Semi-natural Areas Research Articles

Wild bees show local spatial and temporal dynamics in southeastern US blueberry farmscapes.

Wild bee communities are the target of various conservation and ecological restoration programs. Strategic conservation can influence bee communities visiting fields and help mitigate pollinator limitations in fruit production. However, planning compatible conservation strategies and gauging their effectiveness requires understanding how local communities vary across space and time in crops and adjacent semi-natural areas. Here, we assessed the spatiotemporal changes in the composition of wild bee communities in blueberry fields and adjacent forests. In partnership with commercial farms in southeast Georgia, USA, we deployed blue vane traps at the interior and edge of blueberry fields and within adjacent forests of 8 fields, from March to October over 2 yr. We identified 72 wild bee species across 26 genera. The most common were Melissodes communis (Cresson, Hymenoptera: Apidae), Bombus bimaculatus (Cresson, Apidae), Melissodes bimaculatus (Lepeletier), Ceratina floridana (Mitchell, Apidae), Lasioglossum pectorale (Smith, Halictidae), and Lasioglossum nymphale (Smith), which accounted for nearly 60% of the wild bees caught. Bee diversity and richness fluctuated over time, with peaks in all 3 habitat types occurring after the blueberry blooming. Bee abundance in the adjacent forest was relatively constant throughout the season, while in the field interior and edge assemblages, abundance peaked between May and June. We observed dissimilarity in species composition related to month and field location. This difference was explained by fluctuation in the identity and relative abundance of the most abundant species. Together, our study advances foundational knowledge of wild bee community dynamics and species identity in blueberry fields which will help inform and prioritize conservation practices.

Unveiling the effects of land use and intra-seasonal variation on bee and plant diversity and their ecological interactions in vegetation surrounding coffee plantations

Land use, local management, and seasonal variation significantly impact the ecological dynamics of bee–plant communities and their ecological interactions. These variables negatively affect diversity and ecological interaction networks within human-dominated landscapes. Additionally, seasonal variables such as temperature, rainfall, and resource availability across different seasons play essential roles in shaping bee communities and their interactions with flowering plants. However, little is known about how diversity and ecological interaction networks of non-crop plants in agricultural landscapes respond to intra-seasonal variations, specifically within the rainy season. In this study, we assessed how land use types, coffee crop management, and intra-seasonal variation within the rainy season influenced the composition and diversity of bee and plant communities, and their interaction networks in semi-natural habitats surrounding coffee plantations. We recorded the diversity of bees and plants and analysed their interactions networks metrics, such as specialisation, nestedness, modularity, connectance and bee/plant generality, in 8 pairs of sites. Our findings indicate that human settlements negatively influence bee generality, suggesting that human-dominated land and the introduction of exotic plants reduce floral resources for bees, which may decrease bee visitation. In contrast, extensive semi-natural and forested areas seemed to support bee generality. Additionally, we observed higher visit frequency and richness of bees and plant generality during the second period of the rainy season (July to October), leading to more robust bee–plant interaction networks in the same period. This study enhances our understanding of how land-use types and intra-seasonal climatic variation shape structure of bee floral visitor communities and their interactions with flowering plants. Furthermore, our findings underline the negative impact of human-dominated landscapes on the ecological dynamics of plants visited by bees and their interaction networks.

Insights into Corncrake (Crex crex) movements in a fragmented agricultural landscape using bioacoustics with implications for nature conservation strategies

AbstractMovement ecology data are often collected by catching animals and fitting GPS tags. This technique is expensive, biased and comes at an extra cost for the caught individuals. New conservation technologies allow noninvasive data collection, providing ecological knowledge to aid the conservation of endangered species. Using bioacoustics, we investigated intraseason and between‐year movements of the red‐listed corncrake (Crex crex) and their relationships with landscape structure. Our goals were to track corncrake movements with minimal disturbance to the species and determine how landscape features affect these movements. We recorded males over two consecutive breeding seasons in 2022 and 2023 in an extensively farmed agricultural landscape in the West of Ireland. Individual identity was obtained through vocal characteristics of the calling males which were grouped into clusters. The areas of seminatural grassland and margin features, presence of bird refuge strips, and habitat connectivity were extracted from buffers between locations of two matching recordings (same calling male). These landscape features were used as model predictors to determine the distance that the same male covered. We found that, in a season, males moved 415 m on average (min = 10 m; max = 1805 m) between calling locations, which was more than previously thought in the Western Europe. Males also reoccurred on average 375 m (min = 23 m; max = 1231 m) away from the previous year's location. Landscape connectivity (p = 0.01, N = 42) and seminatural grassland area (p = 0.02, N = 42) were positive predictors of intraseason movements, whereas the margin area (p = 0.01, N = 35) predicted further between‐year movements. Considering our noninvasively sampled results in the Irish context, we suggest increasing the protection area around a calling male to 500 m. In this buffer, we also suggest improving the availability of seminatural grassland to 30% and presence of margin features to 3%. Further land management recommendations are provided.

Adapted RCP 4.5 and 8.5 climate change scenarios for invasive Sus scrofa in Mexico

Climate change is a common factor that contributes to the growth or decline of animal populations. The present study, conducted using the Species Distribution Model, highlights the fact that despite the recognized negative impact of wild boar (Sus scrofa) on semi-natural areas and agricultural systems worldwide, the species remains poorly studied. According to projections for Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5, increased clusters of wild boar abundance are expected to emerge around fragmented species assemblages by 2070. Sus scrofa is an extremely destructive and rapidly spreading invasive species whose movement appears to be facilitated by humans. As a consequence, many endemic plants are threatened with extinction. Biological corridors between fragments with poor conservation status should be linked to priority areas for adequate protection. The creation of preserved landscapes in territories separated from semi-natural ecosystems is recommended. Additionally, these measures can help mitigate the negative impact of S. scrofa on local biodiversity. Continuous monitoring and adaptive management strategies will be crucial for long-term conservation of the affected areas. Environmental protection efforts must prioritize the restoration of natural habitats and the implementation of strict regulations to control the spread of this invasive species. Collaborations between conservation organizations, governments, farmers, and local communities are essential to ensure effective wild boar management and the preservation of arable land and forests. Moreover, public awareness campaigns about the environmental impact of wild boar and the importance of conservation efforts are critical for garnering broader support.

Birds as Cultural Ambassadors: Bridging Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity Conservation in Wetland Planning

Coastal wetlands deliver essential ecosystem services, including cultural services, which provide non-material benefits such as recreation, education, and spiritual enrichment that are crucial for human well-being. This study investigates the cultural ecosystem services provided by a 40 ha coastal wetland in the Gulf of Manfredonia, southern Italy, within the Gargano National Park. By integrating an ecological survey of the bird community with a social survey of visitors to the King’s Lagoon Nature Reserve, the content of tailored planning strategies and management tools for the conservation of wetland biodiversity was developed. An ecological analysis of the bird community was carried out on the assumption that it could be representative of the total biodiversity observed in the wetland. On the other hand, a questionnaire was used to collect information from visitors to the reserve, highlighting the aspects of the wetland that they found most interesting and attractive according to their judgement and beliefs, and thus targeting a specific set of cultural ecological services. The two approaches were then combined to develop a comprehensive strategy. The bird community analysis led to the identification of the mixed biotope category (a combination of wetlands, aquatic/riparian ecosystems, semi-natural vegetated areas, and meadows together with agricultural areas) as the reference biotope for prioritizing wetland management. The Ardeidae family was chosen as a bird flagship group because of its high visibility, ease of identification, attractiveness to visitors, wide local distribution, and fairly constant presence in the study area throughout the year. Flagship species have a dual function: to guide conservation measures and actions by wetland managers, and to attract the interest, curiosity and active participation of potential visitors to the wetland. Based on the results, a list of guidelines for improving the birds’ habitats and providing them with resources (feeding, breeding, shelter, roosting, etc.) has been proposed. The aim of these measures is to optimize the presence and abundance of Ardeidae as flagship species, thereby preserving the biodiversity heritage in general and increasing the provision of cultural ecosystem services in the wetland. The resulting dynamic interplay ensures that both natural and cultural resources are fully and appropriately valued, protected, and maintained for the benefit of present and future generations.

The Role of Green Infrastructure in Providing Urban Ecosystem Services: Insights from a Bibliometric Perspective

Urban ecosystems, and the services they provide, are a key focus of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, specifically SDG 11, which emphasizes making cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Green infrastructure (GI) is crucial in enhancing citizens’ quality of life and achieving this goal and it can be defined as a strategically planned network of natural and semi-natural areas designed to deliver a range of ecosystem services (ESs). These infrastructures improve ecosystem functioning, protect biodiversity, promote health, support sustainable land and water management, and boost the local green economy. This paper explores the scientific literature on GI and their ESs in cities using bibliometric science. By combining the keywords “Green Infrastructures”, “Ecosystem Services”, and “Cities” with VOSviewer software (1.6.20 version), we analyzed trends over time. Results show growing attention to these topics, emphasizing human well-being, urban resilience, and sustainability. The study also highlights that focusing exclusively on either “Green Infrastructure in Cities” or “Ecosystem Services in Cities” leads to fragmented insights. A more integrated examination of these three domains offers a holistic view and underscores the importance of considering ecosystem disservices. The study further identifies key research directions, including the need for a comprehensive evaluation of diverse GI types, especially those that are under-researched, such as green roofs, sports areas, and wetlands, and the underexplored role of cultural ecosystem services. Additionally, future research should consider both the benefits and disservices of GI to support better urban planning decisions. Finally, integrating biophysical, social, and economic values of ESs is critical for providing more holistic insights and enhancing sustainable urban development. The novelty of this paper lies in its integrated, holistic approach to examining GI and ESs in urban areas, with a focus on ecosystem disservices, insufficient attention to specific GI types, and the role of cultural ecosystem services—each contributing to the creation of more resilient and sustainable cities.

Urban Green Infrastructure and Ecosystem Service Supply: A Study Concerning the Functional Urban Area of Cagliari, Italy

Urban green infrastructure (UGI) is a network composed of natural and semi-natural areas, such as greenspaces, open areas, and water bodies, designed to enhance the provision of ecosystem services and to meet the needs and expectations of local communities. UGIs should be accessible and should improve the well-being and health of their users, protect and enhance biodiversity, and allow for the enjoyment of natural resources. The study proposes a methodological approach to defining a UGI, conceived as a network of areas connected by urban ecological corridors and suitable for providing climate regulation, flood risk mitigation, outdoor recreation, and biodiversity and habitat quality enhancement. The methodology is applied to the functional urban area (FUA) of the City of Cagliari, Italy. The analysis results show that areas with high values of climate regulation, carbon storage and sequestration, and habitat quality enhancement are particularly suitable to be part of a UGI. Although values for outdoor recreation appear to be less significant, the provision of this service is particularly relevant within the Cagliari FUA. However, areas characterized by high values of flood risk mitigation show a different behavior, which highlights how the presence of impermeable surface within urban areas is associated with a loss of patch connectivity.

Surprisingly good fit of pressure-based cropland condition map and bird census data at the national scale

As the world is struggling to halt the rapid decline of biodiversity, the assessment and mapping of ecosystem condition is getting ever increasing attention. Croplands are artificial ecosystems, but as they occupy a large portion of land, they significantly influence biodiversity. Yet, there is a knowledge gap about their suitability to support and maintain wildlife on a national scale. Large-scale condition mapping is meant to address this gap; the good condition of croplands includes their ability to support biodiversity. However, the lack of suitable databases is often a challenge when creating such maps. As there is a strong causal relation between pressures on the ecosystem and its condition, pressure indicators can be used as proxies to approximate condition when more direct indicators are lacking. The validation of condition maps based on pressure proxies is a key but challenging step. In this study, we tested a previously designed pressure-based cropland condition map for Hungary using bird census data. Besides validating the composite condition indicator, we also tested some key elements of the mapping process, such as the choice of variables and thresholds.Using multiple comparisons of means by Tukey’s contrast and Random Forest modelling, we examined the relationship of (1) the continuous pressure-based cropland condition variables, (2) their rescaled, ordinal version (called sub-indicators), and (3) the composite cropland condition indicator (sum of the sub-indicators) with a biodiversity measure, the standardised relative richness of characteristic farmland bird species (rRRCS). To get a picture of the spatial patterns of the examined relationships across Hungary, individual Random Forest models were constructed for all the spatial units of the bird census database, using focal analysis with a 30 km radius moving window.We found significant differences in the mean rRRCS for nearly all sub-indicator categories, signifying that the literature-derived thresholds were mostly sound. Categories with higher (better) condition scores had higher mean rRRCS; the differences are significant in the mid-range but not in the extreme categories, indicating a need for a meaningful simplification of the categories. The goodness-of-fit (R2) of the Random Forest models was found to be high, but it is spatially heterogeneous (ranged from 0.69 to 0.89, with a median value of 0.81), similarly to the variable importance. The proportion of semi-natural areas proved to be the most important condition variable. The proportion of maize and alfalfa were more important than parcel size. Our results show that condition maps based on pressure proxies can reflect patterns of biodiversity surprisingly well. They also highlight the spatial context dependence of the uncertainty of condition maps.

The Contribution of the Management of Landscape Features to Soil Organic Carbon Turnover among Farmlands

Background: Landscape features (LF—i.e., the natural and semi-natural areas in agricultural landscapes) positively contribute to soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration and storage among farmlands. LF-related SOC partitioning still needs context-specific investigation to properly address climate change mitigation goals. Not many studies address LF phytocoenoses traits relation with SOC partitioning. Our study investigates SOC partitioning (total organic carbon [TOC]; labile dissolved organic carbon [DOC]; stable recalcitrant organic carbon [ROC]) between arable fields (AGR) and semi-natural/natural components (NAT: herbaceous field margins, young/mature hedgerows, young/mature woods) in a temperate alluvial pedoclimatic context (Po Plain, Northwestern Italy). Methods: We compared topsoil SOC and its fractions (0–20 cm depth) between: AGR-NAT sites; hedgerows (HED)-AGR sites; and different ecological quality degrees (phytocoenoses were classified by Biological Territorial Capacity [BTC] values and Index of Vegetation Naturalness categories [IVN]--). Results: Our results confirmed a significantly different SOC partitioning behaviour between AGR and NAT sites (NAT: +79% TOC; +409% ROC); AGR sites were negatively correlated with ROC. TOC was a robust ROC predictor. HED had significantly higher TOC (+71%) and ROC (+395%) compared to arable fields, with the highest values in mature hedgerows. DOC showed contrasted behaviours. A linear regression model on BTC and IVN (predictors) and TOC and ROC showed significant positive relationships, especially for ROC. Conclusions: Our study confirmed the LF role in long-term SOC storage among farmlands, which should be coupled with AGR management (with prevalent short-term SOC fractions). LF ecological quality was a determining factor in total and long-term SOC. Proper LF management is pivotal to aligning climate change mitigation goals with other ecological benefits.

Urban Green Infrastructure Connectivity: The Role of Private Semi-Natural Areas

Green spaces and blue spaces in cities provide a wealth of benefits to the urban social–ecological system. Unfortunately, urban development fragments natural habitats, reducing connectivity and biodiversity. Urban green–blue infrastructure (UGI) networks can mitigate these effects by providing ecological corridors that enhance habitat connectivity. This study examined UGI connectivity for two indicator species in a rapidly developing city in the southern United States. We mapped and analyzed UGI at a high resolution (0.6 m) across the entire city, with a focus on semi-natural areas in private land and residential neighborhoods. Integrating graph theory and a gravity model, we assessed structural UGI networks and ranked them based on their ability to support functional connectivity. Most of the potential habitat corridors we mapped in this project traversed private lands, including 58% of the priority habitat for the Golden-cheeked Warbler and 69% of the priority habitat for the Rio Grande Wild Turkey. Riparian zones and other areas with dense tree cover were critical linkages in these habitat corridors. Our findings illustrate the important role that private semi-natural areas play in UGI, habitat connectivity, and essential ecosystem services.

Ungrazed seminatural habitats around farms benefit bird conservation without enhancing foodborne pathogen risks

ContextConservation in working landscapes is critical for halting biodiversity declines and ensuring farming system sustainability. However, concerns that wildlife may carry foodborne pathogens has created pressure on farmers to remove habitat and reduce biodiversity, undermining farmland conservation. Nonetheless, simplified farming landscapes may host bird communities that carry higher foodborne disease risks.ObjectivesWe analyzed the effects of local farming practices and surrounding landscapes on bird communities and food-safety risks across 30 California lettuce farms. Specifically, we sought to determine how farmland diversification affects bird diversity, fecal contamination, and foodborne pathogen incidences, thereby identifying potential tradeoffs between managing farms for bird conservation versus food safety.MethodsWe surveyed birds at 227 point-count locations, quantified fecal contamination along 120 transects, and assayed 601 bird feces for pathogenic E. coli, Campylobacter spp., and Salmonella spp. We then used hierarchical models to quantify effects of farm management and landscape context on bird communities and food-safety risks.ResultsSurrounding ungrazed seminatural areas were associated with higher bird diversity, more species of conservation concern, and fewer flocks that may increase risks from foodborne pathogens. In contrast, on-farm diversification practices and surrounding grazing lands offered weaker bird conservation benefits. Surrounding grazed lands were associated with more potentially pathogenic bird feces in crop fields.ConclusionsOur results suggest that habitat conservation around produce farms could support bird conservation without increasing foodborne pathogens, especially on farms further from grazing lands. Thus, interventions that diversify farming systems offer potential to simultaneously conserve biodiversity and provide safe food for human consumption.

Understanding Dynamics of Land Cover Changes Using GIS Technique in a River Catchment with High Altitude Differences – an Analysis from Kosovo

This article analyses Land Cover Changes in the Lumbardhi of Prizreni (LP) River catchment in southern Kosovo. As a landlocked country, Kosovo has highly diverse landform features. LP River catchment is located in Sharri's transboundary high mountain range and the southern part of Dukagjini Plain. In the last two decades, the landscape has experienced a transformation in land cover changes, especially in the increasing of artificial surfaces in the plains. Using GIS techniques, data were calculated for the selected years, and their dynamics were visualised for the last two decades. The analysis shows a decrease in agricultural land and complex cultivation patterns (-806 ha), an increase in artificial surface, especially discontinuous urban fabric (+354 ha), and small changes in forest and seminatural areas, which are primarily included in "Sharri" National Park.

Związek między wzorem krajobrazu a zakłóceniami powodowanymi przez człowieka w latach 1990-2018 w Portugalii kontynentalnej

The land use/land cover pattern of landscapes as the main element of the landscape structure has an important role in landscape management, nature conservation, and preservation, considering its ability to provide valuable information about the spatial distribution and changes in land cover that occur on the Earth's surface. On the other hand, human activities have caused significant impacts on ecosystems, resulting in a loss of biodiversity, increased risks of erosion and soil degradation, and wildfires. In the last few decades, the growing trend of occurrence of negative effects on land use/land cover has not contributed to the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs), considering that the relationship between humankind and the environment is an extremely fragile equilibrium. In recent decades, large-scale land use and land cover (LULC) patterns have shown stability, but there have been significant dynamics observed specifically in forest areas and agricultural land. Among these changes, the conversion of maritime pine to eucalyptus stands out as the most relevant transition in terms of forest and agroforestry use classes. This conversion is a result of economic incentives available, which have contributed to the gain in forested areas. This study intends to verify how the alteration of the landscape configuration, represented by different metrics of configuration and diversity, is related to the intensity of human disturbance. The objectives of the study are: (1) to quantify the change in land use/land cover (LULC) patterns and the degree of human disturbance in Mainland Portugal between 1990 and 2018, and (2) to study the relationship between LULC configuration and the impact resulting from human disturbance under different levels of intensity, to understand how changing trends in landscape pattern can serve as indicators to estimate landscape changes resulting from human actions. The Hemeroby index (HI) was calculated to quantify the impacts on ecosystems resulting from disturbance caused by human actions. Based on the Hemeroby index value analysis for the period between 1990 and 2018, the level of naturalness increased in 58% of the country, mainly in the south and east of Portugal. The landscape pattern was quantified using a set of metrics, namely Mean Patch Size (MPS), Mean Shape Index (MSI), Total Edge (TE), Mean Patch Fractal Dimension (MPFD), and Mean Perimeter-Area Ratio (MPAR). To identify the existing statistical correlations between the geometric parameters of the landscape and the HIs values, the Spearman method was used. At the landscape level, the metrics TE and MSI have a strong negative correlation with HI. This suggests that landscapes with greater structural complexity are good indicators of low levels of hemeroby. At the class level, edge density (ED) and mean patch size (MPS) showed a significant correlation with the Hemeroby index for seminatural areas (all metrics), artificial surfaces and forests (TE, MSI, and MPS), agricultural areas (TE, MPS, and MPFD), and Bare Ground (TE, MSI, and MPFD).

Creating territorialized sustainability indices to evaluate pollination

CONTEXTIdentifying sustainable practices and landscape features that enhance the abundance of organisms providing ecosystem services can be challenging due to a limited understanding of the link between these practices and ecosystem functioning. One approach to assessing system complexity is to incorporate reliable indices that are markers of an essential ecosystem regulation service such as insect pollination. OBJECTIVEConsolidate indicators of sustainable farming practices and landscape features into two indices that consider different spatial scales (regional and local) to categorize peri-urban farms within two gradients of territorialized environmental sustainability. These indices enable the assessment of agroecosystem sustainability for a particular ecosystem service (insect pollination), which is critical for many crops. METHODSThe regional-scale index utilized four indicators of composition and configuration that reflected the landscape's heterogeneity and its influence on key resources and bee movement. For these features, we used three land classes: semi-natural, farm, and extensive crops within a 3000-m radius circle from the centre of the farm. The local-scale index included eight indicators relating to the sustainability of farming practices derived from semi-structured interviews with the farmers. Additionally, we included an indicator based on the extent of semi-natural areas within a 100-m radius circle. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSBoth indices generated a synthesis to obtain two gradients (regional and local) of territorialized environmental sustainability for the farms. We validated these metrics through records of bee abundance on Cucurbita maxima flowers in each farm, as an indicator of the bee-pollination service. The variations of regional and local indices among and within the same farm (e.g., a high local-scale index and a low regional-scale index) emphasize the importance of considering both spatial contexts when evaluating ecosystem services. Both indices correlated with bee abundance, with the local-scale index exhibiting a positive stronger correlation than the regional (0.68 vs. 0.61 respectively). For farmers, making changes to farming practices at the local scale is more achievable than altering features at the regional scale, where government territorial planning and coordinated efforts among residents in the area are required. Consequently, enhancing a local-scale practice might be a more feasible way to increase farm sustainability. SIGNIFICANCEThe indices will enable a more straightforward comparison of sustainability among farms or within the same farm over time than analyzing each socio-environmental metric separately. Following the methodology proposed here, other indices for other essential ecosystem services in agroecosystems could be developed.

Human activities and increased anthropogenic emissions: A remote sensing study in Cyprus

BackgroundThe effects of human activity on the environment are widespread and widely known. Human activities on most continents can be generalized as shelters and food chains due to the basic requirements of human life. Most of these activities require Land-use Land-cover (LULC) transformations, and their effects can be seen as changes such as increases in the global Land Surface Temperature (LST) and air pollutant concentrations. The present research aims to use remote sensing to monitor LULC transformations in Cyprus. MethodThis research uses Sentinel-3 data, Python programming, geographical information systems, and remote sensing to develop a moving average research method for a case study of Cyprus. Importantly, this work eliminates all political and ethnic boundaries to produce a unified analysis. ResultBased on the research outcomes, the highest mean LST and sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter (with a diameter of 10 μm or less) emissions occur in the Limassol, Famagusta, Nicosia, and Larnaca districts. These emissions are mainly attributable to artificial surfaces, agricultural areas, and forested and semi-natural areas. These trends may relate to electric power plants, a cement factory, an airport, and intensified agricultural activities in the research area.

Soil organic carbon exchange due to the change in land use

This study analyses the decrease in soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks due to changes in land use following the earthquake in Düzce, Turkey, 1999. The primary objective of the study is to determine the changes in land use within Düzce and to provide a multi-dimensional approach to the spatial and quantitative distributions of SOC losses. Corine Land Use- Land Cover (LULC) within the study is used to determine the change in land use. The loss of LULC and carbon stocks were identified by means of LULC with transfer matrix method and GIS-based analysis. The study of land-use change caused by urbanisation and agricultural activity shows that the limited green spaces around the urban core created by degrading natural areas do not compensate for the loss of SOC. SOC stocks decline after the land use changes from agricultural regions to artificial areas (− 5%), Natural- Semi-natural (N-SN) regions to artificial areas (− 15%), N-SN areas to agricultural areas (− 20.9%) and agricultural areas to water bodies (− 9%), and SOC stocks increase after land use changes from artificial areas to N-SN areas (+ 29.6%), artificial areas to agricultural areas (+ 8%), agricultural areas to N-SN areas (+ 25%). However, in some agricultural areas, SOC stocks are similar to semi-natural and natural areas. For instance, in sparsely vegetated areas, SOC stocks from fruit and berry plantations may be poor. Although it is generally assumed that SOC loss can occur on land transformed from natural areas, this rule of thumb may be revised in some particular circumstances. Therefore, local ecological restoration decisions should not be based on land cover generalisations.

ADVENTIVE TREE AND SHRUB PLANT SPECIES WITH MEDICINAL PROPERTIES IN THE CHERNIHIV CITY’S GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

Purpose of the work was to identify introduced species of woody and shrubby plants with medicinal properties in the Chernihiv city’s green infrastructure and to characterize the medicinal properties of these plants, as well as to determine their role in providing ecosystem services and to assess the potential possibilities of harvesting them as medicinal raw materials. Methodology. The materials were collected during research of green infrastructure facilities of the Chernihiv city in 2022–2023 using geobotanical methods (Yakubenko et al., 2018). During field research, the degree of invasive activity of introduced trees and shrubs species was recorded. Degrees of invasiveness were measured according to Wagh and Jain (2018) with authors modificationand categorised into 4 different categories namely, recently introduced, possibly invasive, moderately invasive and highly invasive on the basis of their availability. Each category has been given a number (1 to 4) on the basis of the impact of the species in the study area, the higher the number the higher the invasive impact: recently introduced (1), possible invasive (2), moderately invasive (3) and highly invasive (4). In order to characterize the medicinal properties of plants, information sources of the last 20 years were analyzed. Scientific novelty. The composition of introduced medicinal trees and shrubs of the green infrastructure of the Chernihiv city was determined. Their role in the optimization of the network of natural, semi-natural and man-made areas of the green infrastructure of Chernihiv has been established. Medicinal plants are recommended for harvesting and use. Conclusions. One of the most compelling motivations to integrate adventive trees and shrubs with medicinal properties into the landscape the green infrastructure of the Chernihiv city is the ecosystem services they provide. Another advantage of using introduced trees and shrubs in the Chernihiv city’s green infrastructure landscapes of is economic. It is that most introduced trees and shrubs are resistant to pests and drought, so less water and fertilizers are needed to grow them. Adventive tree and shrub medicinal plants play a primary role in the restoration of man-made and semi-natural damaged areas, which are necessary to create a complete network of the urban green infrastructure. The spectrum of pharmacological properties of adventive trees and shrubs that grow in the Chernihiv city’s green infrastructure is quite diverse: from medicinal and cosmetological to antidiabetic and anticancer effects. However, the harvesting of a number of plants is limited by resources and the ecologically unfavorable environment of their habitats. Moderately invasive and highly invasive plants have significant resources and grow in an ecologically safe environment. The procurement of medicinal raw materials from these plants is to regulate their distribution in the natural objects of the Chernihiv city’s green infrastructure.

How much information is there in arthropod data about the landscape around sampling sites? Exploring a theory based on site-specificity of organisms

The importance of local versus landscape drivers of biodiversity is presently intensely discussed, which raises the question what information ecological sampling can provide about the relative importance of these factors and how the amount of information is distributed over different spatial scales. Here, we have tried to assess the amount of the information in sets of arthropod samples on four landscape characteristics, i.e., the percentage arable land, semi-natural area, urban area, and edge density, at spatial scales varying from 100 m to 3000 m around sample sites. A large, existing dataset of different studies from all over Europe was used for that. Random Forests were used for predicting the characteristic classes of the surrounding area. The accuracy of the predictions, calculated as the reversed Normalized Brier score, was used as measure of the amount of information. The results showed that, at least in Europe, the amount of information is different between edge density on the one hand, and arable land, semi-natural area, and urban area on the other hand. In case of edge density, the information decreased from 100 m to 250 m around the sample site, then increased to get a hump-shape between 250 and 3000 m, with the maximum amount at 1750 m. In case of the other three landscape characteristics, the information decreased from 100 m to 1000 m, and then stayed equal or slightly increased. These results could be explained by assuming that organisms present at a sample site are either site-specific, or non-site-specific. Site-specific organisms are thought to enable predictions of characteristics at the small scales, while non-site-specific organisms are thought to indicate characteristics of larger scales. The results implied that, for study designs, it is important to be aware of the type of processes that result in the presence of species at sample sites. For effective conservation measures for arthropods, the results showed that landscapes at a spatial scale of at least 9.6 km2 should be taken in consideration in Europe.

Relationship between Landscape Pattern and Human Disturbance in Serbia from 2000 to 2018

This study intends to verify how the alteration of the landscape configuration, represented by different metrics of configuration and diversity, is related to the intensity of human disturbance. The objectives of the study are: (1) to quantify the change in land use/land cover (LULC) patterns and the degree of human disturbance in Serbia between 2000 and 2018, and (2) to study the relationship between LULC configuration and the impact resulting from human disturbance under different levels of intensity, to understand how changing trends in landscape pattern can serve as indicators to estimate landscape changes resulting from human actions. The Hemeroby Index (HI) was calculated to quantify the impacts on ecosystems resulting from disturbance caused by human actions. Based on the analysis of the variation in the value corresponding to the HI for the period between 2000 and 2018, the level of naturalness increased by only 5% of the territory of Serbia, with this change being verified mainly in SE Serbia. The landscape pattern was quantified using a set of LULC metrics. We used the Spearman method to identify the existing statistical correlations between the geometric parameters of the landscape and the HIs values. At the landscape level, the Mean Shape Index, Edge Density, Mean Patch Fractal Dimension, and Shannon Diversity Index show a strong negative correlation with HI. This correlation suggests that landscapes with greater structural complexity are good indicators of low levels of hemeroby. At the class level, Edge Density and Mean Patch Size correlate significantly with the HI for artificial surfaces, agricultural areas, forests, and semi-natural areas.

Seminatural areas act as reservoirs of genetic diversity for crop pollinators and natural enemies across Europe

AbstractDespite increasing recognition of the importance of the multiple dimensions of biodiversity, including functional or genetic diversity as well as species diversity, most conservation studies on ecosystem service‐providing insects focus on simple diversity measures such as species richness and abundance. In contrast, relatively little is known about the genetic diversity and resilience of pollinators or natural enemies of crop pests to population fragmentation and local extinction. The genetic diversity and demographic dynamics of remnant populations of beneficial insects in agricultural areas can be a useful indicator proving additional insights into their conservation status, but this is rarely evaluated. Although gene flow between agricultural and seminatural areas is key to maintaining genetic diversity, its extent and directionality remain largely unexplored. Here, we apply a pan‐European sampling protocol to quantify genetic diversity and structure and assess gene flow between agricultural and nearby seminatural landscapes in populations of two key ecosystem service‐providing insect species, the lady beetle Coccinella septempunctata, an important predator of aphids and other crop pests, and the bee pollinator Andrena flavipes. We show that A. flavipes populations are genetically structured at the European level, whereas populations of C. septempunctata experience widespread gene flow across the continent and lack any defined genetic structure. In both species, we found that there is high genetic connectivity between populations established in croplands and nearby seminatural areas and, as a consequence, they harbor similar levels of genetic diversity. Interestingly, demographic models for some regions support asymmetric gene flow from seminatural areas to nearby agricultural landscapes. Collectively, our study demonstrates how seminatural areas can serve as genetic reservoirs of both pollinators and natural enemies for nearby agricultural landscapes, acting as sources for recurrent recolonization and, potentially, contributing to enhancing ecosystem service and crop production resilience in the longer term.