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Wise-use of land resources determines sustainability of environment and human welfare. But, the ongoing land-use change constrains environmental sustainability. Thus, this study aims to quantify past and future land-use change trend with its associated drivers in Koore's agricultural landscape of Southern Ethiopia. To quantify the change trends, geospatial tools were applied. A CA–Markov model was used to predict land-use changes. Relative Importance Index was used to identify major drivers of the change. The result of the study showed agroforestry, built-up and cultivation rise by 192%, 152% and 18% at the expense of natural environment. Population growth and agricultural expansion are among the leading land-use change drivers. CA–Markov model revealed a continued increment of anthropogenically modified land-use classes which adversely affect the sustainability of the landscape. Information on spatiotemporal dynamics has been confirmed as effectual measure for nature conservation, agriculture, urban planners, and policymakers to plan sustainable development actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kettle holes are found in young moraine landscapes and serve as an important habitat for amphibians. The loss of amphibians has been dramatic in recent decades, mainly because of the increase in land use intensity and deterioration of habitats e.g., kettle holes in agricultural landscapes. We monitored amphibian species on three organically managed farms in north-eastern Germany to get an overview of their occurrence and proof of reproduction to develop effective protection strategies. From 2016 to 2020, we investigated 50 kettle holes in cultivated fields. In 2018, we implemented the nature conservation measure 'cutting back dense wooded belts' in six of these kettle holes. Here, we focused on seven species considering four highly endangered species. We found six to seven species in up to 17 kettle holes in the 44 kettle holes without the measure 'cutting back dense wooded belts'. Bombina bombina occurred at the most kettle holes (57%). The number of kettle holes where amphibians reproduced differed strongly. On average, at least one species reproduced at 58% of the kettle holes. Many kettle holes become overgrown with negative effects for amphibians due to the reduction in solar irradiation and higher water consumption. The nature conservation measure increased the number of species on average from two to four and the number of species with reproduction from one to three. It is one of more than 100 measures in the 'Farming for Biodiversity' project that farmers can choose to receive a nature conservation certificate, which can be used for marketing purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protecting agricultural land from erosion continues to be the most important task within the overall issue of the protection and rational use of land resources. That is why it is necessary to comprehensively study patterns of development in the erosion processes, and to assess the specific nature and features of their impact upon soil and vegetation, water resources, and landscapes in various natural conditions. The work is based on the results of many years of experimental research on problems that are related to soil erosion, and on the accumulation of slope sediments in catchments and in the valleys of small rivers, based on the use of landscape geography, soil morphology, and cartography methods of research. The research methodology that is included the collection covers the analysis of cartographic and experimental materials on the geo-ecological situation regarding an formation and manifestation of spatial and temporal erosion processes in the territory, and, the carrying out of research work which cover the soil washout and erosion processes in key areas of agricultural landscapes. The methodology also includes, the process of conducting a determination of the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors on the intensity of erosion processes, and the cameral processing of results that have been obtained in the field, all of which characterise the erosion and hydrology situation in the basins of small rivers. The paper presents the latest levels of research on the spatial and temporal variability of the features of erosion processes, depending upon their mechanisms of functioning, the complexity of the territory's geomorphological landscape conditions, and the intensity of anthropogenic load on the catchment areas of small rivers. The management of the migration of biogenic elements in agricultural landscapes can be improved if, on the one hand, the share of cultivated land is reduced and, on the other hand, the area of meadow land and small forest plots is increased, which significantly serve to slow down the flow of erosion products, including biogenic elements, into the hydrosphere. It has been established that, with an increase in the share of arable land, the removal of biogenic elements with runoff increases in direct proportion. Therefore, with up to 50% of the territory being cultivated, nitrogen removal was seven times higher - and phosphorus two times higher - than with the same territory under 20% of cultivation. With 80% cultivation, nitrogen removal increases two times and phosphorus and potassium removal increases four times when compared to 40-50% cultivation of the same territory in the catchments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social representations (SRs) are systems of values, ideas, and practices that characterize individuals' and social groups' relationships to both their social and natural environment. Comparing SRs between places, social groups, and through time is critical to understanding how social-ecological systems (SESs) and their diverse uses are perceived, interpreted, and understood. This knowledge needs to be taken into account to achieve efficient land use management of SESs such as agricultural landscapes. People's perceptions of the landscape are increasingly studied in sustainability sciences and a growing number of studies use the SR framework for analyzing differences in SRs between stakeholders and localities or for detecting changes over time. Robust methodologies able to compare SRs are required for this purpose. In this paper, we propose a modular approach to studying SRs from words collected from free listing tasks. This approach relies on standardizing definitions of frequency thresholds commonly used to assess SR content, consensus level, and structure. We then illustrate the value of this methodological approach through a comparative study of farmers' social representations of the agricultural landscape among four contrasted social-ecological contexts in France. We show how our comparative method allows for characterizing spatial variations in SRs and identifying social-ecological factors that influence the structuration and content of SRs. Finally, we discuss our methodological progress and the implications of our results for public policies aimed at managing SESs and in particular agricultural landscapes for conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of the economy, people’s living standards have been improved constantly. As people’s material life has been gradually improved, people pay more attention to the pursuit of high-quality spiritual life, and the flourishing development of rural tourism just meets people’s pursuit about returning to nature that is far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and about experiencing funny and quiet life in the countryside. The development of rural tourism relies on agricultural landscape resources, and the correct understanding and protection of the original value of agricultural landscape resources can effectively ensure the sustainable use of agricultural landscape resources. If land for agricultural landscape resource is occupied for developing blindly without reasonable planning and construction, it will lead to the distortion of the authentic value of agricultural landscape, which in turn affects the sustainable development of rural tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The ability to accurately and precisely perform soil nutrient mapping over large areas is essential in the decision-making processes for precision agriculture. However, existing grid-based or non-grid-based digital soil mapping (DSM) can lead to the problem of mixed units of input information, which causes the mapping results to be unsuitable for direct use in guiding the implementation of precision agriculture. Instead, the goal of this study was to achieve DSM based on land parcels, which are the basic units of agricultural management and have practical geographical significance for precision mapping in agricultural areas. This study established a convolutional neural network-based automatic extraction model to extract land parcels from high resolution remote sensing images. Thirty environmental covariates were chosen and calibrated at land parcels to establish the relationships between soils and landscapes. Four prediction algorithms, namely, ordinary kriging, cokriging, random forest and artificial neural network, were combined with the land-parcel-based DSM framework to develop and evaluate their effectiveness in predicting four topsoil nutrient properties in an alluvial-diluvia plain agricultural region located in Ningxia province, China. The results of comparisons show that, overall, the land-parcel-based RF model achieved the best prediction accuracy; its relative improvement (RMSE %) values over the competing models were 1.27, 4.23, 3.19 and 9.01 for soil organic matter, soil total nitrogen, available phosphorus and available potassium, respectively. In addition, land-parcel-based mapping can improve algorithmic efficiency by approximately 4 times by effectively reducing the mapping units for complex agricultural areas compared with the grid-based mapping results when using the same algorithm, and it also achieves a better performance at the detail level. Overall, the land-parcel-based DSM approach achieved good results in plain agricultural areas, but the model still needs improvement for land-parcel-based DSM in mountainous and hilly agricultural areas, and a challenge remains in selecting the most appropriate environmental covariates. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Soil nutrient properties are predicted using a land parcel-based DSM method. • Land parcel are automatically extracted from GF-2 fusion image (0.8 m). • Four models and two mapping units are compared in their performance. • The land parcel-based digital soil maps include spatial prediction and uncertainty. • The spatial variations and influence factors at land-parcel scale were analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Afforestation effects on soil N 2 O emissions were assessed under subtropical climate. • Afforestation sites constituted the lowest recorded N 2 O fluxes for forest globally. • Afforestation significantly decreased soil N 2 O emissions. • Spatiotemporal dynamics of N 2 O emissions were driven by soil temperature and moisture. Abstract Afforestation, through the conversion of upland cropland to forest, is of great significance to land use change in montane (hilly) agricultural landscapes worldwide. Such afforestation is implemented to improve soil and water conservation and facilitate terrestrial carbon sequestration. However, particularly for subtropical and tropical regions, the effects of afforestation on soil N 2 O emissions have not been well investigated. Therefore, a three-year field experiment was conducted to simultaneously monitor N 2 O emissions from three paired sites of afforestation with cypress (Cypressus funebris) and adjacent cropland under a wheat-maize rotation system. The experiment was carried out in a subtropical montane agricultural landscape in southwest China. In both forest and cropland ecosystems, the N 2 O emissions exhibited a pronounced spatial and temporal variability. These variations in N 2 O emissions can be well explained by the spatiotemporal dynamics of environmental variables, such as soil temperature, WFPS, soil NH 4 + or NO 3 − availability, because these environmental variables correlated significantly with the N 2 O emissions across different experimental sites and years. The average annual N 2 O fluxes were 2.69 kg N ha-1 for cropland and 0.13 kg N ha-1 for afforestation. It is noteworthy that the annual N 2 O fluxes for afforestation found in the present study constitute one of the lowest recorded N 2 O fluxes for unfertilized forest ecosystems globally. Overall, across all experimental sites and years, afforestation with cypress (Cypressus funebris) stands significantly decreased N 2 O fluxes by over twenty times relative to the adjacent cropland. This outcome suggests that afforestation could be an effective mitigation strategy for soil N 2 O emissions in a subtropical montane agricultural landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Agricultural landscape generators (ALGs) work in a systematic and automatic way. • ALGs differ widely in underlying methods and agricultural details. • ALGs use either pattern-based or process-based approaches. • So far, there are powerful building blocks, but no generic and ready-to-use ALGs. • Generic ALGs are required to cover a variety of scenarios, regions and model types. Abstract There is an increasing need for an assessment of the impacts of land use and land use change (LUCC). In this context, simulation models are valuable tools for investigating the impacts of stakeholder actions or policy decisions. Agricultural landscape generators (ALGs), which systematically and automatically generate realistic but simplified representations of land cover in agricultural landscapes, can provide the input for LUCC models. We reviewed existing ALGs in terms of their objectives, design and scope. We found eight ALGs that met our definition. They were based either on generic mathematical algorithms (pattern-based) or on representations of ecological or land use processes (process-based). Most ALGs integrate only a few landscape metrics, which limits the design of the landscape pattern and thus the range of applications. For example, only a few specific farming systems have been implemented. We conclude that existing ALGs contain useful approaches that can be used for specific purposes, but ideally generic modular ALGs are developed that can be used for a wide range of scenarios, regions and model types. We have compiled features of such generic ALGs and propose a possible software architecture. Considerable joint efforts are required to develop such generic ALGs, but the benefits in terms of a better understanding and development of more efficient agricultural policies would be high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract There is increasing recognition that ecosystems and their services need to be managed at landscape scale and greater. The development of landscape-scale conservation strategies need to incorporate information from multiple sources. In this study, we combine various research tools to link landscape patterns with production units and systems in the Usumacinta River Basin, and inform the discussion of key questions around decision-making related to conservation action and policy in Southern Mexico. A typology based on policy-relevant farmer characteristics (land tenure, farm size, source of income, farming system) differentiated between farmers (traditional vs. cattle ranching) with different motivations that determine how management affects landscape configuration. Five main types of traditional farming systems were identified that combine different forms of land use and vary in their degree of land intensification. Major fragmentation and decrease in connectivity coincided spatially with floodplains dominated by large-scale commercial farms that specialize in livestock production. Traditional practices within large units with low-sloped high quality land were also seen to be intensive; however the presence of trees was notable throughout these units. Policies that promote livestock farming are among the principle causes motivating deforestation. Land intensification by traditional farmers decreased as the landscape became increasingly rugged. Traditional farmers are the focus of initiatives developed by the Biological Corridor project which seeks to increase forest cover and landscape connectivity. These initiatives have shown high levels of rural participation (10,010 farmers benefited from 27,778 projects involving 95,374 ha of land) and acceptance (producers carried out more than one project and several types of projects during the first eight years of work). Strong action is still required to take on the segment of large-scale ranchers. Changes in the structure of land tenure over the past decade are highlighted that could have a profound impact on conservation policies and programs. Highlights • Key to address conservation options is the heterogeneity of farming systems. • Conservation programs receive high degree of acceptance from traditional farmers. • Strong action is still required to take on the segment of large-scale ranchers. • Well-managed areas tend to increase more with moderate and sustained financial support. • Recent changes in the structure of land tenure threatens conservation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Non-crop habitats enhanced wheat aphid abundance in early season. • Different responses to landscape features occurred among aphid species. • Landscape context affected aphid initial population composition. Abstract Agricultural landscape composition is reported to have effects on the occurrence of natural enemies in fields, but the responses of herbivorous pests to landscape features have rarely been studied. Our previous landscape-level study in northern China found that natural enemies had no significant effects on the population growth of wheat aphids at the colonization stage. Hence, we hypothesised that the initial aphid population in wheat fields may largely depend on immigration events from other habitats. In this study, we investigated the effects of landscape pattern on wheat aphid abundance and species composition at the colonization stage by surveying population densities of different aphid species along a landscape gradient. We found that noncrop habitats such as woodlots, fallow lands and vegetation around dwellings or wetlands in the landscape all had positive correlations with aphid abundance in wheat fields because they provided a source for aphid colonization. More specifically, the proportion of woodlots, fallow lands, dwellings, and other crops increased the abundance of Rhopalosiphum padi (L.), and the existence of water and dwellings in an agricultural landscape facilitated the occurrence of Sitobion avenae (Fabricius). Likewise, the abundance of Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) in wheat fields was found to be significantly promoted by the presence of water. The habitats around water and dwellings usually provide the overwintering sites for the aphids. Furthermore, wheat production acreage had a significant negative correlation with the abundance of R. padi , S. avenae and S. graminum. Landscape characteristics had a significant effect on the species composition of wheat aphids. Our study suggests that noncrop habitats in a landscape enhance aphid occurrence at the population colonization stage, and differences in overwintering host plants among aphid species may be responsible for the differing responses of the abundance of different aphids to landscape variables, which greatly altered aphid population composition across different landscapes. These results highlight the need for taking landscape effects on the pest itself into consideration when designing landscape-level pest management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the methodological features of sampling soil for agrochemical, microbiological and metagenomic analysis. The possibility of integrating soil sampling methods on the basis method for sampling soil from equidistant points with GPS positioning is discussed, as a single methodical technique, most accurately reflecting the features of the distribution of physical and chemical properties and microbial communities of soil. Standardization of soil sampling methods for physicochemical, microbiological and metagenomic research is necessary for the construction of a GIS "Microbial communities of agricultural landscape". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The improvement of biocontrol services provided by natural enemies is important for realizing sustainable agriculture. While it has been well demonstrated that landscape context affects the occurrence of natural enemies in agricultural ecosystems, the response of natural enemies and their ability to suppress pest population growth over time has rarely been studied in relation to landscape composition and diversity. In this study, we investigated natural enemy (ladybeetle) and pest (wheat aphids) population abundance in wheat fields in the early period (defined as the main period for aphid colonization) and the late period (i.e., the main period for aphid reproduction) in different landscapes. Non-crop habitats surrounding wheat fields were found to enhance ladybeetle abundance. More specifically, the proportion of dwellings and woodlots were positively correlated with ladybeetle abundance in early period, and those of fallow and woodlot habitats were positively associated with ladybeetle abundance in late period. The most predictive spatial scales of ladybeetle abundance were landscape features within 0.5 and 2.0 km of wheat fields in the early and late periods, respectively. In contrast with the significantly negative correlation between ladybeetle abundance and aphid population growth during the late period, the relative low density of ladybeetles in the early period appeared to have no effect on aphid population growth. These findings suggest that non-crop habitats have differing effects on ladybeetle populations, both in their spatial scale and over time, and the continuity of functional habitat types is essential to support ladybeetle populations. While ladybeetles do indeed suppress aphid growth in the later part of the cycle, aphid control is also dependent on early colonization and constrained by external circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aim was to define the landscape determinants as certificates of natural and cultural heritage which identify the young glacial landscape under traditional agricultural management. These studies were conducted in the upper Parsęta basin (Pomerania, Poland) covered by the many annual environmental monitoring programs since 1994. The aim of this monitoring is to observe changes in geoecosystems of the temperate climate zone. The parameters of the abiotic landscape subsystem have been monitored in a wide range of terms, whereas biotic elements and cultural resources only in a very limited way. This was the reason for undertaking complementary studies. The paper presents the so-called "zero-state" for 2014, which will be a reference point from which to track the direction of landscape changes in the future. The abiotic, geobotanical, and cultural determinants of this state chosen have been characterized on the basis of field mapping data and the available literature. They were chosen based on the methodology of landscape audit to define the specificity of the traditional agricultural landscape. They were selected on the basis of assessment criteria for landscape structure: complexity (diversification of land use and cover), naturalness (syngenesis of plant communities, hydrochemical properties of surface waters), coherence of composition with natural conditions, stewardship (intensity of use, crop weeds, ecological succession, fallows, anthropogenic denudation), aesthetic and visual perception, historicity (continuity of natural landscape elements, continuation of traditional agricultural use, architectural objects), and disharmonious elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nishapur, as a metropole and one of the main urban centers in Khurasan, expanded over a vast geographical area with a heartland and a hinterland that together constitute the extensive Nishapur. In this paper, we investigate the variety and distribution of agricultural products in the extensive Nishapur as a whole. By focusing on the landscape of fibers and fabrics we explore the role they performed in the economy of Nishapur from the 4th AH/10th CE to 6th AH/12th CE century. The results demonstrate how the heartland and the hinterland in the extensive Nishapur acted together as a cohesive socio-economic system and why it is crucial, for understanding the agricultural landscape, to consider Nishapur in its entirety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Czech Republic, a significant amount of agricultural landscape nutrients is swept away by surface washes and leakages to subsoil. Subsequently there is a negative influence on surface water quality, where of course also point sources of pollution participate in. Flowing surface water often becomes stagnant while the certain self-purifying processes proceed both in the flowing and stagnant waters. It can be simultaneously stated that the self-purifying process is practically uncontrollable, primarily due to the impact of many entering factors. One of the environmental and technical elements providing quality improvement of water running off a water reservoir is deployment of constructed floating wetlands (CFW). The theoretical background, as well as the laboratory measurements carried out on the test land of the Brno University of Technology in experimental tanks, evidence the significant treatment efficiency of the CFW. Within the research activities, we focused on the general pollution parameters set for surface waters. The first results show that the total phosphorus concentration removal efficiency is 38.8 % after 22 days with employment of the CFW which is a considerably higher value compared to the lysimeter with no CFW where the removal efficiency was only 4.37 %. The results can be large-scale applied to most of the small water reservoirs situated in the agricultural landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design of landscape is the process of the arrangement of spatial features with the objective of sustaining ecosystem services, and maintaining ecological functionality to meet societal needs. Along a gradient of cultivation intensity, the functional quality of agricultural landscape was explored and the relationships between landscape metrics and functional quality were analyzed, in order to make effective recommendations for landscape design aimed at sustainable land use schemes. The functional quality of landscape was calculated using the InVest model for 20 farm landscapes (North-Eastern Italy) where biodiversity (plant taxa) and sensitivity to disturbance (hemeroby) were used as model inputs. Results highlighted the importance of specific habitat types such as meadows and woodlands rather than other habitats for improving the biodiversity of agricultural landscapes. A high proportion of these habitats enhanced the functional quality of the landscape when the habitats were organized in large and not isolated patches in heterogeneous landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Understanding the influence of environmental factors on the hydrobiota structure of small aquatic ecosystems is essential for effective landscape management. In this study of 165 small water bodies situated in the lowland high-productive agricultural landscape of western Poland we evaluate the effect of catchment, buffer zone, water body and water quality parameters on macrophyte functional groups (nymphaeids, elodeids, pleustophytes, helophytes) and zooplankton diversity. The potential pressure of the catchment on ponds was high (mean Ohle index 140). For macrophytes, shore length and depth of pond were highly significant and, subsequently the type of catchment and buffer, while for zooplankton, apart from water depth, trophic features of the habitat were decisive. Cluster analysis was used to identify functional types of water bodies on the basis of catchment and buffer zone attributes. Regardless of physico-geographical macroregion, water bodies of arable catchments with herbage buffer prevailed in a landscape. For protection and prevention of ecological deterioration of ponds and stability of trophic conditions the optimal situation is a buffer which is created by shrubs and trees around the pond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decline in farmland birds observed throughout Europe during recent decades has attracted much attention. Agricultural intensification or land abandonment are commonly forwarded as key drivers. Several countries have established agri-environmental schemes (AES) to counter these negative trends among farmland birds. This paper reports a study of the relationship between land use and bird species in the agricultural landscape of Norway. The main objective was to investigate the effect of spatial heterogeneity and diversity of land use on total richness and abundance of farmland birds at a national level. Monitoring the distribution and abundance of birds is part of the Norwegian monitoring programme for agricultural landscapes. The monitoring programme is based on mapping of 1 × 1 km squares distributed across the entire agricultural landscape. Within these squares permanent observation points are established for bird monitoring. Detailed interpretation of aerial photographs provides the land classification. We tested the relationship between landscape metrics at different levels of land type detail and species richness and abundance of farmland and non-farmland birds. There was a positive relationship between species richness and abundance of farmland birds and agricultural area. For non-farmland birds the relationship was negative. Spatial heterogeneity of land use was a significant positive factor for both farmland and non-farmland species. High land type diversity was positive for farmland bird richness, but negative for abundance. Non-farmland bird richness was not affected by land type diversity, but abundance had a negative response. The results presented in this paper highlight the importance of a spatial heterogeneous landscape. However, we also found that land type diversity could negatively affect the abundance of both farmland and non-farmland birds. Our findings suggest a need for different management approaches depending on whether the aim is increased species richness or abundance. Achieving both aims with the same means might be difficult. We thus suggest a need for land use analyses before proper management strategies can be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tuntian system was a state-promoted system of military–agriculture, which originated in the Western Han dynasty (206 BC–9 AD). All the imperial dynasties in Chinese history adopted the practice of tuntian to cultivate and guard frontier areas as an important state policy for developing border areas and consolidating frontier defense. This paper describes the use of satellite remote sensing data to uncover an ancient canal-based tuntian system located in an oasis agricultural landscape adjacent to the ancient Kingdom of Loulan at the southern margin of the Tarim Basin. The remote sensing data examined include Chinese Gaofen-1 (GF-1) VHR imagery, Landsat-8 (LS-8) OLI data and ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model Version 2 (ASTER GDEMV2) products. The effective irrigated tuntian area was estimated to be 2800 ha and the maximum irrigated tuntian area was found to be more than 8000 ha during the area's most prosperous period. The overall spatial structure of Milan's tuntian agricultural landscape was explored using the patch–corridor–matrix model. By detailed analysis of satellite remote sensing data, this study reconstructed a 3D view of Milan's tuntian agricultural landscape in a GIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy makers and farmers need to know the status of farmland biodiversity in order to meet conservation goals and evaluate management options. Based on a review of 11 monitoring programs in Europe and North America and on related literature, we identify the design choices or attributes of a program that balance monitoring costs and usefulness for stakeholders. A useful program monitors habitats, vascular plants, and possibly faunal groups (ecosystem service providers, charismatic species) using a stratified random sample of the agricultural landscape, including marginal and intensive regions. The size of landscape samples varies with the grain of the agricultural landscape; for example, samples are smaller in Europe and larger in North America. Raw data are collected in a rolling survey, which distributes sampling over several years. Sufficient practical experience is now available to implement broad monitoring schemes on both continents. Technological developments in remote sensing, metagenomics, and social media may offer new opportunities for affordable farmland biodiversity monitoring and help to lower the overall costs of monitoring programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the landscape as a whole is an important step towards the understanding the landscape’s functionality and, consequently, identifying areas with different levels of ecosystem functions (EF)/landscape functions (LF) and services (ES). The main aim of this paper is present a framework to map LF considering the landscape approach. Our study case was a watershed located in the mountain region of Rio de Janeiro state. To achieve the goal, we defined landscape units and ecosystem functions. Based on it, a correlation matrix was produced and sent to experts for consultation. Then, we map the potential of landscape units to provide EF. The result showed that, of 23 landscape units, six units had relevance for habitat, information and regulation functions; five showed potential to perform production and regulation functions, one unit showed potential to perform habitat maintenance and information functions. Seven units showed relevance for only one function category. This study highlights how multifunctional a landscape can be. It was evident that different landscape components are able to provide a wild range of EF. Moreover, this represent a high capacity to propose sustainable alternatives for landscapes—knowing the landscape unit potential to provide LF it is possible to indicate the best options for its use and potentialize the LF provision. It was evident that well managed landscapes are also capable to provide LF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the early 2000s a Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) was set up by each member state of the European Union, to manage agricultural subsidies. These databases describe field geometry and landcover, and provide information on farm characteristics. LPIS data could therefore be used to describe agricultural landscape dynamics, but are seldom put to this purpose by scientists and local stakeholders because it requires the use of GIS software and programming skills. The objective of this paper is thus to present RPG Explorer, a new tool that we developed to analyze agricultural landscape dynamics with LPIS data. RPG Explorer doesn’t require any specific skills in GIS and programming allowing non specialist to deal with complex data. RPG Explorer includes a first module which computes the changes in crop proportions and farm characteristics (numbers of farm, farm area, farm type). A second module computes crop sequences on each farmer block of LPIS data. We also included a crop rotation model in a third module. We illustrated the use of RPG Explorer for two example neighboring catchments located in western France, the Vivier catchment (16,000 ha) and the Courance catchment (15,000 ha). For example, RPG Explorer easily revealed the evolution of crop proportions, such as the increase of temporary grasslands in the Courance catchment (from 7.2% of the Utilized Agricultural Area (UAA) in 2007 to 11.7% in 2013). The number of farms was also shown to vary a lot: from 230 in 2007 to 207 in 2013 for the Vivier catchment, with a subsequent increase of their mean UAA (from 101 ha to 119 ha). RPG Explorer also showed that more than half of the Vivier catchment UAA (59%) was occupied by only 50 farms in 2013. Concerning crop sequences, the sunflower → winter wheat sequence was the most frequent 2-year sequence in both catchments, but some differences appeared with for example, a higher proportion of winter wheat → winter wheat sequence in the Courance catchment (7.2% against 3.6%). Crop rotation modeling indicated that the rapeseed → winter wheat → sunflower → winter wheat, sunflower → winter wheat and maize monoculture were the three main crop rotations. Finally, these examples illustrate well the ability for scientist and local stakeholders to easily describe some major agricultural landscape dynamics with RPG Explorer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land cover mapping (LCM) in complex surface-mined and agricultural landscapes could contribute greatly to regulating mine exploitation and protecting mine geo-environments. However, there are some special and spectrally similar land covers in these landscapes which increase the difficulty in LCM when employing high spatial resolution images. There is currently no research on these mixed complex landscapes. The present study focused on LCM in such a mixed complex landscape located in Wuhan City, China. A procedure combining ZiYuan-3 (ZY-3) stereo satellite imagery, the feature selection (FS) method, and machine learning algorithms (MLAs) (random forest, RF; support vector machine, SVM; artificial neural network, ANN) was proposed and first examined for both LCM of surface-mined and agricultural landscapes (MSMAL) and classification of surface-mined land (CSML), respectively. The mean and standard deviation filters of spectral bands and topographic features derived from ZY-3 stereo images were newly introduced. Comparisons of three MLAs, including their sensitivities to FS and whether FS resulted in significant influences, were conducted for the first time in the present study. The following conclusions are drawn. Textures were of little use, and the novel features contributed to improve classification accuracy. Regarding the influence of FS: FS substantially reduced feature set (by 68% for MSMAL and 87% for CSML), and often improved classification accuracies (with an average value of 4.48% for MSMAL using three MLAs, and 11.39% for CSML using RF and SVM); FS showed statistically significant improvements except for ANN-based MSMAL; SVM was most sensitive to FS, followed by ANN and RF. Regarding comparisons of MLAs: for MSMAL based on feature subset, RF achieved the greatest overall accuracy of 77.57%, followed by SVM and ANN; for CSML, SVM had the highest accuracies (87.34%), followed by RF and ANN; based on the feature subsets, significant differences were observed for MSMAL and CSML using any pair of MLAs. In general, the proposed approach can contribute to LCM in complex surface-mined and agricultural landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the agricultural lands in Bartin-Arit Stream watershed in terms of their agricultural convenience based on water and erosion process analysis. Moving from the water and soil protection functions of landscape, agricultural landscape guides were created. In the first phase, Arit Stream watershed was divided into microbasins using hydrologic data. In the second phase, landscape units were determined. In the third and fourth phase, areas that are sensitive in terms of water and erosion processes were identified, respectively. In the fifth phase, the existing agricultural uses were evaluated within the context of the convenience of landscape units. In the last phase, development centres in plant production sector were identified. In the field of study which includes a total number of 99 landscape units, the number of areas convenient for plant production was 25 whilst the number of areas not convenient for plant production was 74. Only 30% of the area were used for agricultural purposes. Of all the agricultural lands in Arit Stream watershed, 13.4% are 1st degree sensitive areas with high water and soil protection function. It is necessary to adopt a planning and management understanding in these areas in which protection measures are kept at the highest levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reduce the farming intensity and increase habitat heterogeneity, wetlands are often created in agricultural landscapes. This is because wetlands in agricultural landscapes can decrease sediment deposition, i.e., phosphorus and nitrogen, released as a result of cultivation and fertilization. Additionally, the creation of wetlands can improve heterogeneity within an agricultural landscape. We investigated the response of carabid beetles to restoration and creation of wetlands in a paddy field-dominated agricultural landscape in South Korea. Degraded wetlands, paddy fields, and dry fields (previous habitats) were converted to wetlands, including an abandoned paddy field that existed as a spontaneously restored wetland. Carabid beetle diversity significantly increased with wetland restoration and abandonment of farming practices, while the wetland creation did not have a significant effect. Carabid species composition, from nestedness and co-occurrence indices, did not show significant segregation patterns. Carabid assemblages in the previous habitats and current wetlands were similar to the previous habitats and current wetlands. Only flying carabid beetles showed a significant response to both wetland restoration and creation. Species capable of flight can migrate from surrounding habitats or closely connected habitat areas. Carabid abundance was only elevated with reduction of disturbance by wetland restoration and abandonment, although re-colonized carabid beetles were the dominant species in paddy fields and their landscape. The reduction of farming intensity creates the heterogeneity within restored wetlands and abandoned paddy fields, significantly improving carabid diversity. Our results suggest that in order to achieve the ecological benefits from restoration and creation of wetlands in paddy field-dominated landscapes, the farming intensity should be reduced. The complex configuration of agricultural landscapes can improve carabid diversity therein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the effect of crop type heterogeneity on carabid beetles in intensively managed agricultural landscapes. We compared different crops and habitat type configurations and compositions. In addition we assessed the effect of artificial fragmentation by paved roads and water channels in an agricultural landscape. Crop type heterogeneity negatively affected carabid assemblages. Spatial dissection by artificial structures had an even more negative effect on carabid diversity. The nested structure of the carabid assemblages among crop types was caused by a negative response to heterogeneity in the agricultural landscape. Even though crop types in an intensive agricultural landscape increased, the landscape may tend to fragment habitat. Although artificially fragmented habitats had more unstable carabid assemblages, heterogeneity from different crop types has also been shown to be a characteristic of fragmented landscapes. To produce a positive relationship between biodiversity and heterogeneity in an agricultural landscape, farming intensity should be reduced to allow for the conversion of highly productive lands into more natural habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of Australia's leading on-ground extension officers describes the successes and lessons learned in The Riverina's native revegetation movement over the 20-25 years - but warns of potential failure of current and future Australian revegetation programs if greater funding security is not delivered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Man-made sites are found to often provide biodiversity refuges in anthropogenically impacted landscape and offering valuable analogues of natural habitats. We surveyed surface dwelling soil macrofauna and ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) assemblages by pitfall trapping across the eight stands of waste dumps and eight comparative biotopes in Eastern Slovakia. To our knowledge, this is the first such survey. During 18 weeks period in 2011 and 2012, a total of 38.814 individuals were trapped belonging to 17 soil macrofauna orders, 38 Coleopteran families and 98 Carabidae species. We analysed differences in assemblages of waste dumps and comparative biotopes and tested responses of orders, beetles and carabids to selected environmental variables. Assemblages collected from waste dumps had consistently higher diversity than their surrounding habitats, waste dumps equally showed higher proportion of slow-moving sapro-phytophagous orders and large wingless ground beetles colonizing native habitats. Ten rare ground beetles species were only captured from waste dumps. No clearly, unambiguous pattern was observed concerning distinctions in assemblages in relation to selected environmental variables, however, trees and shrub vegetation as well as soil moisture apparently affected community distinctions between studied habitats. We concluded, that reclaimed waste dumps as well as illegal waste dumps under different stages of succession could support surface dwelling soil macrofauna functional and the ground beetle species diversity in the agricultural landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Management of ecological entities in agricultural landscapes is often challenged by a complex ownership structure governed by a cadastral system dictated by agricultural interests and historical land use practices. The cadastral division is suspected to obstruct the deliverance of ecosystem services (ES) from the landscape. The objective of this analysis is to quantify the cadastral fragmentation of selected landscape-scale ES. Contiguous ecological units and landscape entities as designated in Danish municipal planning were analyzed. The designations comprised the existing ES represented by EU Natura 2000 areas, drinking water protection areas and valuable landscapes, and potential ES in areas designated for potential wetlands, afforestation and recreational trails. In each designated area the cadastral structure in terms of number of units, size, and number of affected properties was analyzed. In all cases a large number of rather small (mean area <10 ha) cadastral units with different owners characterize the designated areas providing particular ES. Accordingly large numbers of properties were affected by the designations. The reasons for the high numbers of cadastral units pertain to the historical background of the cadaster as a tool of optimizing agricultural production. This suggests inherited difficulties in imposing a uniform management regime in cases where regulatory tools are dependent on the attitude of the individual land owner. Difficulties are also arising in situations where potential ES are to be unfolded in spatial explicit contexts; all landowners must be aligned in terms of new regulation if the particular service is to be released simultaneously and uniformly in a spatial defined area. It is concluded that sound ecosystem and landscape management that follows boundaries defined by natural phenomenon is impeded by cadastral divisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat loss and exposure to pesticides are likely primary factors contributing to amphibian decline in agricultural landscapes. Conservation efforts have attempted to restore wetlands lost through landscape modifications to reduce contaminant loads in surface waters and providing quality habitat to wildlife. The benefits of this increased wetland area, perhaps especially for amphibians, may be negated if habitat quality is insufficient to support persistent populations. We examined the presence of pesticides and nutrients in water and sediment as indicators of habitat quality and assessed the bioaccumulation of pesticides in the tissue of two native amphibian species Pseudacris maculata (chorus frogs) and Lithobates pipiens (leopard frogs) at six wetlands (3 restored and 3 reference) in Iowa, USA. Restored wetlands are positioned on the landscape to receive subsurface tile drainage water while reference wetlands receive water from overland run-off and shallow groundwater sources. Concentrations of the pesticides frequently detected in water and sediment samples were not different between wetland types. The median concentration of atrazine in surface water was 0.2 μg/L. Reproductive abnormalities in leopard frogs have been observed in other studies at these concentrations. Nutrient concentrations were higher in the restored wetlands but lower than concentrations thought lethal to frogs. Complex mixtures of pesticides including up to 8 fungicides, some previously unreported in tissue, were detected with concentrations ranging from 0.08 to 1500 μg/kg wet weight. No significant differences in pesticide concentrations were observed between species, although concentrations tended to be higher in leopard frogs compared to chorus frogs, possibly because of differences in life histories. Our results provide information on habitat quality in restored wetlands that will assist state and federal agencies, landowners, and resource managers in identifying and implementing conservation and management actions for these and similar wetlands in agriculturally dominated landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the European Union, national approaches of a ‘High Nature Value (HNV) farmland’ indicator have been developed to inform about the potential of agricultural landscapes to maintain biodiversity. We assessed how bird species abundance, richness and community composition, particularly of specialist species, were associated with the German HNV farmland indicator as an area-based aggregate and with its particular components which were semi-natural landscape elements and agricultural patches with characteristic plant species mapped in representative sample plots. The aggregated HNV indicator score showed a weak but positive relationship with generalist bird species only, while specialist species were associated with individual HNV farmland features characterizing wet grasslands and open farmland. Bird community analysis revealed three groups of HNV farmland features representative of particular landscape types: (1) complex landscapes with vertical woody structures such as hedgerows or small woodlands, (2) wet grasslands and (3) open agricultural land of low land-use intensity. Large portions of unexplained variance, however, indicated that the small-scaled HNV farmland features recorded without considering the landscape context may not have fully captured all important drivers of bird diversity in agricultural landscapes. To achieve a better representation of habitat requirements particularly of specialist bird species we propose surveying HNV farmland in a landscape context and calculating landscape-specific scores for highly structured, wetland-dominated and open landscapes of low land-use intensity. As compared to the aggregated indicator, the small-scale HNV farmland survey data would more efficiently enfold its potential for tailoring conservation schemes specifically to a given landscape type and its associated bird species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Vineyard terraces are artificial, human-made habitats used for growing grapes. [•] Spiders were surveyed on xeric slopes of vineyard terraces in the Czech Republic. [•] Conservation indicators were examined for varying succession and landscape factors. [•] High presence of endangered spiders supports conservation potential of terraces. [•] We suggest maintaining mosaic-like combinations of different microhabitat types. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Changes in forest cover in agricultural landscapes affect biodiversity. Its management needs some indications about scale to predict occurrence of populations and communities. In this study we considered a forest cover index to predict bird species and community patterns in agricultural landscapes in south-western France. We used generalized linear models for that purpose with prediction driven by wooded areas' spatial distribution at nine different radii. Using 1064 point counts, we modelled the distribution of 10 bird species whose habitat preferences are spread along a landscape opening gradient. We also modelled the distribution of species richness for farmland species and for forest species. We used satellite images to construct a ‘wood/non-wood’ map and calculated a forest index, considering the surface area of wooded areas at nine radii from 110m to 910m. The models' predictive quality was determined by the AUC (for predicted presences) and ρ (for predicted species richness) criteria. We found that the forest cover was a good predictor of the distribution of seven bird species in agricultural landscapes (mean AUC for the seven species = 0.74 for the radius 110m). Species richness of farmland and forest birds was satisfactorily predicted by the models (ρ = 0.55 and 0.49, respectively, for the radius 110m). The presence of the studied species and species richness metrics were better predicted at smaller scales (i.e. radii between 110 m and 310 m) within the range tested. These results have implications for bird population management in agricultural landscapes since better pinpointing the scale to predict species distributions will enhance targeting efforts to be made in terms of landscape management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Farmers' practices in the management of agricultural landscapes influence biodiversity with implications for livelihoods, ecosystem service provision, and biodiversity conservation. In this study, we examined how smallholding farmers in an agricultureforest mosaic landscape in southwestern Ethiopia manage trees and forests with regard to a few selected ecosystem services and disservices that they highlighted as "beneficial" or "problematic." Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from six villages, located both near and far from forest, using participatory field mapping and semistructured interviews, tree species inventory, focus group discussions, and observation. The study showed that farmers' management practices, i.e., the planting of trees on field boundaries amid their removal from inside arable fields, preservation of trees in semimanaged forest coffee, maintenance of patches of shade coffee fields in the agricultural landscape, and establishment of woodlots with exotic trees result in a restructuring of the forest-agriculture mosaic. In addition, the strategies farmers employed to mitigate crop damage by wild mammals such as baboons and bush pigs, e.g., migration and allocation of migrants on lands along forests, have contributed to a reduction in forest and tree cover in the agricultural landscape. Because farmers' management practices were overall geared toward mitigating the negative impact of disservices and to augment positive services, we conclude that it is important to operationalize ecosystem processes as both services and disservices in studies related to agricultural landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetlands, especially ponds, and their associated amphibian biodiversity are threatened by agricultural intensification. To improve conservation planning of these ecosystems, we need to understand at which scales biodiversity responds to human-induced disturbances. This study aims to assess the level-dependence of environment-amphibian biodiversity relationships in 150 ponds in an intensive agricultural landscape in Seine-et-Marne (France). Amphibian diversity surveys, site characteristic measurements and landscape descriptions are analysed. The hierarchy of the effects of local and regional variables on species richness, regional heterogeneity of species composition and species occurrences is investigated at three spatial levels: pond level, 1-, and 4-km 2 level. Species richness is negatively influenced at all levels by the fish presence. Water quality and pond density, which emphasize level-dependent effects, significantly increase species richness at the local and regional levels, respectively. With few exceptions, species occurrence analysis shows similar patterns, confirming, locally, the importance of fish avoidance, and, regionally, the need for increasing pond density. Environmental variables have no effect on the regional heterogeneity of species composition, questioning the potential existence of dispersal processes at scales above 1 km 2. This study highlights the relevance of a pond-group-centred approach compared to a pond-centred approach with regard to pond conservation in agricultural landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive plants may compete with native species for abiotic factors as light, space and nutrients, and have also been shown to affect native pollination interactions. Studies have mainly focused on how invasive plants affect pollinator behaviour, i.e. attraction of pollinators to or away from native flowers. However, when an invasive plant provides resources utilized by native pollinators this could increase pollinator population sizes and thereby pollination success in natives. Effects mediated through changes in pollinator population sizes have been largely ignored in previous studies, and the dominance of negative interactions suggested by meta-analyses may therefore be biased. We investigated the impact of the invasive Lupinus polyphyllus on pollination in the native Lotus corniculatus using a study design comparing invaded and uninvaded sites before and after the flowering period of the invasive. We monitored wild bee abundance in transects, and visit rate and seed production of potted Lotus plants. Bumblebee abundance increased 3.9 times in invaded sites during the study period, whereas it was unaltered in uninvaded sites. Total visit rate per Lotus plant increased 2.1 times in invaded sites and decreased 4.4 times in uninvaded sites. No corresponding change in seed production of Lotus was found. The increase in visit rate to Lotus was driven by an increase in solitary bee visitation, whereas mainly bumblebees were observed to visit the invasive Lupinus. The mechanism by which the invasive increases pollinator visit rates to Lotus could be increased availability of other flower resources for solitary bees when bumblebees forage on Lupinus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surfaces used under orchards represent agricultural landscapes that engage cycle of substances and specific energy. This is materialized in different regimes and pedogenesis processes in the arable and forest lands. Among the features mentioned first of all hold the high degree of heterogeneity in space and hydrothermal and airhydric regimes. Therefore significant changes are suffering typogenetic processes: formation and accumulation of humus, carbonates migration and structure. At the same time in the soil is installed a stable trend of soil solution alcanization and transformational capacity reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In intensive agricultural environments, arable field margins are important habitats as reservoirs of various beneficial wild species. Many studies of species diversity in field margins have focused on the local habitat level. However, relationships between the network of the margin habitats and species diversity are less studied. Edge density index of field patches is a class-level landscape metric used as one measure of habitat network. This study focused on edge density index and its impacts on plant species richness and community turnover among the margins in agricultural landscapes. We examined how effectively the index of edge density can be used as a class-level indicator for species diversity in margins. This study introduces a method for indicating plant species diversity of the margin habitats by using an easily measured spatial indicator without comprehensive analysis of land use/land cover. A total of 29 landscape-square pairs, each consisting of two 25ha squares, were sampled across southern Finland. Vascular plant species were sampled in each square. In GIS, field patch edges were divided into two types: those within crop fields, referred to as within-field edges, and those between crop fields and non-crop lands, referred to as non-crop field edges. By comparing the roles of three landscape groups (the two different edge types as well as all edges grouped together) in explaining plant species richness (at alpha and gamma level) and community turnover (at beta level) in the sampled landscape squares, we found that density index of non-crop field edges surrounded by contrast land use is an effective indicator of species diversity at beta and gamma level. This study suggested that field margins surrounded by contrast land use shall be considered as a priority landscape element in agricultural edge network design, whereas simply using the density of all field edges to indicate species diversity without separating the different effects of various edge types shall not be recommended. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study evaluates the relative contributions of landscape features and biotic (conspecific and heterospecific) relationships to habitat selection of three sympatric passerine species, Skylark ( Alauda arvensis), Corn Bunting ( Emberiza calandra) and Calandra Lark ( Melanocorypha calandra) during winter. Between December 2007 and January 2008, winter populations of the three species were censused in three Central Spanish locations by means of linear transects ( n = 60). An explanatory model-averaging approach was used to determine the weight and effect of different landscape and biotic variables in each species' habitat selection patterns using their respective abundance as the dependent variable. A deviance partitioning approach was used to determine the relative contributions of these two sets of predictors. Only the Calandra Lark showed a significant influence of landscape variables, preferring relatively simplified landscapes with a low density of field margins. The three species showed preferences for proximity of con- and heterospecifics. This can be explained in relation to their gregarious behaviour during this season, which results in the formation of big multispecific flocks that confer some individual advantages (such as a better feeding efficiency or anti-predator benefits). This is also supported by the results of the deviance partitioning analysis, which showed the much higher importance of biotic interaction factors in relation to the contribution of landscape (which is negligible) for Skylark and Corn Bunting. However, for Calandra Lark, although biotic interactions are also the most important factors, both landscape and the combined effect of landscape and biotic interactions are slightly larger. Finally, we also found an effect of flock size on habitat selection, so that, for bigger flocks, habitat and biotic interaction factors will have a weaker effect on abundance and selection patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Looking back at a history of more than 7000 years of agricultural production, Chinese agriculture had succeeded in supporting China''s ever-increasing human population without changing the stability of the agro-landscape. The traditional biodiversity-friendly management of agricultural landscapes incorporated various elaborate techniques such as the use of organic manure, traditional integrative farming approaches like dyke–pond and rice–fishery systems, crop rotations and intercropping as well as the preservation of traditional agricultural landscapes including diverse natural and semi-natural elements. These systems were developed to maintain landscapes with healthy soil quality, a complex structure and diverse habitat composition, which favoured the sustenance of diverse species and a stable ecosystem functioning. While many biodiversity-friendly elements of traditional agriculture have been maintained, further developed or extended in modern agricultural practices in some regions, the biodiversity conservation in the agricultural landscapes is generally lacking of efficient policy support. Challenges and potential measures for biodiversity conservation in the context of Chinese agricultural landscapes are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Northern bobwhites thrive in fine-grained landscapes with a diversity of early succession woodland, grassland, and agriculture-associated habitat types. Bobwhite conservation has proved challenging in the increasingly coarse-grained Midwestern landscape as simplified agricultural cropping systems are implemented at larger spatial scales. Regardless, managing agricultural landscapes on private lands is the primary opportunity to restore bobwhite populations in the Midwestern United States. Although bobwhite habitat requirements are well understood, habitat selection in contemporary Midwestern landscapes is not well understood, especially on private lands where populations are declining. We used compositional analysis to investigate second- (study area) and third- (home range) order habitat selection by radiomarked bobwhite coveys on 4 private land study areas in southwestern Ohio. Mean covey home range size was 26.1 ± 2.2 ha ( n = 48). Although home ranges were established in areas with more grassland cover, bobwhites most strongly selected early succession woody habitat (e.g., fencerows and ditches) at all scales, and selection for grassland diminished between the study area and home range scales. Grassland selection varied among sites and was strongest on sites with more row crop area. Woodlots were avoided at the study area scale, but were selected within home ranges. Grassland cover, like that provided by contemporary conservation programs, is an essential component of bobwhite habitat in the Midwest, but our results suggest more emphasis should be placed on early succession woody cover. Woody cover associated with fencerows, ditches, and woodlots adjacent to food sources and breeding habitat will likely improve non-breeding season survival, which is an influential vital rate in northern populations. © 2012 The Wildlife Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural intensification has caused a decline in structural elements in European farmland, where natural habitats are increasingly fragmented. The loss of habitat structures has a detrimental effect on biodiversity and affects bat species that depend on vegetation structures for foraging and commuting., We investigated the impact of connectivity and configuration of structural landscape elements on flight activity, species richness and diversity of insectivorous bats and distinguished three bat guilds according to species-specific bioacoustic characteristics. We tested whether bats with shorter-range echolocation were more sensitive to habitat fragmentation than bats with longer-range echolocation. We expected to find different connectivity thresholds for the three guilds and hypothesized that bats prefer linear over patchy landscape elements., Bat activity was quantified using repeated acoustic monitoring in 225 locations at 15 study plots distributed across the Swiss Central Plateau, where connectivity and the shape of landscape elements were determined by spatial analysis ( GIS). Spectrograms of bat calls were assigned to species with the software batit by means of image recognition and statistical classification algorithms., Bat activity was significantly higher around landscape elements compared to open control areas. Short- and long-range echolocating bats were more active in well-connected landscapes, but optimal connectivity levels differed between the guilds. Species richness increased significantly with connectivity, while species diversity did not (Shannon's diversity index). Total bat activity was unaffected by the shape of landscape elements., Synthesis and applications. This study highlights the importance of connectivity in farmland landscapes for bats, with shorter-range echolocating bats being particularly sensitive to habitat fragmentation. More structurally diverse landscape elements are likely to reduce population declines of bats and could improve conditions for other declining species, including birds. Activity was highest around optimal values of connectivity, which must be evaluated for the different guilds and spatially targeted for a region's habitat configuration. In a multi-species approach, we recommend the reintroduction of structural elements to increase habitat heterogeneity should become part of agri-environment schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions (i) Do species richness and turnover across forest edges change with edge age and management intensity of adjacent lands? (ii) Does edge species composition respond to aging and landscape management and what are the environmental factors explaining this response? Location Agricultural landscapes of the Picardy region, N France. Methods We sampled forest edges differing in age (from a few decades to several centuries) and embedding landscape matrix (from slightly managed 'bocages' to intensively cultivated open fields). We recorded vascular plant species and a set of environment, landscape and historical variables along transects oriented perpendicularly to forest edges. We used mixed models to assess the impact of edge age and landscape type on edge species richness and turnover. We investigated the relationship between edge community composition and explanatory variables using redundancy analyses and a split-plot design. Results Species richness decreased with both increased edge age and increased landscape management intensity, while species turnover was not influenced by any of these factors. Edge maturation was characterized by a specialization of the flora over the entire transect, which is likely a response to increased shade, litter layer thickness and soil acidity. As landscape management was more intensive, true forest species were replaced by nitrophilous and/or calciphilous non-forest species, which might be more tolerant of agrochemical and lime drift and are able to disperse through a hostile matrix. Conclusion Although edge aging was associated with the progressive development of environmental gradients, especially light availability and litter thickness, plant communities poorly reflect these gradients under the constraint of neighbouring landscape management. On the contrary, the stronger the management intensity, the sharper the edge-interior gradient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The content of this paper is assessment of the changes in the landscape structure in the cadastral area in Žirany as compared between 1869 and 2012. In the second part of this paper, the occurrence of gene pool trees identified within the cadastral area is presented. Changes in the representation of landscape elements, their internal structure and surface-area spatial distribution of land is a reflection of property ownership relations, land use forms, especially forms of intensification in agriculture and socio-economic development of society. Landscape structure was evaluated from maps and field research of the current situation. The current landscape structure (CLS) in 2012 was evaluated using 9 groups and a total of 44 landscape elements. In assessing the historical landscape structure (HLS) from 1869, 8 groups and 19 basic landscape elements were used. The most significant changes in the secondary landscape structure between 1869 and 2012 were identified in the following elements in the compared time periods: a slight decrease in the portion of forest (from 42.83 to 40.76%), increase in the portion of non-forest woody vegetation (from 0.33 to 4.00%), reducing the share of agricultural used areas (from 44.16 to 37.86%), decrease of surface of grass-herb vegetation (from 10.17 to 5.99%) and increase of the built up areas (from 1.56 to 6.44%). A significant change is observed in the conversion of mosaic structure of narrow-band fields to large-block forms of agricultural land use. Attention was devoted on the spatial distribution of tree species and biodiversity in the group of non-forest woody vegetation (NFWV) during the mapping of the CLS features. In the formations of NFWV 6 species with important gene pool and above-standard biometry and age of trees have been identified with a total of 47 subjects within the land. These are the species: Castanea sativa Mill. (18 subjects) Mespilus germanica L. (1 subject), Quercus cerris L. (1 subject), Q. dalechampii Ten. (2 subjects), Q. petraea (Mattusch.) Liebl. (23 subjects), Q. polycarpa Shur. (2 subjects). Genetically significant trees were also localized by GPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted in four sites (each of 3x3 km) along the river Mureş in Arad dept. All plant (cormophytes) species were recorded in search of correlations with the land use categories. We consider 14 categories of land use. The total number of cormophyte species is 369, with vlues per location from 197 (Felnac) to 265 (Vladimirescu). The proportion of (semi-)natural ecosystems is not strongly correlated with a higher plant diversity, as well as the proportion of agricultural fields is not correlated with the number of weed species (variation from 57 to 79). There is no difference in the number of invasive species per location (variation from 12 to 16 species). Amorpha fruticosa is the most important (by occupied area) species. Further studies are needed in order to have a better estimation of agricultural practices influence on natural biodiversity and to increase the tenability of biodiversity management, especially within the Lunca Mureşului National Park. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Typical for the last decades economical and social processes at metropolitan level induce new models of spatial organization characterized by extensive urban development. These extensive processes configure various components of the cultural landscape in different ways. Such development modifies the rural, agricultural and industrial landscapes and generates new landscape typologies modeled by interaction between urban and rural space. Diverse approaches of urban development have modified the territorial structure and also the way in which the territory visually and dynamically responds to external factors by transforming the main cultural features. In such a context, preservation of common agricultural landscape as a part of cultural landscape is becoming an important issue for the local development policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The information on ecological behavior of wild sloths is very scarce. In this study we determined the home ranges and resources used by three adult female three-toed sloths (Bradypus variegatus) and their four young in an agricultural matrix of cacao (Theobroma cacao), pasture, riparian forests and living fencerows in Costa Rica. Births occurred during November-December and the young became independent at five to seven months of age. Initially, mothers remained fixed in one or a few trees, but expanded their use of resources as young sloths became independent from them. Mothers initially guided the young to preferred food and cover resources, but they gradually left their young in small nucleus areas and colonized new areas for themselves. Home range sizes for young sloths (up to seven months of age) varied between 0.04-0.6 hectares, while home range sizes for mothers varied from 0.04-25.0 hectares. During the maternal care period, 22 tree species were used, with the most common being Cecropia obtusifolia (30.9%), Coussapoa villosa (25.6%), Nectandra salicifolia (12.1%), Pterocarpus officinalis (5.8%) and Samanea saman (5.4%). However, young sloths used only 20 tree species, with the most common being C. villosa (18.4%), S. saman (18.5 %) and N. salicifolia (16.7%). The cacao agroforest was used only by mother sloths and never by their young following separation. However, in the riparian forest, both mother sloths and young used the tree species. A total of 28 tree species were used by the mother sloth; including the food species: C. obtusifolia, C. villosa, N. salicifolia and P. officinalis. However, the young used 18 trees species in this habitat with N. salicifolia and S. saman most commonly used, although they rested and fed during the day in C. obtusifolia, C. villosa and O. sinnuata. The cacao agroforest with adjacent riparian forests and fencerows provides an important habitat type that links the smaller secondary forests and other patches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]