Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Thomas Neyens, Oana Petrof, Christel Faes, Wim Vandenrijt, Paula Ulenaers, Tom Artois, Natalie Beenaerts, Ruben Evens
Summary: Since 1992, the European Union has implemented agri-environment schemes (AES) to combat the decline in farmland biodiversity caused by intensified agriculture. These schemes, such as unharvested set-aside fields with winter bird crops (WBC), aim to improve habitat quality and food availability for farmland birds. A study conducted in Belgium found that the implementation of WBC in crop fields increased species richness and observation probabilities of nine out of ten wintering farmland bird species. The presence of nearby landscape elements, such as hedgerows and woodland, also influenced species richness and observation probabilities.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Paul E. Bellamy, Elisabeth C. Charman, Neil Riddle, Will B. Kirby, Alice C. Broome, Gavin M. Siriwardena, Philip Grice, Will J. Peach, Richard D. Gregory
Summary: This study assessed the medium-term effects of woodland management on bird species and found that bespoke management supported through government agri-environment incentives can have a positive impact on target woodland birds.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Mike Image, Emma Gardner, Yann Clough, William E. Kunin, Simon G. Potts, Henrik G. Smith, Graham N. Stone, Duncan B. Westbury, Tom D. Breeze
Summary: This study investigates the impact of the English agri-environment scheme on pollination services and identifies hedge/woodland edge management and fallow areas as the main drivers. Floral margins have limited benefits, and interventions are more effective in areas with fewer semi-natural habitats.
Article
Environmental Sciences
J. T. Staley, J. W. Redhead, R. S. O'Connor, S. G. Jarvis, G. M. Siriwardena, I. G. Henderson, M. S. Botham, C. Carvell, S. M. Smart, S. Phillips, N. Jones, M. E. McCracken, J. Christelow, K. Howell, R. F. Pywell
Summary: This study focused on assessing the effectiveness of agri-environment schemes on butterflies, birds, and pollinating insects. A survey design based on orthogonal gradients of AES management at local and landscape scales was developed to monitor the response of multiple taxa. The results showed a strong correlation between predicted AES gradients for each taxon, supporting the co-location of surveys across different taxa and allowing the effects of AES on species at each scale to be tested.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Adam Kimberley, Danny Hooftman, James M. Bullock, Olivier Honnay, Patricia Krickl, Jessica Lindgren, Jan Plue, Peter Poschlod, Anna Traveset, Sara A. O. Cousins
Summary: Increasing landscape connecting elements cannot compensate for large-scale grassland area loss, leading to significant declines in both structural and functional connectivity. Generalist species are negatively affected by connectivity, with structural connectivity having the strongest impact, while functional connectivity determines the presence of grassland specialist species in focal grasslands.
Article
Ecology
Claire E. Woods, Kara G. Leimberger, Adam S. Hadley, Sarah J. K. Frey, Matthew G. Betts
Summary: This study investigated the effects of climate and forest loss, fragmentation on pollination and reproduction of a tropical herb, Heliconia tortuosa. The results showed that wet years, small patches, and heavily forested landscapes had negative consequences for Heliconia reproduction.
Article
Ecology
N. Sweaney, D. B. Lindenmayer, D. A. Driscoll
Summary: The study found that butterflies exhibit avoidance behavior at the edges of plantations, with low perceptual range in these areas, leading them to quickly depart. Butterflies often cross from farmland into woodland and stay, but hardly any cross from woodland or plantations into farmland and stay. The distance butterflies move away from plantation edges in woodland is greater than in farmland, indicating that the edge-effects of one land-cover type depend on the animals' response to the alternative land-cover.
Article
Forestry
Julia Perez Cabral, Deborah Faria, Jose Carlos Morante-Filho
Summary: Biodiversity-friendly agricultural systems, such as cocoa agroforestry, play a crucial role in maintaining native species and providing habitats for various bird groups. The study found that landscapes with more forest cover and fewer cattle pastures support higher richness and abundance of frugivorous birds in cocoa agroforests, while an increase in cattle pasture negatively impacts all bird groups evaluated. Local vegetation structure, such as canopy closure and number of cocoa trees, also influences the abundance of insectivorous and non-forest bird species in cocoa agroforestry systems.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Fernando Cesar Goncalves Bonfim, Pavel Dodonov, Eliana Cazetta
Summary: This study evaluated the impact of landscape composition and configuration on taxonomic and functional diversity of frugivorous birds in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Results showed that landscape composition was more important than configuration in explaining diversity, highlighting the need to maintain high habitat amount for these birds.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Paula Cullen, Stephen Hynes, Mary Ryan, Cathal O'Donoghue
Summary: The agri-food sector is facing increasing pressure from consumers to improve the sustainability of production processes, with policies incentivising farmers to improve environmental performance playing a key role. Studying the choice of participation in these programs can help policymakers design schemes that meet participation and environmental goals. Research suggests that environmental issues related to intensive farms are not adequately addressed in current scheme designs, highlighting the need for further development to reduce negative impacts.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Andres Felipe Suarez-Castro, Martine Maron, Matthew G. E. Mitchell, Jonathan R. Rhodes
Summary: The study highlights the importance of landscape configuration in influencing functional diversity of urban birds, shedding light on the mechanisms of this relationship through different research methods.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
J. Lazzari, C. F. Sato, D. A. Driscoll
Summary: This study investigates the responses of reptile trait groups to habitat fragmentation, patch isolation, and fire. The results show that experimental burns do not benefit any trait group, but reduce the abundance of viviparous, small, and above-ground species. Species richness is lower in isolated sites, while generalist trait groups are unaffected by patch isolation. Large-sized reptiles have higher abundance in remnant patches.
Review
Ecology
Cristina Banks-Leite, Matthew G. Betts, Robert M. Ewers, C. David L. Orme, Alex L. Pigot
Summary: The main goal of landscape ecology is to understand the impact of habitat transformation on biodiversity. However, the discipline faces challenges due to the context dependency of observed spatial and temporal trends. This study discusses recent evidence suggesting that factors and processes at macroecological scales, such as historical disturbance rates, distance to geographic range edges, and climatic suitability, modulate populations' and species' responses to habitat change at the landscape scale.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Phakhawat Thaweepworadej, Karl L. Evans
Summary: This study investigates the impact of urbanization on avian species richness in tropical regions and provides conservation recommendations for urban biodiversity. The findings suggest that the relationship between bird diversity and urbanization in tropical regions is linear, in contrast to the unimodal patterns observed in temperate regions. The study also highlights the importance of retaining woodland patches in urban areas to mitigate the negative effects of urbanization on bird species richness.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Vinicius Klain, Marcia Bohrer Mentz, Sebastian Bustamante-Manrique, Julio Cesar Bicca-Marques
Summary: Environmental change can influence the ecology and behavior of host and parasite species, leading to changes in parasite communities. This study investigated the richness of parasite communities in brown howler monkeys inhabiting forest fragments in an anthropogenic landscape. The results showed weak negative relationships between parasite richness and forest cover as well as mean distance to the nearest forest fragment. The researchers concluded that the howler monkeys were likely infected with multiple parasite taxa on the ground, and the anthropogenic landscape structure had a minor role in modulating the richness of their parasite communities.
Article
Forestry
Elisa Fuentes-Montemayor, Kirsty J. Park, Kypfer Cordts, Kevin Watts
Summary: The study revealed that woodland creation sites go through stages of "stand initiation", "stem exclusion", and "understorey reinitiation", gradually becoming more similar to mature ancient woodlands over time. Structural heterogeneity, average tree size, and tree density were found to vary significantly among different woodland developmental stages. Implementing woodland management practices such as creating canopy gaps and reducing grazing pressure can accelerate this transition, increase biodiversity value, and enhance adaptation and resilience to climate change.
Article
Ecology
Christopher R. Mackin, Dave Goulson, Maria Clara Castellanos
Summary: The research found that nectar robbing significantly reduced visitation rates and visit durations by bumblebees, leading to a decrease in seed production in flowers subjected to robbing.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
James M. Bullock, Elisa Fuentes-Montemayor, Ben McCarthy, Kirsty Park, Rosie S. Hails, Ben A. Woodcock, Kevin Watts, Ron Corstanje, Jim Harris
Summary: Ecological restoration has traditionally focused on re-establishing 'indigenous reference' communities, but there is a growing recognition of the importance of ecological complexity. Complexity, defined as the number of components in a system and the connections among them, encompasses key ecosystem variables and can be assessed at multiple scales. Incorporating complexity into restoration policies could enhance ecosystem functions and resilience, and will require the development of complexity metrics that can be applied locally and regionally.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jeremy S. P. Froidevaux, Alexis Laforge, Laurent Larrieu, Luc Barbaro, Kirsty Park, Penelope C. Fialas, Gareth Jones
Summary: Isolated trees play a vital role in supporting biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, especially for tree-dependent bat species. However, conservation programs and landscape planning often neglect the importance of isolated trees. This study highlights the need for further investigation to identify the intrinsic characteristics and landscape location of trees that are particularly important for bats. The findings emphasize the importance of implementing a multi-scale approach in conservation programs.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Janine Griffiths-Lee, Elizabeth Nicholls, Dave Goulson
Summary: Habitat loss and fragmentation are severe threats to pollinator decline, with 97% of wildflower meadows lost in England and Wales. Creating flower-rich margins in agricultural environments is effective, and there is growing potential to support pollinators in urban landscapes.
JOURNAL OF INSECT CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Elisa Fuentes-Montemayor, Kevin Watts, Philip Sansum, Will Scott, Kirsty J. Park
Summary: Large-scale habitat creation is crucial for mitigating the ecological crisis, but scientific evidence on its effects on biodiversity is limited. In this study, the authors assess moth assemblages in habitat creation sites and compare them with those in mature habitats. They find that structurally diverse woodland creation sites in close proximity to other woodlands can benefit moth communities and increase their diversity.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Nicholas J. Balfour, Maria Clara Castellanos, Dave Goulson, Andrew Philippides, Chris Johnson
Summary: Researchers have created one of the world's first online, open-access, and searchable databases of pollinator-plant interactions. The database contains over 101,000 records, documenting more than 320,000 interactions, and can be used to answer ecological and conservation-related questions.
Article
Entomology
Janine Griffiths-Lee, Balin Davenport, Bradley Foster, Elizabeth Nicholls, Dave Goulson
Summary: Planting perennial wildflowers or allowing natural regeneration in vineyards can increase floral abundance and diversity, supporting beneficial insects and their pollination activities. This simple and effective approach can be widely adopted in British viticulture to enhance biodiversity in vineyards.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Wendy Masterton, Tessa Parkes, Hannah Carver, Kirsty J. Park
Summary: This study explores how greenspace programmes can support individuals with poor mental health and PSU through a realist approach. Findings indicate that greenspace programmes can provide support through escape, reflection, physical activity, self-efficacy, purpose, relationships, and shared experiences.
Article
Geography
Hannah Rudman, Ben Hart, Maggie English, Craig Turner, Elisa Fuentes-Montemayor, Mark S. Reed
Summary: This paper presents a case study of novel digital data collection methods used in a nature restoration project in Scotland, and discusses how decision-grade biodiversity data can be produced to meet the requirements of the finance sector.
SCOTTISH GEOGRAPHICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Elizabeth Nicholls, Janine Griffiths-Lee, Parthiba Basu, Soumik Chatterjee, Dave Goulson
Summary: Urban food production can contribute to sustainable food provision and the health of urban residents, as well as benefit biodiversity. However, there is limited research on urban pollinator populations. This study found a diverse range of insects visiting urban allotments and pollinating crops, with certain crops attracting more visitors. Natural pollination of strawberries resulted in lower quality fruit compared to hand-pollination, highlighting the need to improve urban crop pollination through habitat provision for insects.
PLANTS PEOPLE PLANET
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Peter Lampert, Dave Goulson, Daniel Olsson, John Piccolo, Niklas Gericke
Summary: In this paper, the Action Competence for Insect Conservation (ACIC) framework is developed as a tool for improving education and citizen action for insect biodiversity conservation. The ACIC aims to bridge the gap between knowledge and action implementation by fostering peoples' action-oriented knowledge, confidence, and willingness to take action. It covers not only actions in private greenspaces but also emphasizes the importance of actions that involve others in the community and relevant stakeholders.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
