182 results on '"Siriwardena, Gavin"'
Search Results
2. Impact of woodland agri-environment management on woodland structure and target bird species
- Author
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Bellamy, Paul E., Charman, Elisabeth C., Riddle, Neil, Kirby, Will B., Broome, Alice C., Siriwardena, Gavin M., Grice, Philip V., Peach, Will J., and Gregory, Richard D.
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Habitat-use influences severe disease-mediated population declines in two of the most common garden bird species in Great Britain
- Author
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Hanmer, Hugh J., Cunningham, Andrew A., John, Shinto K., Magregor, Shaheed K., Robinson, Robert A., Seilern-Moy, Katharina, Siriwardena, Gavin M., and Lawson, Becki
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. Diversity in Irish and British avifauna assemblages: What can variation in diversity profiles reveal about the forces that drive assemblage composition and structure?
- Author
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Groh, Camille, Siriwardena, Gavin M., and McMahon, Barry J.
- Subjects
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FARMS , *LAND use , *BIOGEOGRAPHY , *ISLANDS , *BIRD breeding , *GUARD duty - Abstract
Ireland and Britain are two islands located at Europe's westernmost edge, both of which act as the final breeding outposts for many bird species within their European ranges. Despite their similar geographic locations and geological histories, Ireland and Britain host different breeding avifauna assemblages. Diversity profiles, which can serve as more robust alternatives to classic diversity indices, were employed in this study to explore disparities in the two islands' breeding avifauna assemblages. Variations in assemblages were explored, along with their potential drivers, through analyses at three levels: island‐scale breeding bird assemblage compositions, island‐scale diversity profiles considering 49 common breeding species, and habitat‐specific diversity profiles considering assemblages in east/central Irish farmland and East Anglian farmland. Analysis of the two islands' breeding avifauna assemblages revealed that the Irish assemblage is a complete subset of the British assemblage. Analyses of Irish and British assemblages at both an island scale and a habitat scale revealed patterns linking land use to trends within the two islands' avifauna assemblages. Irish assemblages contained greater proportions of insectivorous farmland species by abundance, while British assemblages contained greater proportions of seed‐eating farmland species; both trends appeared to be related to structural differences in agricultural land use on the two islands. The British and East Anglian assemblages exhibited higher diversity across all analyses, which appeared to be driven by the assemblages' higher relative abundances of species that were most genetically distinct. This study highlights the ability of diversity profiles to impart more information than classic diversity indices by incorporating species similarity data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. Distance functions of carabids in crop fields depend on functional traits, crop type and adjacent habitat: a synthesis
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Boetzl, Fabian A., Sponsler, Douglas, Albrecht, Matthias, Batáry, Péter, Birkhofer, Klaus, Knapp, Michael, Krauss, Jochen, Maas, Bea, Martin, Emily A., Sirami, Clélia, Sutter, Louis, Bertrand, Colette, Bosem Baillod, Aliette, Bota, Gerard, Bretagnolle, Vincent, Brotons, Lluis, Frank, Thomas, Fusser, Moritz, Giralt, David, González, Ezequiel, Hof, Anouschka R., Luka, Henryk, Marrec, Ronan, Nash, Michael A., Ng, Katharina, Plantegenest, Manuel, Poulin, Brigitte, Siriwardena, Gavin M., Tscharntke, Teja, Tschumi, Matthias, Vialatte, Aude, Van Vooren, Laura, Zubair-Anjum, Muhammad, Entling, Martin H., Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf, Schirmel, Jens, Boetzl, Fabian A., Sponsler, Douglas, Albrecht, Matthias, Batáry, Péter, Birkhofer, Klaus, Knapp, Michael, Krauss, Jochen, Maas, Bea, Martin, Emily A., Sirami, Clélia, Sutter, Louis, Bertrand, Colette, Bosem Baillod, Aliette, Bota, Gerard, Bretagnolle, Vincent, Brotons, Lluis, Frank, Thomas, Fusser, Moritz, Giralt, David, González, Ezequiel, Hof, Anouschka R., Luka, Henryk, Marrec, Ronan, Nash, Michael A., Ng, Katharina, Plantegenest, Manuel, Poulin, Brigitte, Siriwardena, Gavin M., Tscharntke, Teja, Tschumi, Matthias, Vialatte, Aude, Van Vooren, Laura, Zubair-Anjum, Muhammad, Entling, Martin H., Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf, and Schirmel, Jens
- Abstract
Natural pest and weed regulation are essential for agricultural production, but the spatial distribution of natural enemies within crop fields and its drivers are mostly unknown. Using 28 datasets comprising 1204 study sites across eight Western and Central European countries, we performed a quantitative synthesis of carabid richness, activity densities and functional traits in relation to field edges (i.e. distance functions). We show that distance functions of carabids strongly depend on carabid functional traits, crop type and, to a lesser extent, adjacent non-crop habitats. Richness of both carnivores and granivores, and activity densities of small and granivorous species decreased towards field interiors, whereas the densities of large species increased. We found strong distance decays in maize and vegetables whereas richness and densities remained more stable in cereals, oilseed crops and legumes. We conclude that carabid assemblages in agricultural landscapes are driven by the complex interplay of crop types, adjacent non-crop habitats and further landscape parameters with great potential for targeted agroecological management. In particular, our synthesis indicates that a higher edge–interior ratio can counter the distance decay of carabid richness per field and thus likely benefits natural pest and weed regulation, hence contributing to agricultural sustainability.
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- 2024
6. Increasing crop heterogeneity enhances multitrophic diversity across agricultural regions
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Sirami, Clélia, Gross, Nicolas, Baillod, Aliette Bosem, Bertrand, Colette, Carrié, Romain, Hass, Annika, Henckel, Laura, Miguet, Paul, Vuillot, Carole, Alignier, Audrey, Girard, Jude, Batáry, Péter, Clough, Yann, Violle, Cyrille, Giralt, David, Bota, Gerard, Badenhausser, Isabelle, Lefebvre, Gaëtan, Gauffre, Bertrand, Vialatte, Aude, Calatayud, François, Gil-Tena, Assu, Tischendorf, Lutz, Mitchell, Scott, Lindsay, Kathryn, Georges, Romain, Hilaire, Samuel, Recasens, Jordi, Solé-Senan, Xavier Oriol, Roblen˜o, Irene, Bosch, Jordi, Barrientos, Jose Antonio, Ricarte, Antonio, Marcos-Garcia, Maria Ángeles, Min˜ano, Jesús, Mathevet, Raphaël, Gibon, Annick, Baudry, Jacques, Balent, Gérard, Poulin, Brigitte, Burel, Françoise, Tscharntke, Teja, Bretagnolle, Vincent, Siriwardena, Gavin, Ouin, Annie, Brotons, Lluis, Martin, Jean-Louis, and Fahrig, Lenore
- Published
- 2019
7. Not in the countryside please! Investigating UK residents' perceptions of an introduced species, the ring-necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri).
- Author
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Pirzio-Biroli, Alessandro, Crowley, Sarah L., Siriwardena, Gavin M., Plummer, Kate E., Schroeder, Julia, and White, Rachel L.
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INTRODUCED species ,BUDGERIGAR ,WILDLIFE management ,FOOD preferences ,LANDSCAPES ,SOCIAL conflict - Abstract
Wildlife management can generate social conflict when stakeholder perceptions of the target species are not considered. Introduced Ring-necked Parakeets (RNP) are established in the UK and have been added to the 'general licence' of birds that can be killed to prevent serious economic damage. We aimed to better understand perceptions of RNPs on a nationwide scale to inform mitigation actions for potential future conflict over RNP management. We surveyed 3,947 UK residents to understand awareness of, knowledge of and attitudes towards the RNP across the UK. We found that most respondents (90.2%) were aware of the RNP. Almost half of respondents (45.9%) held negative opinions, particularly against the RNP in rural areas (64.7%), suggesting landscape contexts influence attitudes. Respondent preference for the RNP was low in local neighbourhoods (7.80%) although the species was considered aesthetically pleasing by most (83.0%). Many respondents knew the species' name (54.9%), but underestimated current population numbers in the UK (82.6%) and few knew its full native range (10.0%). We identified respondents' ecological interest, age, education, preference for, awareness of and knowledge of the RNP as significant factors associated with perceptions. Our findings suggest that the RNP presents a complex socio-environmental challenge, with respondent awareness, knowledge and attitudes each forming an important component of perceptions towards this species. We recommend that wildlife managers utilise our findings and cohesive approach to enhance future RNP perception research in the UK and abroad and towards the success of any proposed management initiatives under the UK general licence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
8. Landscape configurational heterogeneity by small-scale agriculture, not crop diversity, maintains pollinators and plant reproduction in western Europe
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Hass, Annika L., Kormann, Urs G., Tscharntke, Teja, Clough, Yann, Baillod, Aliette Bosem, Sirami, Clélia, Fahrig, Lenore, Martin, Jean-Louis, Baudry, Jacques, Bertrand, Colette, Bosch, Jordi, Brotons, Lluís, Burel, Françoise, Georges, Romain, Giralt, David, Marcos-García, María Á., Ricarte, Antonio, Siriwardena, Gavin, and Batáry, Péter
- Published
- 2018
9. The Effect of Supplementary Winter Seed Food on Breeding Populations of Farmland Birds: Evidence from Two Large-Scale Experiments
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Siriwardena, Gavin M., Vickery, Juliet A., Calbrade, Neil A., and Dodd, Stephen
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- 2007
10. The Effect of the Spatial Distribution of Winter Seed Food Resources on Their Use by Farmland Birds
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Siriwardena, Gavin M., Calbrade, Neil A., Vickery, Juliet A., and Sutherland, William J.
- Published
- 2006
11. Ecological connectivity networks in rapidly expanding cities
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Nor, Amal Najihah M., Corstanje, Ron, Harris, Jim A., Grafius, Darren R., and Siriwardena, Gavin M.
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- 2017
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12. Agricultural Land-Use and the Spatial Distribution of Granivorous Lowland Farmland Birds
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Siriwardena, Gavin M., Baillie, Stephen R., and Wilson, Jeremy D.
- Published
- 2000
13. Analysis of Population Trends for Farmland Birds Using Generalized Additive Models
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Fewster, Rachel M., Buckland, Stephen T., Siriwardena, Gavin M., Baillie, Stephen R., and Wilson, Jeremy D.
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- 2000
- Full Text
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14. The Importance of Variation in the Breeding Performance of Seed-Eating Birds in Determining Their Population Trends on Farmland
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Siriwardena, Gavin M., Baillie, Stephen R., and Wilson, Jeremy D.
- Published
- 2000
15. Long-Term Changes in Over-Winter Survival Rates Explain the Decline of Reed Buntings Emberiza schoeniclus in Britain
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Peach, Will J., Siriwardena, Gavin M., and Gregory, Richard D.
- Published
- 1999
16. Using satellite data to assess spatial drivers of bird diversity
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Hunt, Merryn L., Blackburn, George Alan, Siriwardena, Gavin M., Carrasco, Luis, Rowland, Clare S., Hunt, Merryn L., Blackburn, George Alan, Siriwardena, Gavin M., Carrasco, Luis, and Rowland, Clare S.
- Abstract
Birds are useful indicators of overall biodiversity, which continues to decline globally, despite targets to reduce its loss. The aim of this paper is to understand the importance of different spatial drivers for modelling bird distributions. Specifically, it assesses the importance of satellite‐derived measures of habitat productivity, heterogeneity and landscape structure for modelling bird diversity across Great Britain. Random forest (RF) regression is used to assess the extent to which a combination of satellite‐derived covariates explain woodland and farmland bird diversity and richness. Feature contribution analysis is then applied to assess the relationships between the response variable and the covariates in the final RF models. We show that much of the variation in farmland and woodland bird distributions is explained (R2 0.64–0.77) using monthly habitat‐specific productivity values and landscape structure (FRAGSTATS) metrics. The analysis highlights important spatial drivers of bird species richness and diversity, including high productivity grassland during spring for farmland birds and woodland patch edge length for woodland birds. The feature contribution provides insight into the form of the relationship between the spatial drivers and bird richness and diversity, including when a particular spatial driver affects bird richness positively or negatively. For example, for woodland bird diversity, the May 80th percentile Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for broadleaved woodland has a strong positive effect on bird richness when NDVI is >0.7 and a strong negative effect below. If relationships such as these are stable over time, they offer a useful analytical tool for understanding and comparing the influence of different spatial drivers.
- Published
- 2023
17. Qualitative impact assessment of land management interventions on ecosystem services (‘QEIA’). Report-2: integrated assessment
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Emmett, Bridget, Cosby, Jack, Bentley, Laura, Birnie, Jonathan, Botham, Marc, Bowes, Mike, Braban, Christine, Broughton, Richard, Burden, Annette, Carvell, Claire, Costa Domingo, G., Drewer, Julia, Evans, Chris, Feeney, Christopher, Fletcher, D., Garbutt, Angus, Gaskell, P., Goodenough, A., Hassin, A.E.J., Hunt, Merryn, Hutchins, Michael, Jackson, D., Jones, Laurence, Keenleyside, Clunie, Law, Ryan, Lucas, Owen T., Magowan, Elizabeth, Maskell, Lindsay, Matthews, Robert, McGowan, Al, Nemitz, Eiko, Newell-Price, Paul, Norton, Lisa, Pywell, Richard, Qu, Yueming, Short, Chris, Siriwardena, Gavin, Staddon, P., Staley, Joanna, Thomson, Amanda, Taylor, J., Urquhart, J., Wagner, Markus, Williams, John, Williams, Prysor, Woodcock, Ben, Bell, Chris, Emmett, Bridget, Cosby, Jack, Bentley, Laura, Birnie, Jonathan, Botham, Marc, Bowes, Mike, Braban, Christine, Broughton, Richard, Burden, Annette, Carvell, Claire, Costa Domingo, G., Drewer, Julia, Evans, Chris, Feeney, Christopher, Fletcher, D., Garbutt, Angus, Gaskell, P., Goodenough, A., Hassin, A.E.J., Hunt, Merryn, Hutchins, Michael, Jackson, D., Jones, Laurence, Keenleyside, Clunie, Law, Ryan, Lucas, Owen T., Magowan, Elizabeth, Maskell, Lindsay, Matthews, Robert, McGowan, Al, Nemitz, Eiko, Newell-Price, Paul, Norton, Lisa, Pywell, Richard, Qu, Yueming, Short, Chris, Siriwardena, Gavin, Staddon, P., Staley, Joanna, Thomson, Amanda, Taylor, J., Urquhart, J., Wagner, Markus, Williams, John, Williams, Prysor, Woodcock, Ben, and Bell, Chris
- Abstract
This project assessed the impacts of 741 potential land management actions, suitable for agricultural land in England, on the Farming & Countryside Programme’s Environmental Objectives (and therefore Environment Act targets and climate commitments) through 53 relevant environmental and cultural service indicators. The project used a combination of expert opinion and rapid evidence reviews, which included 1000+ pages of evidence in 10 separate reports with reference to over 2400 published studies, and an Integrated Assessment comprising expert-derived qualitative impact scores. The project has ensured that ELM schemes are evidence-based, offer good value for money, and contribute to SoS priorities for farming.
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- 2023
18. Aspects of vocal communication in the carrion crow, Corvus corone corone
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Siriwardena, Gavin Mark
- Abstract
Carrion crows (Corvus corone corone, L.) are highly intelligent birds in whose behaviour vocal communication plays a conspicuous part. Observation of crows reveals that their vocal repertoire is rich and varied. This study investigates the functions of the various acoustic signals produced by crows. Firstly, the signal repertoire of crows in the study area is described quantitatively with respect to call structure; previous studies have produced only variable, subjective definitions of crow calls. Next, the functions of the range of vocalizations are investigated using quantitative analyses with respect to context of the occurrence of call types in nature, and of the variation in call morphology. The use of vocalizations in selected naturally occurring contexts is then examined further by experiment. Decoys were used in controlled contexts to present some stimuli of territorial and anti-predator behaviour to a number of territorial pairs. Several discrete call types were identified, most of which were not exclusively associated with particular contexts. The situations in which call types were used did, however, allow suggestions to be made as to the functions of the signals. Calls rendered onomatopoeically as "waahs" and "kra-was" appeared to be signals to the caller's mate, functioning perhaps in the coordination of pair behaviour. Two signals always produced at low volume, "urks" and "oos", were probably used mostly in short-range aggression. Two other call types were encountered only very rarely, but were linked to specific situations. Rattle calls may signal alarm at predators and may be specific to an aerial threat. Low grunts are quiet calls used only while sitting on nests and which may be aimed at nestlings. All these discrete, definable call types were relatively rare in crow repertoires. The majority of calls produced in both natural and experimental contexts were drawn from a highly variable continuum of loud and amplitude-modulated sounds. Call morphology was especially distinctive in anti-predator contexts and it also varied considerably between calls at territorial neighbours and those at conspecific intruders into territories. The decoy experiments revealed further context-related variations in the particular situations studied, but call morphology varied more strongly with respect to behaviour. From the results it was concluded that calls potentially encode information about motivation and gender, and could also encode individual identity and information about call referents. The results are discussed with reference to the literature on the information content of animal signals, and also with consideration of previous work investigating the relationship between structure and function.
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- 1995
19. The composition of British bird communities is associated with long-term garden bird feeding
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Plummer, Kate E., Risely, Kate, Toms, Mike P., and Siriwardena, Gavin M.
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- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
20. Using satellite data to assess spatial drivers of bird diversity
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Hunt, Merryn L., primary, Blackburn, George Alan, additional, Siriwardena, Gavin M., additional, Carrasco, Luis, additional, and Rowland, Clare S., additional
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
21. Biodiversity and environmental stressors along urban walking routes
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Norton, Briony A., Mears, Meghann, Warren, Philip H., Siriwardena, Gavin M., Plummer, Kate E., Turner, Tim, Hancock, Steven, Grafius, Darren R., and Evans, Karl L.
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Pedestrian experience ,Ecology ,Luxury effect ,Soil Science ,Green infrastructure ,Habitat fragmentation ,Walkability ,Forestry ,Sustainable cities - Abstract
There is increasing focus on designing liveable cities that promote walking. However, urban walking routes can expose people to adverse environmental conditions that reduce health, well-being and biodiversity. Our primary objective is to assess how urban form is associated with environmental quality, including biodiversity, for people moving through urban spaces. We assess a range of environmental conditions that influence human health and biodiversity (temperature, noise and particulate pollution) and biodiversity of three taxa (trees, butterflies and birds) along 700 m public walking routes embedded in 500 m x 500 m grid cells across three UK towns. Cells are selected using random stratification across an urbanisation intensity gradient. Walking routes in more built-up areas were noisier and hotter; noise levels further increased in areas with more industrial land-use and large roads. There was no evidence of vegetation mitigating noise or temperature, but there was some evidence that increased vegetation cover mitigated small particulate pollution. Walking routes in more built-up environments had lower butterfly, bird and native tree species richness, and reduced butterfly abundance. Large roads were associated with reduced bird species richness and increased noise was associated with reduced bird abundance. Most specific measures of vegetation in the surrounding matrix (median patch size, structural complexity at 1.5 m resolution) were not detectably associated with biodiversity along walking routes, indicating minimal beneficial spill-over. Increased garden cover in the surrounding matrix was associated with less abundant and less species-rich butterfly communities. Our results highlight considerable heterogeneity in the environmental quality of urban walking routes and pedestrians’ potential to experience biodiversity along these routes, driven by reduced quality in areas with more built cover. A greater focus is needed on mitigating adverse effects of specific features of the built environment (roads, industrial areas, noise) surrounding walking routes to enhance the co-benefits of more biodiversity and healthier conditions for pedestrians.
- Published
- 2023
22. The effects of a decade of agri‐environment intervention in a lowland farm landscape on population trends of birds and butterflies
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Redhead, John W., Hinsley, Shelley A., Botham, Marc S., Broughton, Richard K., Freeman, Stephen N., Bellamy, Paul E., Siriwardena, Gavin, Randle, Zoë, Nowakowski, Marek, Heard, Matthew S., Pywell, Richard F., Redhead, John W., Hinsley, Shelley A., Botham, Marc S., Broughton, Richard K., Freeman, Stephen N., Bellamy, Paul E., Siriwardena, Gavin, Randle, Zoë, Nowakowski, Marek, Heard, Matthew S., and Pywell, Richard F.
- Abstract
•1. Declines in farmland biodiversity remain evident despite over three decades of research and implementation of agri-environment schemes (AES). Although positive effects of AES are often demonstrated locally or in the short term, studies exploring longer term trends in biodiversity often show contradictory results. Evidence for the potential of AES to drive beneficial changes in populations remains sparse, especially for mobile taxa such as birds and butterflies. •2. We analysed the abundance of 12 widespread bird and 9 butterfly species from a 10-year study of AES intervention in a farmland landscape in southern England. We compared estimates of annual population growth rates from our study landscape with rates derived from large-scale national monitoring schemes in equivalent landscapes without substantial AES. •3. Species trends in our study landscape were frequently stable or increasing, in contrast to concurrent declining trends in equivalent landscapes without AES. These differences were significant for total abundance of granivorous species and for chaffinch Fringilla coelebs, blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus and great tit Parus major individually. For butterflies, differences in trends were significantly more positive for gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus and green-veined white Pieris napi, while small white P. rapae showed a trend that was significantly more negative in our study landscape. •4. Synthesis and applications. Our results demonstrate that, for some bird and butterfly species, the higher abundances associated with areas of AES uptake within a typical commercial farmland landscape can co-occur with positive or stable population trends over long time scales and that these trends can show significant differences from those in equivalent landscapes without substantial AES interventions. Our results suggest that previously observed inconsistencies in AES benefits may in part reflect a lack of long-term studies with accurate data on AES uptake and quality (i.e
- Published
- 2022
23. Landscape, cropping and field boundary influences on bird abundance
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Siriwardena, Gavin M., Cooke, Ira. R., and Sutherland, William J.
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- 2012
- Full Text
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24. The relationship between multi-scale habitat heterogeneity and farmland bird abundance
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Pickett, Simon R. A. and Siriwardena, Gavin M.
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- 2011
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25. Integrated ecological monitoring in Wales: the Glastir Monitoring and Evaluation Programme field survey
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Wood, Claire M., primary, Alison, Jamie, additional, Botham, Marc S., additional, Burden, Annette, additional, Edwards, François, additional, Garbutt, R. Angus, additional, George, Paul B. L., additional, Henrys, Peter A., additional, Hobson, Russel, additional, Jarvis, Susan, additional, Keenan, Patrick, additional, Keith, Aidan M., additional, Lebron, Inma, additional, Maskell, Lindsay C., additional, Norton, Lisa R., additional, Robinson, David A., additional, Seaton, Fiona M., additional, Scarlett, Peter, additional, Siriwardena, Gavin M., additional, Skates, James, additional, Smart, Simon M., additional, Williams, Bronwen, additional, and Emmett, Bridget A., additional
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
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26. Hinfluences severe disease-mediated population declines in two of the most common garden bird species in Great Britain.
- Author
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Hanmer, Hugh J., Cunningham, Andrew A., John, Shinto K., Magregor, Shaheed K., Robinson, Robert A., Seilern-Moy, Katharina, Siriwardena, Gavin M., and Lawson, Becki
- Subjects
DEMOGRAPHIC change ,SPECIES ,AUTOPSY ,INFECTIOUS disease transmission ,POPULATION dynamics ,HABITATS - Abstract
The influence of supplementary feeding of wildlife on disease transmission and its consequent impacts on population dynamics are underappreciated. In Great Britain, supplementary feeding is hypothesised to have enabled the spread of the protozoan parasite, Trichomonas gallinae, from columbids to finches, leading to epidemic finch trichomonosis and a rapid population decline of greenfinch (Chloris chloris). More recently, chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), has also declined markedly from the second to fifth commonest bird in Britain. Using citizen science data, we show that both declines were driven primarily by reduced adult survival, with the greatest reductions occurring in peri-domestic habitats, where supplementary food provision is common. Post-mortem examinations showed a proportional increase in chaffinch trichomonosis cases, near-contemporaneous with its population decline. Like greenfinches, chaffinches often use supplementary food, but are less associated with human habitation. Our results support the hypothesis that supplementary feeding can increase parasite transmission frequency within and between common species. However, the dynamics behind resultant population change can vary markedly, highlighting the need for integrating disease surveillance with demographic monitoring. Other species susceptible to T. gallinae infection may also be at risk. Supplementary feeding guidelines for wildlife should include disease mitigation strategies to ensure that benefits to target species outweigh risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
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27. Trends in the Abundance of Farmland Birds: A Quantitative Comparison of Smoothed Common Birds Census Indices
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Siriwardena, Gavin M., Baillie, Stephen R., Buckland, Stephen T., Fewster, Rachel M., Marchant, John H., and Wilson, Jeremy D.
- Published
- 1998
28. Integrated ecological monitoring in Wales: the Glastir Monitoring and Evaluation Programme field survey
- Author
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Wood, Claire M., Alison, Jamie, Botham, Marc S., Burden, Annette, Edwards, Francois, Garbutt, R. Angus, George, Paul B.L., Henrys, Peter A., Hobson, Russel, Jarvis, Susan, Keenan, Patrick, Keith, Aidan M., Lebron, Inma, Maskell, Lindsay C., Norton, Lisa R., Robinson, David A., Seaton, Fiona M., Scarlett, Peter, Siriwardena, Gavin M., Skates, James, Smart, Simon M., Williams, Bronwen, Emmett, Bridget A., Wood, Claire M., Alison, Jamie, Botham, Marc S., Burden, Annette, Edwards, Francois, Garbutt, R. Angus, George, Paul B.L., Henrys, Peter A., Hobson, Russel, Jarvis, Susan, Keenan, Patrick, Keith, Aidan M., Lebron, Inma, Maskell, Lindsay C., Norton, Lisa R., Robinson, David A., Seaton, Fiona M., Scarlett, Peter, Siriwardena, Gavin M., Skates, James, Smart, Simon M., Williams, Bronwen, and Emmett, Bridget A.
- Abstract
The Glastir Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (GMEP) ran from 2013 until 2016 and was probably the most comprehensive programme of ecological study ever undertaken at a national scale in Wales. The programme aimed to (1) set up an evaluation of the environmental effects of the Glastir agri-environment scheme and (2) quantify environmental status and trends across the wider countryside of Wales. The focus was on outcomes for climate change mitigation, biodiversity, soil and water quality, woodland expansion, and cultural landscapes. As such, GMEP included a large field-survey component, collecting data on a range of elements including vegetation, land cover and use, soils, freshwaters, birds, and insect pollinators from up to three-hundred 1 km survey squares throughout Wales. The field survey capitalised upon the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) Countryside Survey of Great Britain, which has provided an extensive set of repeated, standardised ecological measurements since 1978. The design of both GMEP and the UKCEH Countryside Survey involved stratified-random sampling of squares from a 1 km grid, ensuring proportional representation from land classes with distinct climate, geology and physical geography. Data were collected from different land cover types and landscape features by trained professional surveyors, following standardised and published protocols. Thus, GMEP was designed so that surveys could be repeated at regular intervals to monitor the Welsh environment, including the impacts of agri-environment interventions. One such repeat survey is scheduled for 2021 under the Environment and Rural Affairs Monitoring & Modelling Programme (ERAMMP). Data from GMEP have been used to address many applied policy questions, but there is major potential for further analyses. The precise locations of data collection are not publicly available, largely for reasons of landowner confidentiality. However, the wide variety of available datasets can be (1) analyse
- Published
- 2021
29. Invasion of freshwater ecosystems is promoted by network connectivity to hotspots of human activity
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Chapman, Daniel S., Gunn, Iain D.M., Pringle, Henrietta E.K., Siriwardena, Gavin M., Taylor, Philip, Thackeray, Stephen J., Willby, Nigel J., Carvalho, Laurence, Chapman, Daniel S., Gunn, Iain D.M., Pringle, Henrietta E.K., Siriwardena, Gavin M., Taylor, Philip, Thackeray, Stephen J., Willby, Nigel J., and Carvalho, Laurence
- Abstract
Aim: Hotspots of human activity are focal points for ecosystem disturbance and non‐native introduction, from which invading populations disperse and spread. As such, connectivity to locations used by humans may influence the likelihood of invasion. Moreover, connectivity in freshwater ecosystems may follow the hydrological network. Here we tested whether multiple forms of connectivity to human recreational activities promotes biological invasion of freshwater ecosystems. Location: England, UK. Time period: 1990–2018. Major taxa studied: One hundred and twenty‐six non‐native freshwater birds, crustaceans, fish, molluscs and plants. Methods: Machine learning was used to predict spatial gradients in human recreation and two high risk activities for invasion (fishing and water sports). Connectivity indices were developed for each activity, in which human influence decayed from activity hotspots according to Euclidean distance (spatial connectivity) or hydrological network distance (downstream, upstream and along‐channel connectivity). Generalized linear mixed models identified the connectivity type most associated to invasive species richness of each group, while controlling for other anthropogenic and environmental drivers. Results: Connectivity to humans generally had stronger positive effects on invasion than all other drivers except recording effort. Recreation had stronger influence than urban land cover, and for most groups high risk activities had stronger effects than general recreation. Downstream human connectivity was most important for invasion by most of the groups, potentially reflecting predominantly hydrological dispersal. An exception was birds, for which spatial connectivity was most important, possibly because of overland dispersal capacity. Main conclusions: These findings support the hypothesis that freshwater invasion is partly determined by an interaction between human activity and species dispersal in the hydrological network. By comparing altern
- Published
- 2020
30. Configurational crop heterogeneity increases within-field plant diversity
- Author
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Alignier, Audrey, Solé-Senan, Xavier Oriol, Robleño, Irene, Baraibar, Bàrbara, Fahrig, Lenore, Giralt, David, Gross, Nicolas, Martin, Jean-Louis, Recasens, Jordi, Sirami, Clélia, Siriwardena, Gavin, Bosem-Baillod, Aliette, Bertrand, Colette, Carrié, Romain, Hass, Annika, Henckel, Laura, Miguet, Paul, Badenhausser, Isabelle, Baudry, Jacques, Bota, Gerard, Bretagnolle, Vincent, Brotons, Lluis, Burel, Françoise, Calatayud, François, Clough, Yann, Georges, Romain, Gibon, Annick, Girard, Jude, Lindsay, Kathryn, Miñano, Jesús, Mitchell, Scott, Patry, Nathalie, Poulin, Brigitte, Tscharntke, Teja, Vialatte, Aude, Violle, Cyrille, Yaverscovski, Nicole, Batáry, Péter, Alignier, Audrey, Solé-Senan, Xavier Oriol, Robleño, Irene, Baraibar, Bàrbara, Fahrig, Lenore, Giralt, David, Gross, Nicolas, Martin, Jean-Louis, Recasens, Jordi, Sirami, Clélia, Siriwardena, Gavin, Bosem-Baillod, Aliette, Bertrand, Colette, Carrié, Romain, Hass, Annika, Henckel, Laura, Miguet, Paul, Badenhausser, Isabelle, Baudry, Jacques, Bota, Gerard, Bretagnolle, Vincent, Brotons, Lluis, Burel, Françoise, Calatayud, François, Clough, Yann, Georges, Romain, Gibon, Annick, Girard, Jude, Lindsay, Kathryn, Miñano, Jesús, Mitchell, Scott, Patry, Nathalie, Poulin, Brigitte, Tscharntke, Teja, Vialatte, Aude, Violle, Cyrille, Yaverscovski, Nicole, and Batáry, Péter
- Abstract
1. Increasing landscape heterogeneity by restoring semi‐natural elements to reverse farmland biodiversity declines is not always economically feasible or acceptable to farmers due to competition for land. We hypothesized that increasing the heterogeneity of the crop mosaic itself, hereafter referred to as crop heterogeneity, can have beneficial effects on within‐field plant diversity. 2. Using a unique multi‐country dataset from a cross‐continent collaborative project covering 1,451 agricultural fields within 432 landscapes in Europe and Canada, we assessed the relative effects of compositional and configurational crop heterogeneity on within‐field plant diversity components. We also examined how these relationships were modulated by the position within the field. 3. We found strong positive effects of configurational crop heterogeneity on within‐field plant alpha and gamma diversity in field interiors. These effects were as high as the effect of semi‐natural cover. In field borders, effects of crop heterogeneity were limited to alpha diversity. We suggest that a heterogeneous crop mosaic may overcome the high negative impact of management practices on plant diversity in field interiors, whereas in field borders, where plant diversity is already high, landscape effects are more limited. 4. Synthesis and applications. Our study shows that increasing configurational crop heterogeneity is beneficial to within‐field plant diversity. It opens up a new effective and complementary way to promote farmland biodiversity without taking land out of agricultural production. We therefore recommend adopting manipulation of crop heterogeneity as a specific, effective management option in future policy measures, perhaps adding to agri‐environment schemes, to contribute to the conservation of farmland plant diversity.
- Published
- 2020
31. Species contributions to single biodiversity values under-estimate whole community contribution to a wider range of values to society
- Author
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Hiron, Matthew, Pärt, Tomas, Siriwardena, Gavin M., and Whittingham, Mark J.
- Subjects
Conservation of Natural Resources ,Policy ,Science ,Decision Making ,Medicine ,Biodiversity ,Article - Abstract
A major task for decision makers is deciding how to consider monetary, cultural and conservation values of biodiversity explicitly when planning sustainable land use. Thus, there is a great need to understand just what “valuing” biodiversity or species really means, e.g. regarding how many and which species are important in providing ecosystem services or other values. Constructing ecosystem-level indices, however, requires weighting the relative contribution of species to the different values. Using farmland birds, we illustrate how species contribute to different biodiversity values, namely utilitarian (pest seed predation potential), cultural (species occurrence in poetry), conservational (declines and rarity) and inherent (all species equal) value. Major contributions to each value are often made by a subset of the community and different species are important for different values, leading to no correlations or, in some cases, negative correlations between species’ relative contributions to different values. Our results and methods using relative contributions of species to biodiversity values can aid decisions when weighing different values in policies and strategies for natural resource management. We conclude that acknowledging the importance of the range of biodiversity values that are apparent from different perspectives is critical if the full value of biodiversity to society is to be realised.
- Published
- 2018
32. Invasion of freshwater ecosystems is promoted by network connectivity to hotspots of human activity
- Author
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Chapman, Daniel S., primary, Gunn, Iain D. M., additional, Pringle, Henrietta E. K., additional, Siriwardena, Gavin M., additional, Taylor, Philip, additional, Thackeray, Stephen J., additional, Willby, Nigel J., additional, and Carvalho, Laurence, additional
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Pond management enhances the local abundance and species richness of farmland bird communities
- Author
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Lewis-Phillips, Jonathan, Brooks, Steve, Sayer, Carl Derek, McCrea, Rachel S., Siriwardena, Gavin, and Axmacher, Jan Christoph
- Abstract
Agricultural intensification and the associated loss of non-cropped habitats have caused a major decline in UK farmland bird populations since the 1970s. As a consequence, there is an urgent need to implement effective conservation and habitat restoration measures in agricultural landscapes. Over the last 40–50 years, due to the cessation of traditional management practices, the majority of UK farmland ponds have become highly terrestrialised, resulting in major reductions in the diversity and abundance of aquatic plant and invertebrate assemblages. Recent research undertaken at farmland ponds in early summer, has shown restored open-canopy, macrophyte-dominated ponds support an increased abundance and diversity of farmland birds, compared to non-managed, overgrown ponds.\ud \ud Here, we expand on this previous research with a year-long field study to assess the implications of pond management for farmland birds by comparing bird diversity, abundance and activity at managed open-canopy ponds with those at unmanaged overgrown ponds. Driven strongly by pond management and connectivity to semi-natural landscape features such as hedgerows and woodland patches, bird abundance and species richness, as well as foraging and parental behaviour, were all significantly higher at managed open-canopy ponds. Further, a wider landscape analysis found that terrestrial land-use patterns in the vicinity of the ponds were not significant predictors of bird communities at the pond sites.\ud \ud In light of the numerous potential benefits to conservation-listed birds and other wildlife, we conclude that farmland pond management has been undervalued as a conservation measure to assist farmland birds. Consequently, we conclude that future agri-environment schemes, should more fully embrace farmland ponds.
- Published
- 2018
34. Small Water Bodies in UK and Ireland: Ecosystem function, human-generated degradation, and options for restorative action
- Author
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Riley, William D, Potter, Edward C E, Biggs, Jeremy, Collins, Adrian L, Jarvie, Helen P, Jones, J. Iwan, Kelly-Quinn, Mary, Ormerod, Steve J, Sear, David A, Wilby, Robert L, Broadmeadow, Samantha, Brown, Colin David, Chanin, Paul, Copp, Gordon H, Cowx, Ian G, Grogan, Adam, Hornby, Duncan D, Huggett, Duncan, Kelly, Martyn G, Naura, Marc, Newman, Jonathan R, and Siriwardena, Gavin M
- Abstract
Small, 1st and 2nd -order, headwater streams and ponds play essential roles in providing natural flood control, trapping sediments and contaminants, retaining nutrients, and maintaining biological diversity, which extend into downstream reaches, lakes and estuaries. However, the large geographic extent and high connectivity of these small water bodies with the surrounding terrestrial ecosystem makes them particularly vulnerable to growing land-use pressures and environmental change. The greatest pressure on the physical processes in these waters has been their extension and modification for agricultural and forestry drainage, resulting in highly modified discharge and temperature regimes that have implications for flood and drought control further downstream. The extensive length of the small stream network exposes rivers to a wide range of inputs, including nutrients, pesticides, heavy metals, sediment and emerging contaminants. Small water bodies have also been affected by invasions of non-native species, which along with the physical and chemical pressures, have affected most groups of organisms with consequent implications for the wider biodiversity within the catchment. Reducing the impacts and restoring the natural ecosystem function of these water bodies requires a three-tiered approach based on: restoration of channel hydromorphological dynamics; restoration and management of the riparian zone; and management of activities in the wider catchment that have both point-source and diffuse impacts. Such activities are expensive and so emphasis must be placed on integrated programmes that provide multiple benefits. Practical options need to be promoted through legislative regulation, financial incentives, markets for resource services and voluntary codes and actions.
- Published
- 2018
35. Using GIS-linked Bayesian belief networks as a tool for modelling urban biodiversity
- Author
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Grafius, Darren R., Corstanje, Ron, Warren, Philip H., Evans, Karl L., Norton, Briony A., Siriwardena, Gavin M., Pescott, Oliver L., Plummer, Kate E., Mears, Meghann, Zawadzka, Joanna, Richards, J. Paul, Harris, Jim A., Grafius, Darren R., Corstanje, Ron, Warren, Philip H., Evans, Karl L., Norton, Briony A., Siriwardena, Gavin M., Pescott, Oliver L., Plummer, Kate E., Mears, Meghann, Zawadzka, Joanna, Richards, J. Paul, and Harris, Jim A.
- Abstract
The ability to predict spatial variation in biodiversity is a long-standing but elusive objective of landscape ecology. It depends on a detailed understanding of relationships between landscape and patch structure and taxonomic richness, and accurate spatial modelling. Complex heterogeneous environments such as cities pose particular challenges, as well as heightened relevance, given the increasing rate of urbanisation globally. Here we use a GIS-linked Bayesian Belief Network approach to test whether landscape and patch structural characteristics (including vegetation height, green-space patch size and their connectivity) drive measured taxonomic richness of numerous invertebrate, plant, and avian groups. We find that modelled richness is typically higher in larger and better-connected green-spaces with taller vegetation, indicative of more complex vegetation structure and consistent with the principle of ‘bigger, better, and more joined up’. Assessing the relative importance of these variables indicates that vegetation height is the most influential in determining richness for a majority of taxa. There is variation, however, between taxonomic groups in the relationships between richness and landscape structural characteristics, and the sensitivity of these relationships to particular predictors. Consequently, despite some broad commonalities, there will be trade-offs between different taxonomic groups when designing urban landscapes to maximise biodiversity. This research demonstrates the feasibility of using a GIS-coupled Bayesian Belief Network approach to model biodiversity at fine spatial scales in complex landscapes where current data and appropriate modelling approaches are lacking, and our findings have important implications for ecologists, conservationists and planners.
- Published
- 2019
36. Increasing crop heterogeneity enhances multitrophic diversity across agricultural regions
- Author
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Universidad de Alicante. Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales y Recursos Naturales, Universidad de Alicante. Centro Iberoamericano de la Biodiversidad, Sirami, Clélia, Gross, Nicolas, Baillod, Aliette Bosem, Bertrand, Colette, Carrié, Romain, Hass, Annika, Henckel, Laura, Miguet, Paul, Vuillot, Carole, Alignier, Audrey, Girard, Jude, Batáry, Péter, Clough, Yann, Violle, Cyrille, Giralt, David, Bota, Gerard, Badenhausser, Isabelle, Lefebvre, Gaëtan, Gauffre, Bertrand, Vialatte, Aude, Calatayud, François, Gil-Tena, Assu, Tischendorf, Lutz, Mitchell, Scott, Lindsay, Kathryn, Georges, Romain, Hilaire, Samuel, Recasens, Jordi, Solé-Senan, Xavier Oriol, Robleño, Irene, Bosch, Jordi, Barrientos, Jose Antonio, Ricarte, Antonio, Marcos-García, M. Ángeles, Miñano, Jesús, Mathevet, Raphaël, Gibon, Annick, Baudry, Jacques, Balent, Gérard, Poulin, Brigitte, Burel, Françoise, Tscharntke, Teja, Bretagnolle, Vincent, Siriwardena, Gavin, Ouin, Annie, Brotons, Lluis, Martin, Jean-Louis, Fahrig, Lenore, Universidad de Alicante. Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales y Recursos Naturales, Universidad de Alicante. Centro Iberoamericano de la Biodiversidad, Sirami, Clélia, Gross, Nicolas, Baillod, Aliette Bosem, Bertrand, Colette, Carrié, Romain, Hass, Annika, Henckel, Laura, Miguet, Paul, Vuillot, Carole, Alignier, Audrey, Girard, Jude, Batáry, Péter, Clough, Yann, Violle, Cyrille, Giralt, David, Bota, Gerard, Badenhausser, Isabelle, Lefebvre, Gaëtan, Gauffre, Bertrand, Vialatte, Aude, Calatayud, François, Gil-Tena, Assu, Tischendorf, Lutz, Mitchell, Scott, Lindsay, Kathryn, Georges, Romain, Hilaire, Samuel, Recasens, Jordi, Solé-Senan, Xavier Oriol, Robleño, Irene, Bosch, Jordi, Barrientos, Jose Antonio, Ricarte, Antonio, Marcos-García, M. Ángeles, Miñano, Jesús, Mathevet, Raphaël, Gibon, Annick, Baudry, Jacques, Balent, Gérard, Poulin, Brigitte, Burel, Françoise, Tscharntke, Teja, Bretagnolle, Vincent, Siriwardena, Gavin, Ouin, Annie, Brotons, Lluis, Martin, Jean-Louis, and Fahrig, Lenore
- Abstract
Agricultural landscape homogenization has detrimental effects on biodiversity and key ecosystem services. Increasing agricultural landscape heterogeneity by increasing seminatural cover can help to mitigate biodiversity loss. However, the amount of seminatural cover is generally low and difficult to increase in many intensively managed agricultural landscapes. We hypothesized that increasing the heterogeneity of the crop mosaic itself (hereafter “crop heterogeneity”) can also have positive effects on biodiversity. In 8 contrasting regions of Europe and North America, we selected 435 landscapes along independent gradients of crop diversity and mean field size. Within each landscape, we selected 3 sampling sites in 1, 2, or 3 crop types. We sampled 7 taxa (plants, bees, butterflies, hoverflies, carabids, spiders, and birds) and calculated a synthetic index of multitrophic diversity at the landscape level. Increasing crop heterogeneity was more beneficial for multitrophic diversity than increasing seminatural cover. For instance, the effect of decreasing mean field size from 5 to 2.8 ha was as strong as the effect of increasing seminatural cover from 0.5 to 11%. Decreasing mean field size benefited multitrophic diversity even in the absence of seminatural vegetation between fields. Increasing the number of crop types sampled had a positive effect on landscape-level multitrophic diversity. However, the effect of increasing crop diversity in the landscape surrounding fields sampled depended on the amount of seminatural cover. Our study provides large-scale, multitrophic, cross-regional evidence that increasing crop heterogeneity can be an effective way to increase biodiversity in agricultural landscapes without taking land out of agricultural production.
- Published
- 2019
37. Covariation in urban birds providing cultural services or disservices and people
- Author
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Cox, Daniel T. C., Hudson, Hannah L., Plummer, Kate E., Siriwardena, Gavin M., Anderson, Karen, Hancock, Steven, Devine-wright, Patrick, Gaston, Kevin J., and Macivor, J. Scott
- Published
- 2018
38. How can assemblage structure indices improve monitoring of change in bird communities using ongoing survey data?
- Author
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Siriwardena, Gavin M., primary, Henderson, Ian G., additional, Noble, David G., additional, and Fuller, Robert J., additional
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
39. Effects of deer on woodland structure revealed through terrestrial laser scanning
- Author
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Eichhorn, Markus P., Ryding, Joseph, Smith, Martin J., Gil, Robin M.A., Siriwardena, Gavin M., and Fuller, Robert J.
- Subjects
forest canopy ,LiDAR ,Deer browsing ,oak ,forest management ,foliage profile ,forest understorey ,woodland management ,forest structure - Abstract
1.Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) captures the three-dimensional structure of habitats. Compared to traditional methods of forest mensuration, it allows quantification of structure at increased resolution, and the derivation of novel metrics with which to inform ecological studies and habitat management.2.Lowland woodlands in the UK have altered in structure over the last century due to increased abundance of deer and a decline in management. We compared whole-canopy profiles between woodlands with high (>10 deer km−2) and low deer density (c. 1 deer km−2), and in stands with and without records of management interventions in the last 20 years, providing a test case for the application of TLS in habitat assessment for conservation and management.3.Forty closed-canopy lowland woodlands (height range 16·5–29·4 m) were surveyed using TLS in two regions of the UK, divided into areas of high- and low-deer abundance, and between plots which had been recently managed or were unmanaged. Three-dimensional reconstructions of the woodlands were created to document the density of foliage and stem material across the entire vertical span of the canopy.4.There was a 68% lower density of understorey foliage (0·5–2 m above-ground) in high-deer woodlands, consistent in both regions. Despite this, total amounts of foliage detected across the full canopy did not differ between deer density levels. High-deer sites were 5 m taller overall and differed in the distribution of foliage across their vertical profile. Managed woodlands, in contrast, exhibited relatively minor differences from controls, including a lower quantity of stem material at heights from 2 to 5 m, but no difference in foliage density. All main effects were replicated equally in both regions despite notable differences in stand structures between them.5.Synthesis and applications. Terrestrial laser scanning allows ecologists to move beyond two-dimensional measures of vegetation structure and quantify patterns across complex, heterogeneous, three-dimensional habitats. Our findings suggest that reduction of deer populations is likely to have a strong impact on woodland structures and aid in restoring the complex understorey habitats required by many birds, whereas management interventions as currently practiced have limited and inconsistent effects.
- Published
- 2017
40. Landscape configurational heterogeneity by small-scale agriculture, not crop diversity, maintains pollinators and plant reproduction in western Europe
- Author
-
Universidad de Alicante. Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales y Recursos Naturales, Universidad de Alicante. Centro Iberoamericano de la Biodiversidad, Hass, Annika L., Kormann, Urs G., Tscharntke, Teja, Clough, Yann, Baillod, Aliette Bosem, Sirami, Clélia, Fahrig, Lenore, Martin, Jean-Louis, Baudry, Jacques, Bertrand, Colette, Bosch, Jordi, Brotons, Lluís, Burel, Françoise, Georges, Romain, Giralt, David, Marcos-García, M. Ángeles, Ricarte, Antonio, Siriwardena, Gavin, Batáry, Péter, Universidad de Alicante. Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales y Recursos Naturales, Universidad de Alicante. Centro Iberoamericano de la Biodiversidad, Hass, Annika L., Kormann, Urs G., Tscharntke, Teja, Clough, Yann, Baillod, Aliette Bosem, Sirami, Clélia, Fahrig, Lenore, Martin, Jean-Louis, Baudry, Jacques, Bertrand, Colette, Bosch, Jordi, Brotons, Lluís, Burel, Françoise, Georges, Romain, Giralt, David, Marcos-García, M. Ángeles, Ricarte, Antonio, Siriwardena, Gavin, and Batáry, Péter
- Abstract
Agricultural intensification is one of the main causes for the current biodiversity crisis. While reversing habitat loss on agricultural land is challenging, increasing the farmland configurational heterogeneity (higher field border density) and farmland compositional heterogeneity (higher crop diversity) has been proposed to counteract some habitat loss. Here, we tested whether increased farmland configurational and compositional heterogeneity promote wild pollinators and plant reproduction in 229 landscapes located in four major western European agricultural regions. High-field border density consistently increased wild bee abundance and seed set of radish (Raphanus sativus), probably through enhanced connectivity. In particular, we demonstrate the importance of crop–crop borders for pollinator movement as an additional experiment showed higher transfer of a pollen analogue along crop–crop borders than across fields or along semi-natural crop borders. By contrast, high crop diversity reduced bee abundance, probably due to an increase of crop types with particularly intensive management. This highlights the importance of crop identity when higher crop diversity is promoted. Our results show that small-scale agricultural systems can boost pollinators and plant reproduction. Agri-environmental policies should therefore aim to halt and reverse the current trend of increasing field sizes and to reduce the amount of crop types with particularly intensive management.
- Published
- 2018
41. Small water bodies in Great Britain and Ireland: ecosystem function, human-generated degradation, and options for restorative action
- Author
-
Riley, William D., Potter, Edward C.E., Biggs, Jeremy, Collins, Adrian L., Jarvie, Helen P., Jones, J. Iwan, Kelly-Quinn, Mary, Ormerod, Steve J., Sear, David A., Wilby, Robert L., Broadmeadow, Samantha, Brown, Colin D., Chanin, Paul, Copp, Gordon H., Cowx, Ian G., Grogan, Adam, Hornby, Duncan D., Huggett, Duncan, Kelly, Martyn G., Naura, Marc, Newman, Jonathan R., Siriwardena, Gavin M., Riley, William D., Potter, Edward C.E., Biggs, Jeremy, Collins, Adrian L., Jarvie, Helen P., Jones, J. Iwan, Kelly-Quinn, Mary, Ormerod, Steve J., Sear, David A., Wilby, Robert L., Broadmeadow, Samantha, Brown, Colin D., Chanin, Paul, Copp, Gordon H., Cowx, Ian G., Grogan, Adam, Hornby, Duncan D., Huggett, Duncan, Kelly, Martyn G., Naura, Marc, Newman, Jonathan R., and Siriwardena, Gavin M.
- Abstract
Small, 1st and 2nd-order, headwater streams and ponds play essential roles in providing natural flood control, trapping sediments and contaminants, retaining nutrients, and maintaining biological diversity, which extend into downstream reaches, lakes and estuaries. However, the large geographic extent and high connectivity of these small water bodies with the surrounding terrestrial ecosystem makes them particularly vulnerable to growing land-use pressures and environmental change. The greatest pressure on the physical processes in these waters has been their extension and modification for agricultural and forestry drainage, resulting in highly modified discharge and temperature regimes that have implications for flood and drought control further downstream. The extensive length of the small stream network exposes rivers to a wide range of inputs, including nutrients, pesticides, heavy metals, sediment and emerging contaminants. Small water bodies have also been affected by invasions of non-native species, which along with the physical and chemical pressures, have affected most groups of organisms with consequent implications for the wider biodiversity within the catchment. Reducing the impacts and restoring the natural ecosystem function of these water bodies requires a three-tiered approach based on: restoration of channel hydromorphological dynamics; restoration and management of the riparian zone; and management of activities in the wider catchment that have both point-source and diffuse impacts. Such activities are expensive and so emphasis must be placed on integrated programmes that provide multiple benefits. Practical options need to be promoted through legislative regulation, financial incentives, markets for resource services and voluntary codes and actions.
- Published
- 2018
42. Overcoming the challenges of public data archiving for citizen science biodiversity recording and monitoring schemes
- Author
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Pearce-Higgins, James W., Baillie, Stephen R., Boughey, Katherine, Bourn, Nigel A.D., Foppen, Ruud P.B., Gillings, Simon, Gregory, Richard D., Hunt, Tom, Jiguet, Frederic, Lehikoinen, Aleksi, Musgrove, Andy J., Robinson, Rob A., Roy, David B., Siriwardena, Gavin M., Walker, Kevin J., Wilson, Jeremy D., Pearce-Higgins, James W., Baillie, Stephen R., Boughey, Katherine, Bourn, Nigel A.D., Foppen, Ruud P.B., Gillings, Simon, Gregory, Richard D., Hunt, Tom, Jiguet, Frederic, Lehikoinen, Aleksi, Musgrove, Andy J., Robinson, Rob A., Roy, David B., Siriwardena, Gavin M., Walker, Kevin J., and Wilson, Jeremy D.
- Abstract
1. Public data archiving (PDA) is widely advocated as a means of achieving open data standards, leading to improved data preservation, increased scientific reproducibility, and transparency, as well as additional data use. 2. Public data archiving was primarily conceived to archive data from short‐term, single‐purpose scientific studies. It is now more widely applied, including to large‐scale citizen science biodiversity recording and monitoring schemes which combine the efforts of volunteers with professional scientists. 3. This may affect the financial security of such schemes by reducing income from data and analytical services. Communication between scheme organizers and researchers may be disrupted, reducing scientific quality and impeding scheme development. It may also have an impact on the participation of some volunteers. 4. Synthesis and applications. In response to the challenges of public data archiving for citizen science biodiversity recording and monitoring schemes, the archive function of scheme organizations should be better recognized by those promoting open data principles. Increased financial support from the public sector or from commercial or academic data users may offset financial risk. Those in favour of public data archiving should do more to facilitate communication between nonscheme users and the originating schemes, while a more flexible approach to data archiving may be required to address potential impacts on volunteer participation.
- Published
- 2018
43. Habitat diversity and structure regulate British bird richness: implications of non-linear relationships for conservation
- Author
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Carrasco, Luis, Norton, Lisa, Henrys, Peter, Siriwardena, Gavin M., Rhodes, Christopher J., Rowland, Clare, Morton, Daniel, Carrasco, Luis, Norton, Lisa, Henrys, Peter, Siriwardena, Gavin M., Rhodes, Christopher J., Rowland, Clare, and Morton, Daniel
- Abstract
Spatial environmental heterogeneity (EH) is an important factor determining species richness among many taxa across spatial scales. Increased EH may support higher diversity mainly by providing a higher number of ecological niches. However, the shapes of the EH-diversity relationships and their influence on diversity measures at landscape scales are poorly understood. We used random forests regression models to assess the relationships between different components of EH and bird species richness across Great Britain. Bird data were obtained using BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey methods across 335 UK Countryside Survey (CS) 1-km squares in 2000. Data on components of EH, including; vegetation, habitat diversity, and habitat structure were collected in associated field surveys. Using the results of our EH component-bird richness models, we applied the case of the likely decline of the ash tree, a species of conservation concern and a key component of British landscape complexity, to create predictive scenarios of future bird richness. We found that EH components had a strong positive effect on bird richness and identified six key components that explained over 70% of variance in bird richness. Bird richness responses were strongly dependent on the specific EH components and were generally non-linear, especially for habitat structural variables, such as lines of trees and hedges. Our predictive scenarios showed a decrease in bird species richness only for simulated ash tree decreases within the habitat structural variables of over 90%, and only for areas where this tree species was a particularly abundant component of the landscape. Our findings, showing that bird richness responses differ for EH components, and that non-linear responses are common, could help the ‘design’ of landscapes that enhance bird diversity. In particular, our study indicates that, in some cases, increasing the occurrence of key structural components of habitat (such as ensuring a minimum of
- Published
- 2018
44. Options for a new integrated natural resources monitoring framework for Wales. Phase 1 project report
- Author
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Emmett, Bridget, Bell, Chris, Chadwick, David, Cheffings, Chris, Henrys, Peter, Prosser, Havard, Siriwardena, Gavin, Smart, Simon, Williams, Bronwen, Emmett, Bridget, Bell, Chris, Chadwick, David, Cheffings, Chris, Henrys, Peter, Prosser, Havard, Siriwardena, Gavin, Smart, Simon, and Williams, Bronwen
- Abstract
Healthy natural resources underpin significant economic sectors in Wales including agriculture, fisheries, tourism and forestry, they also make a significant contribution across Cabinet policies including the health and well-being agenda. In order to develop policies that build social, economic and environmental resilience and to evaluate policy implementation, a robust natural resources monitoring framework is required. Current monitoring activities are of varying quality, not sufficiently aligned to the new legislative and policy landscape, disjointed and when considered as a whole, potentially not as cost-effective as they could be. This project was tasked with identifying options and developing recommendations for an integrated natural resources monitoring framework for Wales reflecting the ambitions and integrating principles of the Environment Act and Well Being of Future Generations Act. The monitoring community, the Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales Core Evidence Group, the project team, stakeholders and partners, have agreed on a set of recommendations.
- Published
- 2016
45. A transparent process for 'evidence-informed' policy making
- Author
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Dicks, Lynn V., Hodge, Ian, Randall, Nicola P., Scharlemann, Jorn P. W., Siriwardena, Gavin M., Smith, Henrik G., Smith, Rebecca K., and Sutherland, William J.
- Abstract
Political institutions are keen to use the best available scientific knowledge in decision-making. For environmental policy, relevant scientific evidence can be complex and extensive, so expert judgment is frequently relied upon, without clear links to the evidence itself. We propose a new transparent process for incorporating research evidence into policy decisions, involving independent synopsis of evidence relating to all possible policy options combined with expert evaluation of what the evidence means for specific policy questions. We illustrate the process using reforms of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy currently being negotiated. Under the reform proposals, 30% of direct payments to farmers will become conditional upon three "compulsory greening measures." Independently, we compiled and evaluated experimental evidence for the effects of 85 interventions to protect wildlife on northern European farmland, 12 of which correspond to aspects of the compulsory greening measures. Our evaluation clearly indicates evidence of consistent wildlife benefits for some, but not all, of the greening measures. The process of evidence synopsis with expert evaluation has three advantages over existing efforts to incorporate evidence into policy decisions: it provides a clear evidence audit trail, allows rapid response to new policy contexts, and clarifies sources of uncertainty.
- Published
- 2014
46. Investigating the impact of street lighting changes on garden moth communities
- Author
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Plummer, Kate E., primary, Hale, James D., additional, O’Callaghan, Matthew J., additional, Sadler, Jon P., additional, and Siriwardena, Gavin M., additional
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
47. The relative value of field survey and remote sensing for biodiversity assessment
- Author
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Rhodes, Christopher J., Henrys, Peter, Siriwardena, Gavin M., Whittingham, Mark J., Norton, Lisa R., Rhodes, Christopher J., Henrys, Peter, Siriwardena, Gavin M., Whittingham, Mark J., and Norton, Lisa R.
- Abstract
1. The importance of habitat for biodiversity is well established, but the two most commonly used methods to measure habitat (field survey and remote sensing) have seldom been explicitly compared. 2. We compare high-resolution sample-based field survey (Countryside Survey) with medium-resolution remotely sensed habitat data (the highest resolution of Land Cover Map available) for Great Britain. Variation in abundance of 60 bird species from 335 1 km squares was modelled using habitat predictors from the two methods. Model comparisons assessed the explanatory power of (i) field survey vs. remotely sensed data and (ii) coarse information on habitat areas (Broad Habitats) vs. fine-grained information on Landscape Features. 3. Field survey data (combining Broad Habitat and Landscape Feature predictors) explained more variation in bird abundance than remotely sensed data (comprising Broad Habitat predictors only) for 57 species and had significantly higher mean explanatory power, averaged across 60 species models. The relative explanatory power of remote sensing, as a proportion of that provided by field data, was measured at 73%, aver aged across 60 species models. Predictions from field survey Broad Habitat data were more accurate than those from either remotely sensed Broad Habitat data or field survey Landscape Feature data, averaged across 60 species models. 4. High-resolution data generate more reliable models of predicted local population responses to land use change than lower resolution remotely sensed data. Collection of field data is typically costly in time, labour and resources, making use of remote sensing more feasible for assessment at larger spatial extents if data of equivalent value are produced, but the cost–benefit threshold between the two is likely to be context specific. However, integration of field survey with remotely sensed data provides accurate predictions of bird distributions, which suggests that both forms of data should be considered for future biod
- Published
- 2015
48. Landscape-scale responses of birds to agri-environment management: a test of the English Environmental Stewardship scheme
- Author
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Baker, David J., Freeman, Stephen N., Grice, Phil V., and Siriwardena, Gavin M.
- Subjects
Ecology and Environment - Abstract
1. Agri-environment schemes (AES) are used extensively across Europe to address biodiversity declines in farmland. In England, Environmental Stewardship (ES) was introduced in 2005 to address the shortcomings of previous schemes, but as for schemes in other countries, assessments to date have revealed little evidence for national-scale biodiversity benefits. 2. Here, we assess the efficacy of ES in driving changes in national farmland bird populations over the period 2002–2010, using BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey data. We tested for associations between ES management options, grouped into categories reflecting intended biological effects (e.g. stubble), and species’ population growth rates, wherever benefits of management might be expected to occur. 3. We found strong evidence for positive effects of management that provides winter food resources (i.e. ES stubble and wild bird seed [WBS] crops) on population growth rates across multiple granivorous species, at three landscape scales. The results for management aiming to provide breeding season benefits (i.e. grassland, field margin and boundary [hedge, ditch] management) showed mixed patterns of positive and negative associations. 4. The results for stubble and WBS provide the first evidence for landscape-scale responses of biodiversity to AES management. The negative relationships identified may also show the importance of management context driving unforeseen predation or competition effects. 5. Synthesis and Applications. This study demonstrates that agri-environment scheme management has the potential to have national-scale effects on avian population growth rates, although our results suggest that some components of the scheme have had little effect on bird populations. Therefore, whilst this study provides the first proof-of-concept for broad-and-shallow scheme impacts on biodiversity, our results underline the importance of targeting towards population-limiting factors, here winter food resources. A combination of low uptake of key in-field options that provide winter seed and a failure to cover the late-winter period effectively explains the lack of national population responses. Such issues need to be addressed before schemes like Environmental Stewardship will achieve their goals. This study shows the value of feedback from monitoring for informing scheme design, through identifying problems and testing solutions.
- Published
- 2012
49. Functional landscape heterogeneity and animal biodiversity in agricultural landscapes
- Author
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Fahrig, Lenore, Baudry, Jacques, Brotons, Lluis, Burel, Francoise, Crist, Thomas O., Fuller, Robert J., Sirami, Clelia, Siriwardena, Gavin M., Martin, J.L., Biology, Geomatics and Landscape Ecology Research Laboratory, Carleton University, SAD Paysages, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Forest Technology Centre of Catalonia, Ecosystèmes, biodiversité, évolution [Rennes] (ECOBIO), Université de Rennes 1 (UR1), Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES)-Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES)-Institut Ecologie et Environnement (INEE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Rennes (OSUR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Zoology and Program in Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Miami University [Ohio] (MU), British Trust for Ornithology, Zoology Department, Cape Town, University of Cape Town, Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [France-Sud])-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-École pratique des hautes études (EPHE)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques (Montpellier SupAgro)-Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 (UM3), SAD Paysage (SAD Paysage), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-AGROCAMPUS OUEST, Centre de Ciència i Tecnologia Forestal de Catalunya (CTFC), Université de Rennes (UR)-Institut Ecologie et Environnement (INEE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Rennes (OSUR), Université de Rennes (UR)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Rennes 2 (UR2)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Rennes 2 (UR2)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 (UPVM)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques (Montpellier SupAgro)-École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [France-Sud])-Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro), Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Rennes (OSUR)-Institut Ecologie et Environnement (INEE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Rennes 1 (UR1), Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES)-Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-École pratique des hautes études (EPHE), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques (Montpellier SupAgro)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 (UPVM)-Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro), Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [France-Sud]), and Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 (UM3)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques (Montpellier SupAgro)-École pratique des hautes études (EPHE)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [France-Sud])-Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro)
- Subjects
intermediate heterogeneity hypothesis ,field size ,landscape complementation ,landscape composition ,Agri-environment scheme ,landscape configuration ,spatial heterogeneity ,habitat fragmentation ,[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology ,crop diversity ,field margins - Abstract
International audience; Biodiversity in agricultural landscapes can be increased with conversion of some production lands into 'more-natural' – unmanaged or extensively managed – lands. However, it remains unknown to what extent biodiversity can be enhanced by altering landscape pattern without reducing agricultural production. We propose a framework for this problem, considering separately compositional heterogeneity (the number and proportions of different cover types) and configurational heterogeneity (the spatial arrangement of cover types). Cover type classification and mapping is based on species requirements, such as feeding and nesting, resulting in measures of 'functional landscape heterogeneity'. We then identify three important questions: does biodiversity increase with (1) increasing heterogeneity of the more-natural areas, (2) increasing compositional heterogeneity of production cover types and (3) increasing configurational heterogeneity of production cover types? We discuss approaches for addressing these questions. Such studies should have high priority because biodiversity protection globally depends increasingly on maintaining biodiversity in human-dominated landscapes.
- Published
- 2011
50. Glastir Monitoring & Evaluation Programme. First year annual report
- Author
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Williams, Bronwen, Emmett, Bridget, Abdalla, Mohamed, Anthony, Steven, August, Tom, Barrett, Gaynor, Biggs, Jeremy, Botham, Marc, Bradley, David, Brown, Mike, Carter, Heather, Chadwick, David, Cigna, Francesca, Cooper, David, Cooper, Jonathan, Cosby, Jack, Creer, Simon, Cross, Paul, Edwards, Francois, Edwards, Michael, Evans, Christopher, Ewald, Naomi, Fitton, Andrew, Garbutt, Angus, Grebby, Stephen, Greene, Sheila, Halfpenney, Ian, Hall, Jane, Harrison, Samantha, Harrower, Colin, Henrys, Peter, Hobson, Russell, Hughes, Steven, Isaac, Nick, Jackson, Bethanna, Jarvis, Susan, Jones, Davey, Keith, Aidan, Kelly, Martin, Korenko, J., Lallias, Delphine, Leaver, David, Lebron, Inma, Malcolm, Heath, Maskell, Lindsay, McDonald, J., Moxley, Janet, Norton, Lisa, O'Hare, Matthew, Owen, Anthea, Dos Santos Pereira, Gloria, Peyton, Jodey, Powney, Gary, Pywell, Richard, Rawlins, Barry, Robinson, David, Rorke, Stephanie, Rowland, Clare, Roy, David, Scarlett, Peter, Scholefield, Paul, Scott, Andy, Scott, Louise, Scott, Rod, Siriwardena, Gavin, Smart, Simon, Smith, Peter, Swetnam, Ruth, Taylor, Rachel, Tordoff, George, Van Breda, John, Vincent, Helen, Wagner, Markus, Waters, Emma, Watkins, John, White, J., Wood, Claire, Wright, Simon, Williams, Bronwen, Emmett, Bridget, Abdalla, Mohamed, Anthony, Steven, August, Tom, Barrett, Gaynor, Biggs, Jeremy, Botham, Marc, Bradley, David, Brown, Mike, Carter, Heather, Chadwick, David, Cigna, Francesca, Cooper, David, Cooper, Jonathan, Cosby, Jack, Creer, Simon, Cross, Paul, Edwards, Francois, Edwards, Michael, Evans, Christopher, Ewald, Naomi, Fitton, Andrew, Garbutt, Angus, Grebby, Stephen, Greene, Sheila, Halfpenney, Ian, Hall, Jane, Harrison, Samantha, Harrower, Colin, Henrys, Peter, Hobson, Russell, Hughes, Steven, Isaac, Nick, Jackson, Bethanna, Jarvis, Susan, Jones, Davey, Keith, Aidan, Kelly, Martin, Korenko, J., Lallias, Delphine, Leaver, David, Lebron, Inma, Malcolm, Heath, Maskell, Lindsay, McDonald, J., Moxley, Janet, Norton, Lisa, O'Hare, Matthew, Owen, Anthea, Dos Santos Pereira, Gloria, Peyton, Jodey, Powney, Gary, Pywell, Richard, Rawlins, Barry, Robinson, David, Rorke, Stephanie, Rowland, Clare, Roy, David, Scarlett, Peter, Scholefield, Paul, Scott, Andy, Scott, Louise, Scott, Rod, Siriwardena, Gavin, Smart, Simon, Smith, Peter, Swetnam, Ruth, Taylor, Rachel, Tordoff, George, Van Breda, John, Vincent, Helen, Wagner, Markus, Waters, Emma, Watkins, John, White, J., Wood, Claire, and Wright, Simon
- Abstract
The Welsh Government has commissioned a comprehensive new ecosystem monitoring and evaluation programme to monitor the effects of Glastir, its new land management scheme, and to monitor progress towards a range of international biodiversity and environmental targets. A random sample of 1 km squares stratified by landcover types will be used both to monitor change at a national level in the wider countryside and to provide a backdrop against which intervention measures are assessed using a second sample of 1 km squares located in areas eligible for enhanced payments for advanced interventions. Modelling in the first year has forecast change based on current understanding, whilst a rolling national monitoring programme based on an ecosystem approach will provide an evidence-base for on-going, adaptive development of the scheme by Welsh Government. To our knowledge, this will constitute the largest and most in-depth ecosystem monitoring and evaluation programme of any member state of the European Union.
- Published
- 2014
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