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Biological invasions threaten global biodiversity and can have severe economic and social impacts. The complexity of this problem challenges effective management of invasive alien species as the contribution of many factors involved in the invasion processes across different spatial scales is not well understood.Here, we identify the most important determinants associated with the occurrence of two invasive alien plants, the North American goldenrods (Solidago canadensis and S. gigantea), commonly found in agricultural landscapes of Europe. We used Google Street View images to perform a remote, large‐scale inventory of goldenrods along 1347 roadside transects across Poland. Using open access geospatial data and machine learning techniques, we investigated the relative role of nearly 50 variables potentially affecting the distribution of studied species at five spatial scales (from within 0.25 to 5 km of the studied locations).We found that the occurrence of goldenrods along roadsides was simultaneously associated with multiple drivers among which those related to human impacts, climate, soil properties and landscape structure were the most important, while local characteristics, such as road parameters or the presence of other alien plants were less influential. However, the relative contribution of different variables in predicting goldenrod distribution changed across spatial scales.Synthesis: Mechanisms underlying plant invasions are highly complex and a number of factors can jointly influence the outcomes of this process. However, since different invasion drivers operate at different spatial scales, some important associations may be overlooked when focusing on a single spatial context. Although associations were consistent in direction (positive or negative) across scales, their relative influence on goldenrod occurrence often changed. Socio‐economic factors were largely important at local scales, while the effect of landscape factors broadly increased with increasing spatial scale. We highlight that using multi‐scale approaches involving a wide range of variables may enable setting priorities for the management of invasive alien plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of People & Nature is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Invasive alien species are among the most concerning threats to native biodiversity world‐wide, and the level of landscape heterogeneity is considered to affect spatial patterns of their occurrence and spread. However, as previous studies on these associations report contrasting results, the role of landscape heterogeneity on its susceptibility to invasions remains poorly understood. Landscape heterogeneity is usually described by two measures: configuration and composition. Both measures may differently affect invasive species and these impacts may be additionally scale dependent. Nevertheless, their relative contribution to invasion patterns is poorly known.We investigated the effect of two landscape heterogeneity components: configuration (edge density) and composition (number and evenness of land cover types) measured at different spatial scales (from within 0.25 to 5 km of the studied locations) on the local abundance of one of the most invasive alien plant species in Europe, the North American goldenrods (Solidago canadensis and S. gigantea). Using publicly available geospatial environmental data and a novel method based on remote analysis of Google Street View images, we collected and analysed large dataset on goldenrod occurrence along 1,347 roadside transects in agricultural landscapes of Poland.Both the compositional and configurational heterogeneity were positively associated with the local abundance of goldenrods, however, the effect size of these relationships was dependent on spatial scale. While abundance–heterogeneity associations were most pronounced at the largest spatial scale for compositional heterogeneity, the pattern was the opposite for configurational heterogeneity.Synthesis and applications. Landscape heterogeneity is a clear correlate of plant invasion potential, with occurrences of invasive plants generally higher in more heterogeneous landscapes. However, scale dependence of this association means that researchers and practitioners may miss the association if only concentrating on a single spatial scale. While increasing heterogeneity of rural landscapes is widely introduced as a way to promote farmland biodiversity, we show that it may also support invasive plants, and thus conflict with original goals of biodiversity‐oriented strategies. Therefore, we suggest implementing regular management and eradication schemes in most heterogeneous landscapes. Finally, we demonstrate how remote analysis of plant invasions using existing imagery can advance our understanding of invasion biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is estimated that millions of birds globally die due to collisions with glass surfaces. In order to reduce this mortality, it is essential to provide an objective assessment of the effectiveness of bird-friendly preventive methods. Several types of opaque films and stickers are available nowadays and can be highly effective in protecting birds from fatal collisions. However, by being visible to the human eye, they can affect the users' quality of view from within protected spaces. Products that take advantage of the birds' ability to see ultraviolet light seem to offset these impediments. This study determines if UV-reflective BirdShades film prevents birds from collisions with glass in natural environmental conditions. We monitored eight glass bus stops, where we had previously recorded high numbers of birds collisions. On four of them, we applied UV film, and the other four bus stops were used as control. A generalized additive mixed model showed a significant interaction between time (before vs. after) and film UV treatment (control vs. treated). Before the treatment, the number of collisions tended to be higher at treated bus shelters than control. However, this significantly changed after the treatment, suggesting that UV film reduces bird glass collision rate over 5-fold. Our study is the first worldwide that tested UV film on glass shelters and supports a conclusion that the UV film efficiently reduces the risk of bird collision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetlands are biodiversity hotspots that provide several essential ecosystem services. On a global scale, wetlands have greatly declined due to human activities. To counteract wetland loss, created wetlands are used as a conservation tool to facilitate biodiversity and provide habitats mainly for birds and amphibians. Fishes are likely to colonise the created wetlands and potentially affect the diversity and occurrence of amphibians. Still, species occurrence data for fish in created wetlands are largely lacking.Using eDNA metabarcoding, we investigated occurrence and co‐occurrence patterns of fish and amphibian communities in 52 wetlands (some of which are ponds) created to benefit mainly bird and amphibian communities in south‐central Sweden.Altogether, 17 fish and five amphibian species were detected in the created wetlands out of the 32 fish and six amphibian species found in the regional species pool. Amphibians were less common in wetlands physically connected to other wetlands. Connected wetlands were more fish‐rich than isolated ones, suggesting potential fish avoidance. Additionally, the amphibian community occupied a narrower environmental niche compared to the fish community. Nevertheless, we observed only five statistically significant negative fish–amphibian species co‐occurrences (out of 14 species considered).Even though our results suggest amphibian avoidance/exclusion from the created biodiversity wetlands, they also show that fish and amphibians frequently co‐exist. Increased habitat heterogeneity in terms of water vegetation, size, shape, and structure of the wetland could be possible factors enabling the co‐existence of these two taxa.With this study, we contribute to the general knowledge of fish occurrence patterns in created biodiversity wetlands. By comparing the frequencies of fish occurrence in natural and created wetlands, we have shown that there was some mismatch in what is common in natural compared to created wetlands. This mismatch probably comes from species‐specific habitat requirements, stocking, and differences in detectability when using eDNA metabarcoding (small species detected) versus conventional multi‐mesh gill‐net methods (small species missed). Therefore, our results obtained using eDNA metabarcoding can complement the pre‐existing knowledge of amphibian and fish associations and increase our understanding of how to create wetlands to facilitate biodiversity of several taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmland birds belong to the most endangered group of vertebrates in Europe. They are an important component of farmland biodiversity considering the numerous functions they perform (e.g. seed dispersal, improving germination, increasing gene flow, nutrient recycling, and pest control). Therefore, their decline imposes substantial risks on agricultural ecosystems. In general, farmland bird conservation includes land‐use and management alterations leading to less‐intensive farming and land‐sparing for breeding habitats (e.g. agri‐environment‐climate schemes, and organic farming). However, theoretical concepts describing farmland biodiversity maintenance and applied conservation measures usually ignore the role of singular, often very small, natural or man‐made elements in an agricultural landscape. These elements play a role in the populations of certain species, their biology and in the general species richness of farmland. Furthermore, the importance of these elements has never been empirically tested, which means that conservationists and practitioners are not aware of their measurable value for birds. Herein, we define and identify singular point elements in the agricultural landscape (SPELs) which are potentially important for breeding farmland birds. We also describe each SPEL and evaluate its importance for birds in farmland based on a systematic review of the available literature. Using a horizon‐scanning technique, we then polled field ornithologists about their personal observations of birds in relation to SPELs and the evaluation of the potential roles of such structures for birds. We identified 17 SPELs that vary in naturalness and age: singular trees, singular shrubs, erratic boulders, puddles, electricity pylons, wind turbines, spiritual sites, hunting platforms, fence and border posts, wells, road signs, scarecrows, piles of manure, piles of brushwood/branches, piles of stones/debris, piles of lime, and haystacks. Analysis of the literature revealed knowledge gaps, because some SPELs are frequently mentioned in ecological studies (e.g. trees, shrubs, pylons), but others such as spiritual sites, stones, hunting platforms, wells, road signs, or piles of lime are ignored. Despite the fact that some authors incorporate the effects of some SPELs in their studies, little research to date has aimed to assess the impact of various SPELs on farmland bird species numbers and distribution. Horizon scanning revealed that ornithologists often observe birds on various SPELs and thus, attribute to SPELs many functions that are important for maintaining bird populations. Horizon scanning also highlighted the importance of SPELs for many declining bird species and suggested possible mitigation of negative changes in the agricultural landscape by retaining SPELs within fields. We suggest that a better understanding of the role of SPELs for farmland birds is required. We also recommend that SPELs are considered as a potential tool for the conservation of birds, and existing conservation programs such as agri‐environment‐climate schemes and organic farming should be updated accordingly. Finally, we suggest that SPELs are included in predictive models that evaluate habitat suitability for farmland biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]