Article
Ecology
Thomas Perrot, Adrien Rusch, Camille Coux, Sabrina Gaba, Vincent Bretagnolle
Summary: Increasing the proportion of grasslands in farmland can enhance seed and aphid predation rates, while the distance to the nearest grassland has no significant effect. Additionally, forest fragments and the proportion of organic farming can also impact the predation rates in cereal fields. Maintaining key semi-natural habitats is crucial for natural pest control and supporting food production in agricultural landscapes.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Mathias M. Pires, Mauro Galetti
Summary: Human activities have caused changes in the abundance and distribution of animals, resulting in altered and less diverse ecosystems. These changes have led to the emergence of three main defaunation syndromes: herbivore-dominated, seed predator-dominated, and mesopredator-dominated systems, depending on the prevalence of different human drivers. The extirpation of top predators promotes herbivore-dominated assemblages, while habitat loss and overhunting lead to the dominance of smaller-bodied seed predators and mesopredators. In fragmented landscapes without top predators, mesopredator-dominated systems emerge with support from agricultural subsidies. The prevalence of one guild over others has significant impacts on ecological processes, ecosystem services, and human health, making it a dominant scenario in the Anthropocene.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Irene Gomez-de la Cruz, Belen Chavez-Ramirez, Carlos Hugo Avendano-Arrazate, Yolanda Elizabeth Morales-Garcia, Jesus Munoz-Rojas, Paulina Estrada-de los Santos
Summary: Cacao production in Mexico is threatened by pathogenic fungi, causing black pod rot and moniliasis. A study tested the biocontrol agent Paenibacillus sp. NMA1017 in cacao fields against these diseases. The results showed that the incidence of black pod rot and moniliasis decreased significantly when the bacterium was applied. The use of Paenibacillus sp. NMA1017 with integrated management could be a solution for sustainable cacao production in Mexico.
Article
Agronomy
Pietro Della Sala, Christian Cilas, Teresa E. Gimeno, Steven Wohl, Stephen Yaw Opoku, Alina Gainusa-Bogdan, Fabienne Ribeyre
Summary: In West Africa, Harmattan-induced atmospheric and soil droughts pose recurring hazards for cacao cultivation. The study in Ghana's Eastern region during one Harmattan season found that atmospheric drought caused a similar decline in Leaf Area Index (LAI) as soil water stress, indicating the importance of both types of drought on cacao trees. However, atmospheric and soil water stresses did not have a synergistic effect on transpiration, and the interactive effect of both types of drought influenced sap velocity. This suggests that not only reduced precipitation but also increasing atmospheric drought may negatively impact cacao production in West Africa under the influence of the Harmattan winds.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
L. Schiesari, V. Saito, J. Ferreira, L. S. Freitas, A. J. Goebbels, J. P. C. B. Leite, J. C. Oliveira, R. M. Pelinson, B. B. Querido, J. Carmo, E. L. G. Espindola, N. C. Guedes-Munin, C. Montagner, R. Rossetto, R. Taniwaki, L. A. Martinelli
Summary: Sustainable intensification requires the combination of precision farming and ecological principles in crop fields. Small wetlands, with their high rates of element cycling and species richness, can contribute to this goal by penetrating crop fields. However, if land management intensification promotes ecosystem destabilization, wetlands may not be able to provide effective ecosystem services.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Alberto J. Nunez-Selles, Alejandro J. Abril-Gonzalez, Marlen Ramil-Mesa
Summary: PROMANCOA modular technology focuses on utilizing agricultural biowaste from mango and cocoa cultivars to produce bioactive green extracts and ingredients for various products. Additionally, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural biowastes is a significant contribution to environmental protection.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Frederic Baudron, Bram Govaerts, Nele Verhulst, Andrew McDonald, Bruno Gerard
Summary: Increased agricultural production is a major driver of the current biodiversity crisis, with 'land sparing' and 'land sharing' being advocated as contrasting approaches to address the issue. However, these approaches have been mainly driven by conservation ecologists and often overlook important issues related to farming.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Alexandra C. Avrin, Charles E. Pekins, Christopher C. Wilmers, Jinelle H. Sperry, Maximilian L. Allen
Summary: As keystone species, apex predators like pumas play a crucial role in shaping ecosystems, but they are highly threatened and have been eradicated from many areas. This study investigated whether mesocarnivores like coyotes can fulfill the same role as apex predators. The findings suggest that while coyotes partially fill the functional role of apex predators, their effects are weaker compared to pumas. The study highlights the importance of conserving true apex predators in maintaining ecosystem health.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Fredric M. Windsor, Julia Tavella, Debora C. Rother, Rafael L. G. Raimundo, Mariano Devoto, Paulo R. Guimaraes Jr, Darren M. Evans
Summary: Managing agricultural environments in a way that maximizes the provision of multiple ecosystem services is a significant challenge. Advances in network ecology offer a way forward by identifying plant species mixes that maximize species richness.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Deyatima Ghosh, Parthiba Basu
Summary: Agricultural intensification is a major driver of biodiversity loss, but the exact impacts on ecosystem service provision in agriculture require further investigation. In this study, the population loss impacts of a key ecosystem service-providing frog species in an agricultural landscape were assessed. The findings revealed that neither high nor low frog density had a significant effect on pest populations. The limited feeding rate of the frogs might contribute to reduced predation pressure on pests. Unexpectedly, at low density, frogs significantly reduced the population of arthropod natural enemies, suggesting a preference for this agile prey. However, at high frog density, increased intraspecific competition led to the frogs seeking out pests as alternative prey. This study provides the first link between frog population loss and ecosystem service provision in a multi-trophic system.
PERSPECTIVES IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Christina Fischer, Friederike Riesch, Teja Tscharntke, Peter Batary
Summary: Study focused on the importance of large carabids in removing weed seeds in organic fields within large-scale agricultural landscapes, considering both local and landscape-scale effects. Results showed that local intensity of management, crop characteristics, edge effects, and landscape composition and configuration all influenced the activity density of large carabids and consequently weed seed removal.
Article
Ecology
Noemie Ostandie, Lucile Muneret, Brice Giffard, Denis Thiery, Adrien Rusch
Summary: The study shows that in vineyard landscapes, the shape of biomass distribution in predator communities affects the level of biological pest control services, mainly provided by species with low biomass. Lower levels of predation result from increased proportions of large biomass species and more evenly distributed biomass values in the communities.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Hafiz Sohaib Ahmed Saqib, Linyang Sun, Gabor Pozsgai, Pingping Liang, Minsheng You, Geoff M. Gurr, Shijun You
Summary: This study highlights how environmental gradients interact to shape predation by Lycosidae in vegetable growing systems, with factors such as crop identity, pesticide use, and seasons influencing prey abundance in spider guts. It also shows that the taxonomic richness of prey is influenced by local- and landscape-scale factors, and that crop-abundant spiders adjust their diet to reflect environmental constraints and seasonal prey availability. Plasticity in diet composition is suggested to contribute to the persistence of spiders in ephemeral brassica crops, providing insights for habitat management in predator-based biological control practices.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Shimin Gu, Myron P. Zalucki, Fang Ouyang, Feng Ge
Summary: The spatial distribution of ecological subsidies can affect local and neighborhood factors, shaping large-scale ecosystem functions. This study found that the importance of neighborhood factors exceeded local factors in explaining variations in predator-to-aphid abundance ratio, wheat yield, and parasitism rate. Integrating both local and neighborhood factors into models increased the explanatory power for wheat yield and parasitism rate.
ENTOMOLOGIA GENERALIS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Felix J. J. A. Bianchi
Summary: This article explores design principles for pest suppressive landscapes by examining the literature and based on the source-sink theory. The analysis reveals that landscape features or management practices influence multiple processes at the same time, and well-documented landscape features associated with high pest suppression potential generally discourage herbivores and/or favor natural enemies.
BASIC AND APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Bea Maas, Yvonne Fabian, Sara M. Kross, Anett Richter
Summary: The study revealed significant differences in perceptions of biodiversity, ecosystem services, and decision-making processes between farmers and environmental scientists, with scientists valuing scientific information and farmers valuing government and agricultural-sector information sources. Organic farmers, more highly educated farmers, and female farmers showed more positive perceptions towards biodiversity conservation schemes, pointing to opportunities for more targeted promotion. Enhanced communication platforms and cooperation between scientists and agricultural stakeholders are urgently needed to establish open dialogues for the future of biodiversity-friendly farming and related conservation science.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Carolina Ocampo-Ariza, Bea Maas, Jean P. Castro-Namuche, Evert Thomas, Justine Vansynghel, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter, Teja Tscharntke
Summary: The study highlights the importance of cacao agroforests as alternative habitats for insectivorous birds and bats in tropical dry forest landscapes, especially during the dry season. Cacao agroforests provide valuable resources for these species when resources are scarce in forests, creating win-win situations for conservation and ecosystem services.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Raja Hussain, Manuela Brandl, Bea Maas, Bernhard Krautzer, Thomas Frank, Dietmar Moser
Summary: The establishment of semi-natural grasslands is a valuable approach for conserving threatened grassland biodiversity. However, it takes longer than 3 years to restore the plant and arthropod communities to resemble old semi-natural grasslands.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
M. Brandl, R. Hussain, B. Maas, D. Rabl, B. Pachinger, W. Holzinger, B. Krautzer, D. Moser, T. Frank
Summary: To counteract biodiversity declines, European countries have implemented agri-environment schemes such as ecological focus areas. A study in Lower Austria found that newly established grasslands with a diverse seed mixture benefited solitary bees, bumblebees, and syrphids the most, while butterflies favored old grasslands. True bugs were particularly attracted to these newly established grasslands. Cicadas did not show a preference. The distinctiveness of sites was more important for overall diversity than local diversity.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Maria Blasi, Yann Clough, Anna Maria Jonsson, Ullrika Sahlin
Summary: This study developed a spatially and temporally explicit theoretical model to evaluate the impact of system changes and within-season variability in resources on wild bee population sizes and crop visitation rates. The model captures the importance of food resource availability at the colony and landscape level for bee populations and crop visitation rates, as well as the potential threats of climate and land use changes to bee populations.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Editorial Material
Ecology
Hayat Mahdjoub, Bea Maas, Martin A. Nunez, Rassim Khelifa
Summary: The lack of diversity in editorial boards hinders diverse perspectives in fields such as ecology, evolution, and conservation. To promote equity, diversity, and inclusion, we outline ten key actions that editorial boards can take, which benefit the journal by attracting a wider readership, enhancing diversity among authors, and overcoming biases in editorial decisions.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Alexis D. Synodinos, Rajat Karnatak, Carlos A. Aguilar-Trigueros, Pierre Gras, Tina Heger, Danny Ionescu, Stefanie Maass, Camille L. Musseau, Gabriela Onandia, Aimara Planillo, Lina Weiss, Sabine Wollrab, Masahiro Ryo
Summary: The study of global change has largely focused on the magnitude of change rather than the speed at which it occurs. However, environmental change is happening at unprecedented rates. This study aims to apply the theory of rate-induced tipping in ecology to understand which properties increase susceptibility to rates of change.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Teja Tscharntke, Carolina Ocampo-Ariza, Justine Vansynghel, Blanca Ivanez-Ballesteros, Pablo Aycart, Lily Rodriguez, Marleni Ramirez, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter, Bea Maas, Evert Thomas
Summary: Combining food security with biodiversity conservation remains a major challenge in tropical regions. In the western Amazon region, there is growing interest in converting high-yielding bulk-quality cacao to native fine-flavor varieties, which can help adapt to regional climate and enhance ecosystem services. However, this conversion may also increase susceptibility to diseases. Successful conversion experiences, such as selecting disease-resistant native fine-flavor cacao genotypes and organizing cooperatives, offer promising socio-ecological perspectives.
CONSERVATION LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Carolina Ocampo-Ariza, Manuel Toledo-Hernandez, Felipe Libran-Embid, Dolors Armenteras, Justine Vansynghel, Estelle Raveloaritiana, Isabelle Arimond, Andres Angulo-Rubiano, Teja Tscharntke, Valeria Ramirez-Castaneda, Annemarie Wurz, Gabriel Marcacci, Mina Anders, J. Nicolas Urbina-Cardona, Asha de Vos, Soubadra Devy, Catrin Westphal, Anne Toomey, Yolanda Sheherazade, Yolanda Chirango, Bea Maas
Summary: Strengthening the participation of Global South researchers in tropical ecology and conservation is a target of the scientific community. Ten key actions are proposed to foster equitable international collaborations in tropical ecology, considering the unique challenges and contexts of the Global South.
PERSPECTIVES IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Claudia Zaccari, Romano De Vivo, Lukas Pawera, Celine Termote, Danny Hunter, Teresa Borelli, Christopher J. Kettle, Bea Maas, Ivan Novotny, Thomas Cherico Wanger, Ehsan Dulloo, Carlo Fadda, Eliot Gee
Summary: Building sustainable, equitable, and resilient food systems requires rethinking consumption, production, and conservation of agrobiodiversity. The Congress brought together scientists, Indigenous Peoples, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to share research, solutions, and policies that can transform food systems. The messages from the Congress align with the goals of the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit to achieve sustainable development by 2030.
CURRENT OPINION IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Diogo F. Ferreira, Crinan Jarrett, Alain Christel Wandji, Patrick Jules Atagana, Hugo Rebelo, Bea Maas, Luke L. Powell
Summary: Central/West Africa is biodiverse, produces most of the world's chocolate, and suffers significant losses from cacao pests and diseases. This study highlights the role of flying vertebrates in suppressing pests in cacao plantations and shows that their effectiveness depends on shade tree management.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Carolina Ocampo-Ariza, Justine Vansynghel, Denise Bertleff, Bea Maas, Nils Schumacher, Carlos Ulloque-Samatelo, Fredy F. Yovera, Evert Thomas, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter, Teja Tscharntke
Summary: The presence of birds and bats in shaded agroforestry systems of native cacao varieties in Peru increased cacao yield by 118% and reduced predation on arthropods, while ants increased the abundance of sap-sucking insects and had negative impacts on cacao yield. The study emphasizes the importance of arthropod predation by birds and bats for increasing cacao yield and suggests the need for further research on their trophic interactions. Managing shade trees and adjacent forests can help maximize the benefits of birds and bats and minimize negative impacts in cacao agroforests.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Georgia M. Daykin, Marcelo A. Aizen, Luke G. Barrett, Lewis J. Bartlett, Peter Batary, Lucas A. Garibaldi, Ali Guncan, Sridhar Gutam, Bea Maas, Jayalakshmi Mitnala, Flavia Montano-Centellas, Tarirai Muoni, Erik Ockinger, Ode Okechalu, Richard Ostler, Simon G. Potts, David C. Rose, Cairistiona F. E. Topp, Hope O. Usieta, Obaiya G. Utoblo, Christine Watson, Yi Zou, William J. Sutherland, Amelia S. C. Hood
Summary: Many publications lack sufficient background information, hindering scientific progress and the application of science to practice. Reporting guidelines, such as checklists, can improve reporting standards. This study develops a reporting checklist (AgroEcoList 1.0) for ecological and agricultural research through a community-centred approach. The checklist is well-received by the agroecological community, indicating the need for improved reporting standards in these fields. AgroEcoList 1.0 consists of 42 variables and can serve as a guide to enhance reporting standards.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Justine Vansynghel, Evert Thomas, Carolina Ocampo-Ariza, Bea Maas, Carlos Ulloque-Samatelo, Dapeng Zhang, Teja Tscharntke, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
Summary: The cacao tree is a valuable crop species, but its yields are limited by pollination deficits. Manual pollen supplementation with different genotypes can improve both yield quantity and quality of the fruits. However, this method is labor-intensive and costly to implement.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Justine Vansynghel, Carolina Ocampo-Ariza, Bea Maas, Emily A. Martin, Evert Thomas, Tara Hanf-Dressler, Nils-Christian Schumacher, Carlos Ulloque-Samatelo, Teja Tscharntke, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
Summary: Pollination services of cacao are crucial for chocolate production, but there is limited research on this in the regions of origin. This study in Peru aimed to improve understanding of cacao pollination and found that both naturally and manually pollinated flowers had low fruit set rates. Other unaddressed factors may be limiting cacao fruit production.
ECOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS AND EVIDENCE
(2022)