are subject to abandonment and agricultural intensification.ObjectivesSpatial information on areas where semi-natural vegetation is still grazed, and how contextual geographic conditions encourage or limit grazing is missing, hindering their protection. We present an interdisciplinary approach to map the spatial distribution of grazing in semi-natural areas of the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK).MethodsWe first interviewed grazing experts from European countries, who provided us with estimates on grazing across selected land cover classes per environmental zone and Member State. Subsequently, we analysed the spatial distribution of grazing through maximum entropy modeling using pan-European in-situ data on grazing observations (using LUCAS, an EU wide land use survey) and a set of geographic characteristics representing the local socio-economic, terrain, soil and climatic context.ResultsThe expert-derived estimates on grazing suggest that 20.6% (or 134 thousand km2) of semi-natural areas in the EU + UK are grazed, although with low livestock densities. In addition, we find that there is great variety across the region in the factors that explain the occurrence of grazing: while in some regions, farmers’ age and distance to markets are most important, in others terrain or climate are influencing the location of grazing. Finally, we were able to map both the grazing probability as well as actual spatial distribution of grazing on semi-natural areas for the whole of EU and UK.ConclusionsThese data can assist in prioritizing future conservation efforts in these unique land systems.

Environmental filtering and landscape composition drive multifaceted diversity of bird assemblages in vineyards

Abstract Agricultural landscapes are productive areas with high biodiversity potential, but their conversion to monocultures and intensification of practices are recognised drivers of bird biodiversity loss worldwide. This challenges the compatibility of agricultural land use with bird conservation, as landscape composition affects both the diversity of bird species and traits and the assembly of bird communities. We address the underlying mechanisms of avian community assembly in vineyards at the plot and landscape levels in relation to landscape composition in one of the major wine producing regions of France. We jointly analyse how the taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic facets of bird alpha and beta diversity respond to a gradient of landscape heterogeneity and test for a non‐random assembly rule. We found that birds tended to avoid vineyard monocultures. There was consistent support for the co‐occurrence of both closely related species and similar functional traits within vineyard plots (namely, phylogenetic and functional clustering, respectively). Landscape composition, both within plots and on a large scale (1000 m), was critical in explaining the occurrence of species and traits within plots. Landscape composition determined a nested pattern of functional and phylogenetic beta diversity from vineyard monoculture to more complex landscapes with increasing seminatural land cover. Synthesis and applications. Landscape composition in seminatural vegetation features significantly influenced both the alpha and beta bird diversity in vineyard‐dominated agricultural landscapes. Interspersed shrubs and woodland can help increase bird abundance and species richness in vineyards, while large‐scale land cover diversity might help promote functional and phylogenetic bird diversity.

Lost in hostile lands: moths of conservation concern in cultivated and suburban areas of south Italy

Cultivated and suburban areas are usually considered unfavourable to the vulnerable components of biodiversity and regarded as not interesting from a conservation point of view. However, remnants of semi-natural vegetation can be embedded in such areas, becoming possible refuges for wild biodiversity despite the high anthropogenic pressures. With the present study, we raise awareness that, in some cases, these areas can be regarded as biodiversity treasure chests, even when apparently poor and with low appeal for conservationists. We demonstrate the importance of urbanised and cultivated landscapes by providing new records of two lepidopteran species rare for the Italian Peninsula, namely Amphipyra (Pyrois) cinnamomea and Boudinotiana notha. The European range of A. cinnamomea has become strongly reduced, seeming extinct in some Central European regions and the few Italian records mostly date back several decades. B. notha has very few relict populations in Mediterranean Europe, some of which are in peninsular Italy, where it is threated by urbanisation and reduced precipitations expected in the next decades. Our findings confirm the importance of small and highly fragmented patches of semi-natural vegetation for biodiversity conservation, as they can allow species of conservation interest to persist in hostile lands.

The importance of terrain factors in the spatial variability of plant cover diversity in a steppe gully

Information about the slope angle and its exposure is often given when describing plant communities. However, the slope angle should be noted to affect a complex of different phenomena and processes. The slope angle affects the albedo and thermal regime of the soil. The slope angle affects the redistribution of moisture and determines the moisture availability of a particular area. The slope angle also determines the risks of erosion processes. In turn, erosion processes determine the depth of the soil layer and the content of organic matter in it, which greatly affects the conditions for plant life and their dynamics. Therefore, the slope angle of the relief is a complex environmental indicator, which is its most important weakness. The information on the slope angle of the relief surface does not indicate which environmental factor is limiting and determines the characteristics of the vegetation cover. Similarly, the quantitative orientation of a slope using rhumb lines is a rather crude way to indicate the role of terrain in the redistribution of solar energy. With a certain degree of accuracy, rhumbs characterize incoming solar radiation, but are not sensitive to estimating the amount of diffuse radiation. Modern geoinformation technologies make it possible to determine the amount of solar radiation reaching the terrain surface using a digital elevation model. The aim of the article was to identify the role of relief factors in terms of topographic wetness index, erosion index, and solar radiation in the spatial variability of the vegetation diversity of a steppe gully. There was no linear correlation between the other predictors. Some correlations can be interpreted as the result of certain nonlinear patterns. In this sense, the geomorphological predictors are mostly linearly independent and thus each of them carries independent information for characterizing environmental conditions. The vegetation cover of the gully system was represented by 263 plant species. The analysis of the synoptic phytosociological table allowed us to find out that the vegetation cover of the studied gully system is represented by six classes of vegetation. The geomorphological predictors allowed for a classification of vegetation types with an accuracy of 23.8% to 100%. The topographic wetness index was the most important for classification. Altitude and insolation were also important for classification (94 and 95 respectively). The topographic wetness index provided an accurate identification of wetland vegetation of the Phragmito-Magnocaricetea class. Naturally, this type of vegetation preferred biotopes with the highest level of soil moisture. High insolation accurately labeled the locations where Festuco-Brometea steppe vegetation was most likely to be found. Some of the artificial tree plantations that occurred in the thalweg of the gully can be clearly identified by the high level of the topographic wetness index. Another group of artificial tree plantations is located on relatively high relief areas and should be differentiated from Galio-Urticetea communities, which prefer locations with higher light levels, and from Molinio-Arrhenatheretea, which prefer locations with a higher risk of erosion. The most arid locations are preferred by Agropyretalia intermedio-repentis vegetation. Steppe and meadow vegetation located at altitudes less than 116 meters also differ in their preferred height. Steppe vegetation is usually located at a level higher than 95 meters. Natural steppe and meadow vegetation at elevations below 116 meters differs from semi-natural Galio-Urticetea vegetation in that the latter usually prefers more well lit locations. Steppe communities are misclassified as meadow in 15.3% of cases, and meadow is misclassified as steppe in 18.5% of cases. Artificial tree plantations are misclassified as steppe in 42.9% of cases and 14.3% are misclassified as Agropyretalia intermedio-repentis. In its turn, Agropyretalia intermedio-repentis is misclassified as Festuco-Brometea in 6.7% of cases, as Molinio-Arrhenatheretea or Onopordetalia acanthii in 3.3% of cases, and as Galio-Urticetea in 10.0% of cases. The Onopordetalia acanthii community was misclassified as Festuco-Brometea, Molinio-Arrhenatheretea and Galio-Urticetea in 6.7% of cases, respectively.

Ecosystem engineers enter the city: Habitat characteristics influencing the distribution of Eurasian beavers Castor fiber in a human-transformed landscape

In recent decades, the population of the Eurasian beaver Castor fiber has increased significantly, and from near extinction the species has become widespread again over large part of its former range. However, the recovery of the beaver population is giving rise to increasing numbers of human-beaver conflicts in areas inhabited by humans. The key challenge of beaver population management is, therefore, to identify habitat characteristics that determine the presence of the species in the human-dominated landscape, including urban areas. Based on a large-scale inventory of beavers conducted in one of the most densely populated regions of Europe, we show that the factors enhancing habitat suitability for beavers at the landscape scale are the increasing cover of meadows and surface waters, and the total length of watercourses. Although beavers avoid built-up areas, 13% of all recorded sites were located in the most densely populated regions, and the local habitat features that favour the presence of beavers in an urban landscape are the increasing cover of forests, meadows and surface waters, the total length of watercourses and the total length of roads. This indicates that patches of natural or semi-natural vegetation persisting along watercourses located in the vicinity of communication routes constitute a habitat for beavers entering the most urbanized areas. The beaver is currently expanding into western and southern Europe, but the species’ future distribution will include highly transformed urban areas. To limit human-beaver conflicts, predictions of beaver distributions in human-dominated landscapes should be used in urban and landscape planning.

Vertebrate diversity in productive landscapes in Mediterranean Chile: The role of neighboring natural vegetation

Land-use change is a major cause of biodiversity loss. Particularly, the expansion of the agricultural frontier results from an increased resource demand by the human population. A biodiverse community provides positive ecosystem services for natural areas and commercial crops. Ecological intensification aims to increase crop yields while conserving biodiversity and the ecosystem services that it provides. This study aimed to assess vertebrate diversity in two commercial crops (apple and cherry) along a gradient of surrounding natural vegetation. We hypothesized that vertebrate composition would differ along the vegetation gradient in the landscape, and species diversity would increase in crops surrounded by more natural or semi-natural vegetation. For this purpose, we set up 54 camera trap points within the orchards. Vertebrate composition, abundance, and diversity were significantly different along the gradient, with those crops surrounded mainly by natural areas having the highest values of diversity and abundance of native species, but exotic species explained most of the differences. We conclude that maintaining natural areas nearby crop fields would enhance their biodiversity and the ecosystemic services native species provide.

Bioecological traits of spittlebugs and their implications on the epidemiology and control of Xylella fastidiosa epidemic in Apulia (Southern Italy).

Spatial-temporal dynamics of spittlebug populations, together with transmission biology, are of major importance to outline the disease epidemiology of Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) subsp. pauca in Apulian olive groves. The spread rate of Xf is mainly influenced by (i) the pathogen colonization of the host plant; (ii) the acquisition of the pathogen by the vector from an infected plant, and its inoculation to healthy plants; (iii) the vector population dynamics and abundance at different spatial scales; (iv) the dispersal of the vector. In this contribution we summarize the recent advances in research on insect vectors' traits - points (ii), (iii), (iv) - focusing on those most relevant to Xf epidemic in Apulia. Among the vectors' bioecological traits influencing Xf epidemic on olive trees, we emphasize: natural infectivity and transmission efficiency, phenological timing of both nymphal and adult stage, the role of semi-natural vegetation as vectors' reservoir in the agroecosystem and landscape, preferential and directional dispersal capabilities. Despite the research on Xf vectors carried out in Europe in the last decade, key uncertainties on insect vectors remain, hampering a thorough understanding of pathogen epidemiology and the development of effective and targeted management strategies. Our goal is to provide a structured and contextualized review of knowledge on Xf vectors' key traits in Apulian epidemic, highlighting information gaps and stimulating novel research pathways on Xf pathosystems in Europe.

Assessing the influence of raptors on grape-eating birds in a Mediterranean vineyard

Several bird species may cause serious damage to grape production. The ability of raptors as biological control agents of grape-eating birds is poorly understood and under-used. We installed artificial nests and perches to encourage the presence and activity of raptors in vineyards located in central Spain and explored their effectiveness to reduce damage to grapes. We characterized the raptor community by field surveys and assessment of natural breeding sites, evaluated the abundance of grape-eating birds, and sampled damage to grape production for three consecutive years. Raptor community in the study area was diverse (13 species). Breeding of ornitophagous species such as Booted eagle Hieraaetus pennatus and Northern goshawk Accipiter gentilis was confirmed in the forest patches. We identified 10 grape-eating bird species, with Spotless starling (Sturnus unicolor) being the most abundant. Distance from the edges between vineyards and natural and semi-natural woody vegetation affected damage to grapes, with more damage close to the edges. The installed elements did not significantly reduce damage to grapes. Woody vegetation in and around the vineyards may reduce the success of the installed elements by providing shelter to grape-eating birds and suitable sites for raptor breeding and perching. Other variables such as vine orientation, land-cover, and distance to raptor nests did not affect damage to grapes. To promote the conservation of raptors and their regulating services in this Mediterranean agroforestry system, more research is needed to find methods to increase the presence of raptors in vineyards and to manage the woody shelters used by grape-eating birds around crops.

Within-field crop diversity and landscape complexity decrease the abundance of fall armyworm larvae in maize cropping systems

The composition and spatial arrangement of multiple crop and non-crop habitats at a field and landscape levels have the potential to modify the abundance and structure of arthropod communities. In particular, semi-natural habitats can provide important life support functions to a range of natural enemies of agricultural pests. How such traits might affect generalist predators has poorly been considered in complex landscapes dominated by intercropping and trees within a mosaic of small-scale agricultural plots in Africa. The objective of the present study was to test the hypothesis that crop diversity and landscape complexity in maize cropping systems decrease the abundance of crop pests through natural regulation by generalist predators. For this purpose, we monitored the fall armyworm abundance and predation of sentinel larvae by predatory ants across a set of maize fields with contrasted within-field crop diversity and abundance of semi-natural vegetation including trees and shrubs in their surrounding landscape. A negative effect of crop diversity and landscape complexity on FAW abundance, and a species-specific effect on ant abundance, were observed. However, no significant effect of ant abundance or predation on FAW abundance was observed, suggesting that habitat complexity by itself or other natural enemy communities such as parasitoids could play a complementary role to explain FAW abundance in maize crops.

Surrounding Semi-Natural Vegetation as a Source of Aphidophagous Syrphids (Diptera, Syrphidae) for Aphid Control in Apple Orchards

The influence of different semi-natural surroundings adjacent to apple orchards on the occurrence of predatory syrphids and biological control of Aphis pomi Deg. and Dysaphis plantaginea Pass. was compared. Two methods of catching hoverflies were used: yellow traps to collect the adults and hand picking to get the larvae from aphid colonies. A total of 1029 Syrphidae (26 species belonging to 14 genera) of subfamily Syrphinae were collected in Moericke traps from apple orchards and their boundaries. At all sites, a much greater number of hoverflies was collected in the surroundings (638 specimens) than in the orchards (391 specimens). In apple orchards, 134 syrphids belonging to 10 species were reared from A. pomi and D. plantaginea colonies. In both cases, the dominants were Episyrphus balteatus (Deg.) Eupeodes corollae (Fabr.), Syrphus vitripennis Meig. and S. scripta (L.), suggesting that hoverflies are attracted by plants flowering in semi-natural habitats in the vicinity of the orchard, and they then migrate to the orchard and reduce the aphid colonies. The results confirmed the positive influence of natural surroundings on the conservation of aphid predators.

The Role of High Nature Value Farmland for Landscape and Soil Pollution Assessment in a Coastal Delta in China Based on High-Resolution Indicators

High nature value farmland (HNVf) plays an important role in improving biodiversity and landscape heterogeneity, and it is effective in curbing soil non-point source pollution and carbon loss in sustainable eco-agricultural systems. To this end, we developed high-resolution (2 m × 2 m) indicators for the identification of potential HNVf based on GF1B remote sensing imaging, including the land cover (LC), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), Shannon diversity (SH), and Simpsons index (SI). The statistical results for LC with high resolution (2 m × 2 m) showed that there was 41.05% of intensive farmland in the study area, and the pixel proportion of the HNVf map (above G3) was 44.30%. These HNVf patches were concentrated in the transition zone around the edge of the intensive farmland and around rivers, with characteristics of HNVf type 2 being significantly reflected. Among the real-life areas from Map World, elements (i.e., linear forests, rivers, and semi-natural vegetation etc.) of HNVf accounted for more than 70% of these regions, while a field survey based on potential HNVf patches also exhibited significant HNVf characteristics in comparison with intensive farmlands. In addition, from 2002 to 2020, the total migration distance of the gravity center of intensive farmland in the study area was 7.65 km. Moreover, four landscape indices (patch COH index, landscape division index, SH, and SI) slowly increased, indicating that the species richness and biodiversity were improved. It was also found that a series of ecological protection policies provide effective guarantees for an improvement in species diversity and the development of HNVf in the study area. In particular, the average contents of As, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn in the HNVf were 20.99 mg kg−1, 121.11 mg kg−1, 21.97 mg kg−1, 29.34 mg kg−1, and 41.68 mg kg−1, respectively, which were lower in comparison with the intensive farmland soil. This is the first HNVf exploration for landscape and soil pollution assessment in a coastal delta in China, and could provide powerful guidance for the ecological protection of farmland soil and the high-quality development of sustainable agriculture.

Bats and birds control tortricid pest moths in South African macadamia orchards

The global macadamia industry is growing rapidly, and the world's biggest macadamia nut producer, South Africa, is continuously expanding its production. Insect pest mitigation and research are mainly focused on the damage caused by heteropteran pest species, whereas the damage associated with lepidopteran tortricid moths in South African macadamia orchards is understudied. Here we explore the potential biocontrol of tortricid moths by natural predators through full exclosure of bats and birds, daytime only exclosure (birds), night exclosure (bats and possibly nocturnal birds), and control treatments. The exclusion experiment showed that bats and birds are effective natural predators, which can reduce tortricid moth damage by more than 35%. Impacts of biocontrol are higher at natural orchard edges next to natural or semi-natural vegetation, compared to human-modified edges (12.4% damage decrease in 2017, 10.6% in 2018). At the full exclosure, there was no difference in damage between natural orchard edges and human-modified edges, in both years of our study (56.5% vs. 56.6% in 2017, 19% vs. 18.5% in 2018). We recommend increased preservation efforts of more heterogeneity with semi-natural vegetation in agricultural landscapes to ensure the conservation of biocontrol services, as their loss can be expected to result in significant negative impact on macadamia production. This biological pest control can be used as part of integrated pest management to reduce the reliance on chemical pesticides, so decreasing sustainability challenges.