Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Saeid Moushani, Hossein Kazemi, Hermann Klug, Mohammad Esmaeil Asadi, Afshin Soltani
Summary: This study evaluates ecosystem services in 48 Iranian soybean fields under conventional and conservation cropping systems, finding that conservation cropping systems generally outperform conventional cropping systems in providing ecosystem services.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Laurel Trevino Murphy, Shelly Engelman, John L. Neff, Shalene Jha
Summary: This study introduces a public engagement program developed to meet the growing demand for knowledge about native bees in Texas, offering basic information and conservation guidelines based on science. Evaluation results of the outreach course show that it positively impacted participants in increasing their knowledge of native bee ecology and conservation.
Review
Ecology
Michael David Pashkevich, Francisco d'Albertas, Anak Agung Ketut Aryawan, Damayanti Buchori, Jean-Pierre Caliman, Adrian David Gonzalez Chaves, Purnama Hidayat, Holger Kreft, Mohammad Naim, Appolinaire Razafimahatratra, Edgar Clive Turner, Delphine Clara Zemp, Sarah Helen Luke
Summary: Well-designed approaches to ecological restoration can bring benefits to both nature and society in tropical agroecosystems. To achieve successful restoration and maximize benefits, it is important to consider the stakeholders involved, as well as the content, location, and methods of restoration. Drawing from collective experience and case studies, we propose nine actions to guide future restoration efforts, while highlighting the consequences of poorly designed restoration. We advocate for increased restoration activities in tropical agroecosystems during the current UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Review
Agronomy
Guaraci D. Cordeiro, Rodolfo Liporoni, Carolina A. Caetano, Cristiane Krug, Carlos A. Martinez-Martinez, Herbeson O. J. Martins, Renan K. O. A. Cardoso, Fernanda F. Araujo, Priscila C. S. Araujo, Reisla Oliveira, Clemens Schlindwein, Eric J. Warrant, Stefan Doetterl, Isabel Alves-dos-Santos
Summary: Nocturnal bees, although poorly studied, show unique biological traits and adaptations for pollination, being effective pollinators of various crops such as citrus fruits in South America and pumpkins in North America.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Nicolas J. Vereecken, Timothy Weekers, Nicolas Leclercq, Stephane De Greef, Helene Hainaut, Jean-Marc Molenberg, Youri Martin, Xavier Janssens, Gregoire Noel, Alain Pauly, Stuart P. M. Roberts, Leon Marshall
Summary: Recent studies have highlighted significant declines in aerial insect populations, but measuring insect biomass may not fully capture the intricacies of changes in insect community structure. However, phylogenetic diversity metrics show consistent patterns across habitats and could serve as a proxy for measuring PD in wild bees.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Eric G. Middleton, Ian V. MacRae
Summary: Wildflower plantings in agroecosystems can attract predators that prey on Colorado potato beetle (CPB), but these benefits do not extend into nearby potato crops. The presence of flowers did not significantly increase the predation rate of CPB egg masses in field margins. Additionally, floral margins may provide improved overwintering opportunities for CPB.
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Chika Egawa, Teru Yuta, Asuka Koyama
Summary: The invasion of alien plants due to urbanisation has increased rapidly worldwide. Some of these plants have large flowers and long flowering periods, potentially benefiting wild pollinating insects by increasing nectar sugar and pollen availability. However, although these resource-rich alien plants make a significant contribution to floral resource supply, they are not the main food source for pollinating insects. Maintaining floral resource diversity, including native plants, is still necessary in suburban ecosystems to satisfy insect demand.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Matthias Albrecht, Arthur Knecht, Matthias Riesen, Theres Rutz, Dominik Ganser
Summary: Wildflower strips are commonly used in agroecosystems to promote pollinators and natural enemies, but their effectiveness in enhancing insect diversity declines over time, suggesting the need for regular re-sowing to maintain floral resources for effective pollinator conservation and pest control services.
BASIC AND APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Benjamin M. Marshall, Colin T. Strine, Caroline S. Fukushima, Pedro Cardoso, Michael C. Orr, Alice C. Hughes
Summary: Trade in arachnids involves millions of individuals, with over 70% coming from the wild. While the impacts of trade in some species are well-known, others, such as invertebrates, are often overlooked. Better data and conservation status assessments are needed for sustainable trade.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Nolan J. Rappa, Michael Staab, Laura -Sophia Ruppert, Julian Frey, Jurgen Bauhus, Alexandra-Maria Klein
Summary: Retention forestry enhances biodiversity by promoting certain forest structural elements, but its effectiveness in enhancing the biodiversity of bees and wasps and the relationship to habitat-based classifications are not yet fully understood.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vitor Hirata Sanches, Cristina Adams, Fernando Fagundes Ferreira
Summary: Agricultural diversity is crucial for environmental and cultural reasons, but its loss is currently a major concern. Understanding how diversity is managed and sustained is essential for addressing this issue. This study proposes a comprehensive model that incorporates biological, cultural, and social dynamics to explore the emergence and maintenance of diversity.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jamal Momeni, Melanie Parejo, Rasmus O. Nielsen, Jorge Langa, Iratxe Montes, Laetitia Papoutsis, Leila Farajzadeh, Christian Bendixen, Eliza Cauia, Jean-Daniel Charriere, Mary F. Coffey, Cecilia Costa, Raffaele Dall'Olio, Pilar De la Rua, M. Maja Drazic, Janja Filipi, Thomas Galea, Miroljub Golubovski, Ales Gregorc, Karina Grigoryan, Fani Hatjina, Rustem Ilyasov, Evgeniya Ivanova, Irakli Janashia, Irfan Kandemir, Aikaterini Karatasou, Meral Kekecoglu, Nikola Kezic, Eniko Sz. Matray, David Mifsud, Rudolf Moosbeckhofer, Alexei G. Nikolenko, Alexandros Papachristoforou, Plamen Petrov, M. Alice Pinto, Aleksandr V. Poskryakov, Aglyam Y. Sharipov, Adrian Siceanu, M. Ihsan Soysal, Aleksandar Uzunov, Marion Zammit-Mangion, Rikke Vingborg, Maria Bouga, Per Kryger, Marina D. Meixner, Andone Estonba
Summary: The study utilized worker bee data from 22 populations in Europe to select informative SNPs for ancestry inference through two highly discriminative methods. This led to the development of an accurate predictive tool for determining the ancestry of European honey bees.
Article
Entomology
Claus Rasmussen, Markus Arne Kjaer Sydenham, Hans Thomsen Schmidt, Henning Bang Madsen
Summary: Bees are important pollinators, but their communities have changed over the past century. A study in Denmark found that bees with a narrow food plant range and long-tongued bumblebees are less likely to occur in the study area. Pollen collected a century ago showed that the decline is likely due to changes in land use and reduction in available food plants. This information is crucial for mitigating pollinator decline.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Da-Yeong Lee, Dae-Seong Lee, Soon-Jin Hwang, Kyung-Lak Lee, Young-Seuk Park
Summary: The study assessed the distribution patterns and environmental characteristics of plecopteran assemblages in South Korean streams. The results showed that plecopteran species were diverse and abundant, preferring cold and undisturbed running water on rocky substrates near mountain forests. However, their habitat preferences varied depending on the species, with different sensitivities and responses to temperature and hydrological flow conditions. The majority of plecopteran species in South Korea are vulnerable and endangered.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Eric G. Middleton, Ian MacRae, Christopher R. Philips
Summary: Pollinators and insect predators are declining due to commercial agricultural land use. Planting wildflowers in unused margins can help conserve them. Wildflower plantings attract more pollinators and predators, but do not increase their numbers in adjacent crops.
Article
Agronomy
Juan A. Sanchez, Elena Lopez-Gallego, Michelangelo La-Spina
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Entomology
Juan Antonio Sanchez, E. Lopez-Gallego, M. Perez-Marcos, L. Perera-Fernandez
Summary: The study showed that a longer pre-plant release period and the use of Ballota hirsuta as banker plants can enhance the establishment and population dynamics of Macrolophus pygmaeus in greenhouses. This leads to better pest control in tomato crops.
JOURNAL OF PEST SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Violeta Hevia, Marina Garcia-Llorente, Rodrigo Martinez-Sastre, Sara Palomo, Daniel Garcia, Marcos Minarro, Maria Perez-Marcos, Juan Antonio Sanchez, Jose A. Gonzalez
Summary: A survey in Spain showed that the majority of farmers recognize the importance of pollinator insects for crop production, but have only moderate knowledge about pollinators. Commonly applied practices to promote pollinators include reducing insecticide spraying, diversifying crops, and increasing fallow fields. Factors such as education, age, concern about the pollinator crisis, and professional dedication strongly influence farmers' knowledge and current application of pollinator-friendly practices.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Juan Antonio Sanchez, Aline Carrasco-Ortiz, Elena Lopez-Gallego, Maria Jose Ramirez-Soria, Michelangelo La Spina
Summary: The study demonstrated the importance of ants in controlling psyllids and reducing fruit damage. Reduction in spraying frequency and the use of low toxic insecticides for natural enemies are proposed as the most sustainable strategy for psyllid control in pear orchards.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Juan A. Sanchez, Aline Carrasco-Ortiz, Elena Lopez-Gallego, Maria J. Ramirez-Soria, Michelangelo La Spina, Maria C. Ortin-Angulo, Helena Ibanez-Martinez
Summary: The study establishes the Economic Injury Level (EIL) and Economic Threshold (ET) for optimizing insecticide use in controlling Cacopsylla pyri L. in pear orchards. The impact of spray intensity and ant exclusion on psyllid abundance and yield was significant, with yield negatively correlated to psyllid numbers. The use of low-toxicity products is expected to increase ET and reduce spraying intensity to conserve ant populations.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Concepcion Marcos, David Diaz, Katharina Fietz, Aitor Forcada, Amanda Ford, Jose Antonio Garcia-Charton, Raquel Goni, Philippe Lenfant, Sandra Mallol, David Mouillot, Maria Perez-Marcos, Oscar Puebla, Stephanie Manel, Angel Perez-Ruzafa
Summary: Marine protected areas (MPAs) serve as crucial environmental management tools to protect marine biodiversity and resources, while also providing ecosystem services and beneficial outcomes for humans. However, there can be confusion in distinguishing between ecosystem services and societal benefits, with the former being the inherent abilities of ecosystems and the latter being the economic or other gains obtained by humans.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Luis de Pedro, Elena Lopez-Gallego, Maria Perez-Marcos, Maria Jose Ramirez-Soria, Juan Antonio Sanchez
Summary: The study found that natural biological control agents in melon fields managed without pesticides could effectively limit pest infestations, highlighting the importance of conserving these natural enemies for sustainable melon production.
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
(2021)
Article
Entomology
J. A. Sanchez, M. del Pino, F. J. Calvo
Summary: This study investigated the effect of using calabash as a companion plant on the population dynamics and whitefly control efficacy of Dicyphus argensis in tomato greenhouses. The results showed that calabash harbored high populations of D. argensis, but its abundance on tomato plants was significantly lower than that of N. tenuis. D. argensis reduced the whitefly density on tomato plants, but the presence of companion plants increased the whitefly density. Calabash served as a host for whitefly multiplication and increased the pest density on tomato.
JOURNAL OF PEST SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Maria Perez-Marcos, Ma Dolores Garcia, Elena Lopez-Gallego, Ma Jose Ramirez-Soria, Ma Isabel Arnaldos
Summary: This study investigated the life cycle of H. capensis and provided data on the duration of its developmental stages and biometric characteristics of adults. The findings will assist forensic entomologists in making more accurate minPMI estimations in cases where H. capensis is present.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
M. Perez-Marcos, F. J. Ortiz-Sanchez, H. Ibanez, A. Carrasco, J. A. Sanchez
Summary: In this study, the effects of three different types of floral margins (managed herbaceous, managed shrubby, and unmanaged herbaceous) on the abundance and diversity of bees were tested and compared. The results showed that the managed margins had significantly higher bee abundance and diversity than the unmanaged margins, emphasizing the importance of floral margins management for the restoration and conservation of bee communities.
JOURNAL FOR NATURE CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Maria Perez-Marcos, Francisco Javier Ortiz-Sanchez, Elena Lopez-Gallego, Helena Ibanez, Aline Carrasco, Juan Antonio Sanchez
Summary: Improving floral margins around melon crops positively affects the abundance and richness of pollinating insects, especially in the second year after establishment. Among the three types of margins tested, managed shrubby margins have the greatest impact on pollinator populations. However, the type of margin does not affect the yield of melon crops.
