Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Szabolcs Lengyel, Mate Toth, Gabor Meszaros, Csaba P. Nagy, Edvard Mizsei, Marton Szabolcs, Bela Mester, Thomas O. Mero, Nagy Gergo
Summary: The decline of farmland bird populations since the 1980s has led to extensive research on farmland biodiversity conservation in Europe. However, surprisingly, there has been no direct focus on farmland birds in the landscape-scale restoration of grassland ecosystems on former croplands. Through a comparative study, it was found that grassland restoration positively influenced farmland bird species richness and diversity, while extensive cropland cultivation only increased species richness. Such findings suggest that landscape-scale grassland restoration can be an effective tool in reversing regional farmland bird declines and conserving farmland biodiversity.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Stephanie Roilo, Jan O. Engler, Tomas Vaclavik, Anna F. Cord
Summary: Agri-environment schemes, ecological focus areas, and organic farming are key tools in the common agricultural policy to address the decline of farmland biodiversity in Europe. The effectiveness of these measures varies at different spatial scales, with landscape-level management playing a crucial role. Higher adoption levels of these measures could significantly improve breeding habitat suitability for farmland bird species across the agricultural landscape.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Martin Salek, Karolina Kalinova, Renata Dankova, Stanislav Grill, Michal Zmihorski
Summary: This study compared farmland bird communities in Austria and the Czech Republic, finding significantly higher abundance and species richness of farmland birds in Austria compared to the Czech Republic, likely due to differences in agricultural systems and landscape structures.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Chen-Fa Wu, Yi-Ting Wu, Szu-Hung Chen, Luu Van Thong Trac
Summary: Farmland plays a crucial role in harboring biodiversity, particularly as habitats for birds. This study combines expert knowledge and empirical data to assess the suitability of farmland as bird habitats. By incorporating factors such as farmland fragmentation and landscape heterogeneity, a highly suitable habitat for birds accounting for 31.92% of farmlands was identified. Model validation using bird distribution records showed a high accuracy of 91.25%.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Brianne E. Brussee, Peter S. Coates, Shawn T. O'Neil, Michael L. Casazza, Shawn P. Espinosa, John D. Boone, Elisabeth M. Ammon, Scott C. Gardner, David J. Delehanty
Summary: Numerous wildlife species in semi-arid shrubland ecosystems in western North America are suffering from habitat loss and fragmentation. Greater sage-grouse, considered an indicator of ecosystem health, have experienced population decline due to habitat degradation.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jan Havlicek, Jan Riegert, Jaroslava Bandhauerova, Roman Fuchs, Martin Salek
Summary: This study examined the habitat preferences and population densities of three farmland bird species in urban environments, finding that house sparrows and Eurasian collared doves preferred buildings, while tree sparrows favored small-scale farms. Based on these findings, management measures can be implemented to support declining populations of these species in urban settings.
Article
Biology
Yen-Hua Huang, Hendrina Joel, Martina Kusters, Zoe R. Barandongo, Claudine C. Cloete, Axel Hartmann, Pauline L. Kamath, J. Werner Kilian, John K. E. Mfune, Gabriel Shatumbu, Royi Zidon, Wayne M. Getz, Wendy C. Turner
Summary: The study found that anthrax mortalities were higher in open habitats, and herbivores shifted habitat selection in response to changes in rainfall and vegetation productivity. Years with abundant rainfall supported larger anthrax outbreaks, while severe drought led to animals congregating in less preferred habitats.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Steffen Kaempfer, Franz Loeffler, Jonas Brueggeshemke, Thomas Fartmann
Summary: Traditionally managed habitats have declined in Europe due to agricultural industrialisation, threatening farmland specialists. However, Christmas tree plantations may serve as important refuges in human-modified landscapes for declining farmland birds. The study found that all four declining bird species favored young Christmas tree plantations for territory establishment, which provide suitable breeding conditions. Older plantations were also important, especially for Common linnet and Yellowhammer. The value of Christmas tree plantations lies in the coexistence of open habitats and less intensively managed stands, which provide foraging sites. Measures should be taken to promote habitat quality and reduce herbicide use in the plantations.
ANNALS OF APPLIED BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Munehiro Kitazawa, Yuichi Yamaura, Kazuhiro Kawamura, Masayuki Senzaki, Satoshi Yamanaka, Masashi Hanioka, Futoshi Nakamura
Summary: The study shows that abandoned farmland plays an important role as habitat for grassland and forest species at large scales, providing a valuable alternative habitat for species whose primary habitats have been lost to agricultural expansion. Adopting a functional group approach can contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the habitat suitability of abandoned farmland and help establish appropriate conservation strategies.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Xiaoyu Chen, Xiaorong Wang, Junqing Li, Dongwei Kang
Summary: The study evaluated the habitat suitability of giant pandas in Wanglang Nature Reserve, finding that only 16.33% of the area was suitable for giant pandas, with extensive overlap between the suitable habitats of livestock and takin having a significant impact on pandas.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Chen-Fa Wu, Jung-Hua Lai, Szu-Hung Chen, Luu Van Thong Trac
Summary: Human disturbance has altered the ecosystem and affected wildlife habitat availability, while environmental changes have influenced the migratory behavior of birds. The Black-winged Kites in Taiwan have shifted from migratory to resident since 2001, but the factors impacting their dispersal population and suitable habitat in Taiwan remain poorly understood.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hui Wei, Changhe Lu
Summary: Farmland is a crucial resource for maintaining regional food security and social stability. This study focused on analyzing the changes in farmland in Tibet, a region with limited agricultural land. Using high-resolution satellite images, the study found that farmland in the Three River Region decreased by 8.85% from 2000 to 2018, primarily due to economic development, agricultural progress, urbanization, and population growth. The loss of farmland mainly occurred in urban areas and their surrounding counties, resulting in a decrease in grain production.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Etienne Lalechere, Laurent Berges
Summary: Using an innovative modeling framework that combines species distribution and connectivity models with climate and land use changes, this study predicted the effects of climate changes on the amount of reachable habitat for forest birds and analyzed the roles of direct and indirect effects.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Anna C. Nisi, John F. Benson, Christopher C. Wilmers
Summary: Animals' fear of people is a common phenomenon and can sometimes reduce the risk of being killed by humans, promoting coexistence in human-dominated environments. However, humans can be unpredictable predators, and the cues that animals perceive may not accurately indicate the risk of mortality. This can lead to ineffective fear responses by animals and even increase the risk of human-induced mortality.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Javier Rivas-Salvador, Martin Strobl, Tomas Kadlec, Pavel Saska, Jiri Reif
Summary: Agricultural intensification poses a serious threat to European biodiversity, and improving farmland habitat suitability is crucial for mitigating this threat. The invasive black locust negatively impacts bird species richness in mid-field woodlots in Central European farmland, particularly affecting habitat specialists and habitat generalists.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Bruktawit A. Mahamued, Paul F. Donald, Nigel J. Collar, Stuart J. Marsden, Paul Kariuki Ndang'ang'a, Mengistu Wondafrash, Yilma Dellelegn Abebe, James Bennett, Simon R. Wotton, Daniel Gornall, Huw Lloyd
Summary: The Liben Lark, classified as 'Critically Endangered' by the IUCN, is facing a drastic decline in population due to grassland degradation and conversion to farmland in the Liben Plain of southern Ethiopia. Urgent actions are needed to improve grassland management and restore the grassland ecosystem to prevent the extinction of the species.
BIRD CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Ke Chen, David Kleijn, Jeroen Scheper, Thijs P. M. Fijen
Summary: The management of ecosystem services can reduce the dependence of modern agriculture on external inputs and increase the sustainability of agricultural production. In this study, it was found that AMF inoculation significantly increased raspberry yield by enhancing flower and fruit number per plant, as well as single berry weight. Additionally, the combined benefits of insect pollination and AMF inoculation resulted in a 135% higher yield than that of fertilizer-only treatments, indicating a potential additive or synergistic effect of ecosystem services on crop yield.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Maria Lumbierres, Prabhat Raj Dahal, Moreno Di Marco, Stuart H. M. Butchart, Paul F. Donald, Carlo Rondinini
Summary: A data-driven method was developed to translate IUCN habitat classes to land cover for a wide range of terrestrial mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. The model showed comparable performance with an expert knowledge-based translation table, but provided greater standardization, objectivity, and repeatability. The study quantified the associations between different habitats and land-cover classes and allowed users to choose a threshold for mapping Area of Habitat (AOH) based on the balance between omission and commission errors.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Alfonso Allen-Perkins, Ainhoa Magrach, Matteo Dainese, Lucas A. Garibaldi, David Kleijn, Romina Rader, James R. Reilly, Rachael Winfree, Ola Lundin, Carley M. McGrady, Claire Brittain, David J. Biddinger, Derek R. Artz, Elizabeth Elle, George Hoffman, James D. Ellis, Jaret Daniels, Jason Gibbs, Joshua W. Campbell, Julia Brokaw, Julianna K. Wilson, Keith Mason, Kimiora L. Ward, Knute B. Gundersen, Kyle Bobiwash, Larry Gut, Logan M. Rowe, Natalie K. Boyle, Neal M. Williams, Neelendra K. Joshi, Nikki Rothwell, Robert L. Gillespie, Rufus Isaacs, Shelby J. Fleischer, Stephen S. Peterson, Sujaya Rao, Theresa L. Pitts-Singer, Thijs Fijen, Virginie Boreux, Maj Rundlof, Blandina Felipe Viana, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Henrik G. Smith, Riccardo Bommarco, Luisa G. Carvalheiro, Taylor H. Ricketts, Jaboury Ghazoul, Smitha Krishnan, Faye E. Benjamin, Joao Loureiro, Silvia Castro, Nigel E. Raine, Gerard Arjen de Groot, Finbarr G. Horgan, Juliana Hipolito, Guy Smagghe, Ivan Meeus, Maxime Eeraerts, Simon G. Potts, Claire Kremen, Daniel Garcia, Marcos Minarro, David W. Crowder, Gideon Pisanty, Yael Mandelik, Nicolas J. Vereecken, Nicolas Leclercq, Timothy Weekers, Sandra A. M. Lindstrom, Dara A. Stanley, Carlos Zaragoza-Trello, Charlie C. Nicholson, Jeroen Scheper, Carlos Rad, Evan A. N. Marks, Lucie Mota, Bryan Danforth, Mia Park, Antonio Diego M. Bezerra, Breno M. Freitas, Rachel E. Mallinger, Fabiana Oliveira da Silva, Bryony Willcox, Davi L. Ramos, Felipe D. da Silva e Silva, Amparo Lazaro, David Alomar, Miguel A. Gonzalez-Estevez, Hisatomo Taki, Daniel P. Cariveau, Michael P. D. Garratt, Diego N. Nabaes Jodar, Rebecca I. A. Stewart, Daniel Ariza, Matti Pisman, Elinor M. Lichtenberg, Christof Schueepp, Felix Herzog, Martin H. Entling, Yoko L. Dupont, Charles D. Michener, Gretchen C. Daily, Paul R. Ehrlich, Katherine L. W. Burns, Montserrat Vila, Andrew Robson, Brad Howlett, Leah Blechschmidt, Frank Jauker, Franziska Schwarzbach, Maike Nesper, Tim Diekoetter, Volkmar Wolters, Helena Castro, Hugo Gaspar, Brian A. Nault, Isabelle Badenhausser, Jessica D. Petersen, Teja Tscharntke, Vincent Bretagnolle, D. Susan Willis Chan, Natacha Chacoff, Georg K. S. Andersson, Shalene Jha, Jonathan F. Colville, Ruan Veldtman, Jeferson Coutinho, Felix J. J. A. Bianchi, Louis Sutter, Matthias Albrecht, Philippe Jeanneret, Yi Zou, Anne L. Averill, Agustin Saez, Amber R. Sciligo, Carlos H. Vergara, Elias H. Bloom, Elisabeth Oeller, Ernesto I. Badano, Gregory M. Loeb, Heather Grab, Johan Ekroos, Vesna Gagic, Saul A. Cunningham, Jens Astrom, Pablo Cavigliasso, Alejandro Trillo, Alice Classen, Alice L. Mauchline, Ana Montero-Castano, Andrew Wilby, Ben A. Woodcock, C. Sheena Sidhu, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter, Ioannis N. Vogiatzakis, Jose M. Herrera, Mark Otieno, Mary W. Gikungu, Sarah J. Cusser, Thomas Nauss, Lovisa Nilsson, Jessica Knapp, Jorge J. Ortega-Marcos, Jose A. Gonzalez, Juliet L. Osborne, Rosalind Blanche, Rosalind F. Shaw, Violeta Hevia, Jane Stout, Anthony D. Arthur, Betina Blochtein, Hajnalka Szentgyorgyi, Jin Li, Margaret M. Mayfield, Michal Woyciechowski, Patricia Nunes-Silva, Rosana Halinski de Oliveira, Steve Henry, Benno I. Simmons, Bo Dalsgaard, Katrine Hansen, Tuanjit Sritongchuay, Alison D. O'Reilly, Fermin Jose Chamorro Garcia, Guiomar Nates Parra, Camila Magalhaes Pigozo, Ignasi Bartomeus
Summary: This article introduces CropPol, a dynamic, open, and global database on crop pollination. The database contains records from 202 crop studies, covering 47,752 insect records from 48 commercial crops worldwide. This is the most comprehensive open global dataset on measurements of crop flower visitors, crop pollinators, and pollination to date.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Thomas K. Lameris, Pavel S. Tomkovich, James A. Johnson, R. I. Guy Morrison, Ingrid Tulp, Simeon Lisovski, Lucas DeCicco, Maksim Dementyev, Robert E. Gill, Job ten Horn, Theunis Piersma, Zachary Pohlen, Hans Schekkerman, Mikhail Soloviev, Evgeny E. Syroechkovsky, Mikhail K. Zhemchuzhnikov, Jan A. van Gils
Summary: In seasonal environments, organisms at lower trophic levels tend to show stronger phenological changes compared to those at higher trophic levels, potentially leading to mismatches between consumers and their prey. A study on Arctic-breeding shorebirds revealed that temperature can influence chick growth rate and compensate for trophic mismatches, with varying effects across different populations. The findings suggest vulnerability of these shorebirds to trophic mismatches, dependent on seasonal prey dynamics.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Carlos Martinez-Nunez, David Kleijn, Cristina Ganuza, Dennis Heupink, Ivo Raemakers, Winfried Vertommen, Thijs P. M. Fijen
Summary: Increasing crop diversity alone does not contribute to maintaining diverse wild pollinator communities in agricultural landscapes. Instead, temporal and spatial heterogeneity in semi-natural habitats play a key role in sustaining rich pollinator communities.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Thijs P. M. Fijen, Samantha F. J. Read, Melanie K. Walker, Megan Gee, Warrick R. Nelson, Brad G. Howlett
Summary: Landscape simplification in agricultural fields negatively affects pollinator diversity and crop pollination services. However, farmers can benefit by enhancing landscape features containing diverse plant species that support both non-bee and bee species proven to deliver measurable crop pollination services.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ke Chen, Jeroen Scheper, Thijs P. M. Fijen, David Kleijn, Sergio Saia
Summary: Ecological intensification aims to boost sustainable agricultural yield by utilizing ecosystem services. This study investigated the interactive effects of soil organic matter (SOM) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on raspberry production. The results showed that fertilizer inputs significantly increased raspberry yield, while SOM content and AMF inoculation had no significant effect on yield. Fruit set and single berry weight were influenced by both SOM content and AMF inoculation, with complex interactions with fertilizer application.
Article
Ecology
Thijs P. M. Fijen, Vincent van Bodegraven, Fieke Lucassen
Summary: An increasing number of farmland initiatives aim to protect biodiversity through alternative farming practices, but there is often a trade-off between biodiversity conservation and crop yield. A study on buckwheat fields found that the pollinator community was diverse, with honeybees being dominant. There was no clear evidence of resource competition between honeybees and wild pollinators, and crop yield depended on pollinator density, particularly honeybee density.
BASIC AND APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Thomas K. Lameris, Olga B. Pokrovskaya, Alexander Kondratyev, Yuriy A. Anisimov, Nelleke H. Buitendijk, Petr M. Glazov, Henk P. van der Jeugd, Christian Kampichler, Helmut Kruckenberg, Konstantin E. Litvin, Julia A. Loshchagina, Sander Moonen, Gerard J. D. Muskens, Bart A. Nolet, Kees H. T. Schreven, Henk Sierdsema, Elmira M. Zaynagutdinova, Michiel P. Boom
Summary: Since 1980, the population of barnacle geese in Russia has been rapidly increasing and expanding their breeding range. However, there is a lack of observations from their traditional breeding grounds on Novaya Zemlya, which is remote and difficult to access. This is important given the potential impact of climate warming on the local distribution and population size.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Gabriella A. Bishop, Thijs P. M. Fijen, Brooke N. Desposato, Jeroen Scheper, David Kleijn
Summary: Agricultural intensification has led to a decline in insect biodiversity and threatens ecosystem services. Agri-environment schemes (AESs) aim to conserve biodiversity on farmland and increase sustainability. This study examined the factors influencing the effectiveness of AESs in commercial apple orchards in terms of arthropod biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service provision.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Thijs P. M. Fijen, Anne Roovers, Jurrien van Deijk, Roy H. A. van Grunsven
Summary: This study found that there was no significant difference in the contribution of nocturnal and diurnal pollination to strawberry yield in terms of fruit quantity and total weight. However, when plants produced many fruits, night-pollinated and open-pollinated plants increased the total fruit weight per plant. Overall, nocturnal pollination was equally important and complementary to diurnal pollination in determining strawberry fruit quality.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Michiel P. Boom, Kees H. T. Schreven, Nelleke H. Buitendijk, Sander Moonen, Bart A. Nolet, Gotz Eichhorn, Henk P. van der Jeugd, Thomas K. Lameris
Summary: Intermittent breeding is a tactic used by long-lived species to balance survival and reproduction. A study of barnacle geese found that breeding propensity and nesting success were influenced by breeding latitude and timing of arrival on the breeding grounds, with spring onset being a better predictor than arrival timing.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Per Alstroem, Zeinolabedin Mohammadi, Paul F. Donald, Marianne Nymark, Erik D. Enbody, Martin Irestedt, Emmanuel Barde Elisha, Henry K. Ndithia, B. Irene Tieleman, Derek Engelbrecht, Urban Olsson, Lois Rancilhac, Martin Stervander
Summary: Comprehensive taxonomic analysis of the rufous-naped lark complex in sub-Saharan Africa reveals the need for reclassification, proposing the recognition of nine species instead of five.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Tejas Bhagwat, Tobias Kuemmerle, Mahmood Soofi, Paul F. Donald, Norbert Hoelzel, Albert Salemgareev, Ingrid Stirnemann, Ruslan Urazaliyev, Matthias Baumann, Johannes Kamp
Summary: The increase in fire disturbance in post-Soviet Eurasian steppe has resulted in significant declines in bird abundance and changes in community assembly. Restoring wild herbivore populations and traditional domestic ungulate grazing systems are crucial for controlling wildfires and preventing further biodiversity loss.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)