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The invasive Halyomorpha halys is a serious pest for several fruit trees, causing millions of dollars of crop damage every year across the world’s major fruit-growing regions. Once established in an orchard, H. halys quickly becomes the predominant stink bug species and is a major season-long pest. Annual increases in the population size of H. halys have resulted in increased pest pressure and a growing risk of severe crop damage. Reliable monitoring is indispensable for H. halys control and management, providing comprehensive information on the seasonality of pest population dynamics, abundance, and interaction with the environment, and is essential for the successful implementation of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies to prevent crop damage. Our study followed the seasonal population dynamics of H. halys in three apple orchards in the Goriška region of western Slovenia over the period 2019–2021. Pherocon® Dual Panel Adhesive Traps (Trece Inc.) and pyramidal Rescue® Stink Bug Traps, both baited with Trécé lures (two-component H. halys aggregation pheromone + pheromone synergist), were used to monitor H. halys adults and nymphs weekly from late March to the end of November. Captures taken with both types of trap clearly describe the seasonal dynamics of H. halys, with the first occurrence of overwintering adults in April and May, and with two peak occurrences in adults, in the middle of summer and in the beginning of autumn, corresponding to the appearance of two generations per year in the study area. The growing trap captures observed during the 3-year monitoring period suggest that H. halys was only recently introduced to the area and that natural enemies have not yet been fully recruited. Pyramid traps captured significantly more adults and nymphs than clear sticky traps and provided accurate monitoring of H. halys life stages throughout the season. Regardless of the lower trap catches of adults and juveniles, clear sticky traps clearly displayed H. halys seasonal dynamics pattern. Therefore, their use is recommended as an early detection tool in areas where pests are not yet present, or in areas with small H. halys populations. Halyomorpha halys adult trap captures were higher in Šempeter orchards, within areas of great landscape diversity and a large share of urban land. The seasonal dynamics of H. halys over the 3-year period were closely related to weather conditions, with temperature and relative humidity as the major factors affecting population growth.

Copyright of Agronomy Journal / Agronomski Glasnik (0002-1954) is the property of Croatian Society of Agronomists and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A method for the aesthetic assessment of coastal landscapes surrounded by mountains at the regional level is proposed. Assessing and mapping the aesthetic resources of the territory imply that scenic viewpoints and perceived landscape sceneries form an aesthetic system based on the geographical location. An aesthetic assessment has been made using georeferenced landscape photographs that were taken during field studies and from the Panoramio webservice database for 11 integrated indicators characterizing the perception conditions of sceneries and their structure. The landscape diversity of open and closed landscape scenes is analyzed on a differential basis. The landscape diversity of open and semiopen scenes is determined by the combination of the ruggedness of relief and contrast of vegetation cover, while the differentiation of closed forest landscape scenes with a near perspective is based on the characteristics of the elements and components of the enclosing natural landscape (composition and density of the forest stand; presence, abundance, and height of the shrub layer; and height and variety of the ground cover). Complex indicators were assessed using a three-dimensional model of the study area in Google Earth Pro based on thematic layers imported from the Quantum GIS project (satellite images, digital elevation model (DEM), landscape typological and forest inventory maps, a database of landscape photographs, etc.), taking into account the obscuring role of vegetation cover. Contours of the landscape typological map at the level of facies groups with a scale of 1 : 500 000 are used as mapping units. The score is assigned to the area from which the landscape is observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In order to both combat the decline of biodiversity and produce food, fuel, and fiber for a growing human population, current agricultural landscapes must transition into diversified, multifunctional systems. Perennial cellulosic biofuel crops have potential to meet both of these challenges, acting as multifunctional systems that can enhance biodiversity. What is not well understood, and what we test here, are the tradeoffs among different perennial crops in their performance as biofuels and in biodiversity conservation. Working in an established bioenergy experiment with four native, perennial, cellulosic biofuel crop varieties—ranging from monoculture to diverse restoration planting—we tested the effect of biofuel crop management on flower communities, pollinator communities, and crop yield. The greatest abundance and diversity of pollinators and flowers were in treatments that were successional (unmanaged), followed by restored prairie (seeded mix of native grasses and forbs), switchgrass, and a mix of native grasses. However, biofuel crop yield was approximately the inverse, with native grasses having the highest yield, followed by switchgrass and prairie, then successional treatments. Restored prairie was the optimal biofuel crop when both pollinator conservation and crop yield are valued similarly. We add to mounting evidence that policy is needed to create sustainable markets that value the multifunctionality of perennial biofuel systems in order to achieve greater ecosystem services from agricultural landscapes.

The study was conducted in the landscapes of south-eastern Ukraine during the nesting seasons 1988–2018. Within the landscape system associated with the Molochny Estuary, the ten most important ecosystem types were investigated, including the following: agricultural land, vegetated strips, meadows, islands and spits, reedbeds, urban areas, salt marshes, steppe, cliffs, artificial forests. Bird species responded to temperature and precipitation gradients. The patterns of responses were presented using Huisman, Olff and Fresco expanded by the Jansen-Oksanen hierarchical models. The nature of species response in the gradient of temperature or precipitation conditions depends on the type of particular ecosystem and is not uniform for all populations inhabiting the different landscape types. The bird communities were revealed to demonstrate an abrupt dynamic over time. The continuous changes in community structure initiated by the external environmental factors are combined with modifications of internal biotic interactions, which may lead to abrupt reorganization of the community.

The present study evaluates the relationship between the crops productivity and ecosystem diversity. The spatial variability in ecosystem diversity was measured using the Shannon landscape diversity index and distance from biodiversity hotspots that are nature conservation areas. Three crops were selected for the study: soybeans, sunflowers and winter rye. The initial data included the average crops yields in administrative districts within 10 regions of Ukraine. It was found that the studied crops yield dynamics from the mid-90s of the previous century to the current period could be described by a sigmoid curve (log-logistic model). The parameters of the yield model are the following indicators: the minimum level of yield (Lower Limit); maximum level of productivity (Upper limit); the slope of the model, which shows the rate of change in yields over time; ED50 - the time required to achieve half, from the maximum yield level. Our studies have shown that there is a statistically significant regression relationship between the yield parameters of all the studied crops and biodiversity, even at the landscape level. Among the studied crops, soybean shows the strongest regression relationship between yields and indicators of landscape diversity. Sunflower yield is the least dependent on landscape diversity. Most of the established dependencies are nonlinear, which indicates the existence of an optimal level of landscape diversity to achieve the maximum possible crop yields. Therefore, the obtained patterns can be the basis for land-use planning and management, especially while creating new natural protected areas.

In Southern Europe, the abandonment of the traditional transhumant system where sheep graze lowland areas during winter and distant mountain systems during summer has led to an important cultural loss and still poorly understood ecological consequences. We investigate the landscape-scale implications of contemporary sheep grazing patterns in a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS). Our analysis showed a heterogeneous use of mountain grazing areas between 1990 and 2020. The areas most used by sheep had more abundance of pasture, fewer forests, and structurally different landscapes than those that had been fully abandoned by sheep. Likewise, we have detected decreasing trends in landscape diversity in those areas not used by sheep over the study period, whereas landscape heterogeneity is maintained in those areas grazed by sheep. Our study constitutes an original analysis of landscape patterns and shifts in relation to extensive sheep grazing by using novel approaches that combine interviews, updated satellite time series, and state-of-the-art landscape analysis techniques. Likewise, our results constitute a benchmark as they inform on the importance of preserving extensive sheep grazing if we aim to maintain the cultural heritage, and traditional diverse landscape and the semi-natural grasslands in the Mountains of León.

Habitat loss and fragmentation in the human‐modified landscape affect bee assemblages by reducing the available natural resources. The life history features and adaptations of bees to environmental conditions affect how they perceive and interact with landscape structure. Therefore, it is crucial to quantify the magnitude of the effects of the landscape structure on this group at multiscale. We address the relative contribution of landscape structure in explaining the abundance of orchid bees, richness, and diversity in landscapes of Brazilian Cerrado. We mapped the surrounding landscape around 18 focal patches and sampled male orchid bees attracted by chemical baits. We used VIF and generalized linear models (GLM) to evaluate the effects of landscape structure (composition and configuration) at different spatial scales. We sampled 658 euglossine bees from five genera and 12 species. The savanna cover, forest cover, and fragmentation per se (i.e., the number of patches) were the best predictors of the richness of euglossine bees. The abundance of bees was explained by the savanna cover. The increase in natural habitat area and the reduction in landscape fragmentation favoring the assemblages of orchid bees are supported by our results. Savanna cover also modulates the abundance of euglossine bees, confirming that the habitat amount is essential for maintaining the populations of these bees. Our results reinforce the importance of habitat loss and fragmentation effects on the richness, abundance, and composition of euglossine bees, particularly in the naturally heterogeneous landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing demand for farmers to reduce their use of anthropogenic inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides. It is often suggested that nature offers alternative ways to suppress pests, but what might these be? One prominent difference between most natural and agricultural systems is the diversity of plants and associated biota such as arthropod herbivores, predators and parasites, both above- and below-ground. It is often claimed that a move away from monocultures and towards greater field, farm and landscape diversity could be an important and obvious first step towards more natural pest control. This paper draws together strands of evidence on what a move to more diverse crop systems can and cannot bring to pest control. We conclude that diversification has great potential, but is not a silver bullet. Adopting a wider definition of IPM and including the environmental stewardship role of agriculture would enable a greater use of natural mechanisms for pest control, including a greater role for diversity, but would also require an economic mechanism to reward stewardship that serves wider societal needs while discouraging management that does not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a country with abundant natural resources, Slovakia has legislation to protect significant parts of nature and landscape. The paper aimed to identify the extent and nature of land cover changes in large protected areas in Slovakia and to determine how had these changes impacted the diversity and ecological stability of the landscape. We used the CORINE Land Cover data from 1990 and 2018 to identify landscape changes and analyzed them spatially and statistically. Overall, 21.7% of the total area was changed. In terms of landscape changes, nine dominant sub-processes within five »land cover flows« were identified. In terms of changes in landscape diversity and stability the most significant changes occurred in the NP Nízke Tatry.

The analysis of the studying of the problem of identifying and evaluating of typical and rare landscapes was carried out, which showed that quite a lot of knowledge has been accumulated in this area of the identification of such landscapes and the criteria for their assessment. It is established that insufficient attention is paid to the classification and mapping of landscapes, the use of mathematical methods for their assessment. A scientific concept is proposed for the study of typical and rare landscapes, which contains four levels of their study (country, regional, subregional, local), the scale of work corresponding to the level, landscape classification units, criteria and indicators for their allocation are determined. So, at the country level, the criterion for assessing typical landscapes is the degree of representativeness, depending on bioclimatic factors and the large size of the landscape contour, at the regional (provincial) – the contour size of the dominant landscapes of the province and the index of landscape diversity, at the subregional – the intensity of anthropogenic transformation, at the local – characteristic value of attractiveness. The main criteria for assessing rare landscapes at the country level are the small size of the contour and the criteria of uniqueness, at the regional (provincial) indicator of occurrence, at the subregional – naturalness, at local – vulnerability. A geographic information database has been created, a methodology has been developed for identifying typical and rare landscapes and their typology. An assessment of landscape diversity was made and the map showing that typical landscapes are characterised by a high and medium level of diversity, and rare landscapes are characterised by medium and low was created. An assessment of the occurrence of rare landscapes was carried out, which made it possible to distinguish three groups – low, medium, and high occurrence; their list and a map of occurrence were created. It has been determined that unique landscapes, which are part of a group with low occurrence, require special protection. A direct correlation has been established between the level of landscape diversity and occurrence. The proposed criteria for identifying and assessing typical and rare landscapes can be used in organising or transforming nature protected areas, in the design of their passports and conservation obligations.

An assessment of agrobiodiversity is critical for making agriculture and food production sustainable, but this work has received less attention of researchers. We have developed an Agroecosystem Diversity Index to show the status, challenges and offer suggestions to conserve and enrich agrobiodiversity. The index captures the diversity of the agroecosystem at landscape, species and genetic levels; and indicates the threats to agrobiodiversity and the response of the society. The index is computed for the Indo-Gangetic Plains of India. Our findings show a moderate degree of agrobiodiversity in the region with an index of 0.39 and a range of 0.32 to 0.45 across the districts. The agroecosystem has become highly specialized with rice and wheat as the major crops. The increasing threat to agrobiodiversity and inadequate policy response to address the problem are the primary concerns. For sustainable management of agroecosystems in the region, it is necessary to introduce legumes to diversify the rice–wheat system, promote agroforestry to enhance landscape diversity and encourage optimum use of agrochemicals to enrich the soil microbiome. Natural resource depletion is a major concern, and conservation technologies and practices shall be useful in arresting the degradation process in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Biodiversity loss is a pressing challenge. This is particularly so in regions where the pressure on ecosystems is high such as in the Sahel region. This pressure is due, inter alia, to different land uses such as pastoralism. In this context, the present systematic review analyses the state of research on the nexus between pastoralism and biodiversity in West Africa. In particular, it explores the relationships between pastoralism (cf. agro-pastoralism, sylvo-pastoralism, agro-sylvo-pastoralism), on the one hand, and plant diversity, animal diversity, and ecosystem diversity, on the other hand. The paper also analyses the bibliometrics of the research field. A search performed in March 2021 on the Web of Science yielded 205 documents and 73 of them were included in the systematic review. The bibliometric analysis suggests an increasing interest in the research field, especially in Burkina Faso and Benin, but also the weakness of the domestic research system as a large share of the selected documents is authored by researchers based outside West Africa. In general, the scholarly literature shows a negative impact of pastoralism on plant diversity (cf. richness, abundance, composition) and animal diversity (cf. wild herbivorous mammals, predators, birds, insects) in West Africa. However, the literature analysis suggests that the effects of pastoralism are rather mixed. They are context-specific and depend on many factors such as grazing intensity and livestock species. The effects on plant diversity differ between woody (trees and shrubs) and herbaceous species. There is a general trend towards the erosion of indigenous livestock genetic diversity due to uncontrolled mating and cross-breeding. The impacts of pastoralism on ecosystem diversity are mainly due to changes in land use and habitat fragmentation. Further multi-country, comparative studies are needed to better qualify the interactions, complementarities and possible conflicts between the different pastoralism-related land uses and biodiversity conservation in West Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to study of the parameters of the maize yield trend parameters in the territory of 10 administrative regions of Polissya and Forest-steppe zones of Ukraine and to find out the influence of landscape diversity factors on them. State Statistics Service of Ukraine provided the maize yields data by the administrative districts. The calculations of the yield model parameters were performed in R Project for Statistical Computing. Landscape diversity was estimated based on the Shannon index. Spatial images are made using ArcGIS 10.1. It was found that during the study period maize yield dynamics described by a sigmoid curve (log-logistic model). The parameters of the yield model are the following indicators: lower limit of yield; upper limit of yield; slope that showing the rate of change in yield over time and ED50 – the time it takes to achieve half of the maximum yield level. The lowest yields during the study period were observed in the early and mid-1990s. Areas with higher value of minimum yields are characterized by a more rapid increase in yield over time. The spatial variation map of the ED50 is, in turn, a complete reflection of the yield rate map. The upper limit of productivity, at which at a given level of agrotechnology, the yield is determined precisely by the biotic potential of the territory occur in the current time period. Analyzing the map of the location of different environmental protected objects and the average distance to them, we concluded that the northern regions of Ukraine is characterized by the highest density of the Nature Preserve Fund (NPF) objects. Regression analysis revealed a statistically significant correlation between the upper limit of maize yield (maximum productivity) and the Shannon index. There is also a correlation between the distance to the environmental objects and the upper yield limit, which is described by the second-order equation. Therefore, there is an optimum value of landscape and ecological diversity, under which the maize production potential reaches the highest level.

This work discusses the historical development of landscape typologies of Slovenia, focusing on methodology, terminology, criteria for the division of territory, and landscape type hierarchy. It presents all five macrotypologies of Slovenia created between 1946 and 2013, Slovenia’s classification in nine selected macrotypologies of Europe produced between 1995 and 2016, and eight examples of microtypologies of smaller areas of Slovenia made between 1985 and 2020. It compares and evaluates similar typologies. If, in addition to the landscape typology, a geographical regionalization was also produced, common points are sought between the two. The macrotypologies and microtypologies of Slovenia are accompanied by an original and updated map.

Satellite-based land cover data with discrete classes provide a critical basis for studies on response of forest photosynthesis to climate change at the regional scale. However, this discrete classification oversimplifies reality due to widely observed mixed pixels, which may obscure the remotely-sensed detection at moderate/low spatial resolution. To this point, the purpose of this study was to explore whether and how heterogeneity of land cover data with discrete classes impacts remotely-sensed detection of climatic sensitivity of photosynthesis across coarse grid cells of forested area. First, coarse forest grid cells at moderate resolution (0.05°) with tree coverage > 50% were derived from a finer land cover dataset (300 m) in central-eastern China. Then, solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) was taken as a proxy of forest photosynthesis to detect the sensitivities to three climatic variables (i.e., temperature, precipitation and radiation) in each forest pixel of interest. After that, variabilities in the climatic sensitivities with grid cell-based tree coverage and landscape biodiversity were investigated across the study area by gradient analysis. The findings show an explicit gradient change in the climatic sensitivities of photosynthesis with forest coverage and landscape diversity. Overall, the climatic sensitivities are amplified with an increase in tree coverage in the grids. Similarly, the climatic sensitivities of forest photosynthesis vary with landscape diversity, generally showing a negative correlation in most of the area. These quantitative results built a strong evidence to answer the proposed questions. Hence, we suggest that it is necessary to consider heterogeneity of land cover data with discrete classes in parameterization of modeling and inversion. The achievement of this study is helpful to provide insight into reasons for ecological response to climate change.

The estimation of urban irrigation water requirements has often been approached from an agricultural perspective. This approach is flawed, as the intention of estimating agricultural water is to optimize yield. Recent studies have reported that urban irrigation systems waste about 34% of water, an alarming number for arid cities. The intention for urban irrigation is complex and dependent on the microclimates created by the development of the landscape. In this paper, we investigate the role of the urban landscape on the irrigation water requirements in arid cities. The role of the landscape in determining the irrigation water requirements is examined through the changes in surface-heat energy exchanges. The effects of landscapes are examined through land use change, buildings’ geometry and orientation, and vegetation types. The irrigation water requirement is assessed as the function of urban evapotranspiration and irrigation efficiency. The development of land use characteristics includes the transition from undeveloped (natural) surfaces to residential, commercial, road surfaces, or vegetated surfaces. The orientation and geometry of the streets are assessed by changes in sky view factor values due to building geometry. Three landscapes varying in vegetation type and water use are investigated. The study focuses on understanding the heat exchanges and their effects on irrigation water requirements in arid climates. Two major cities were studied: Las Vegas Valley and Phoenix metropolitan. The study concludes that the development of hardscapes, including commercial and road infrastructures, increases the overall surface temperature by 2 °C per unit change in albedo, thereby increasing evapotranspiration and urban irrigation water requirement. In addition, landscape diversity also plays a crucial role in changing the irrigation water requirement. This study highlights the importance of making development decisions in urban settings and their effects on water resources. It also contributes by providing the major factors changing the urban irrigation requirement. The study can help urban water managers and climatologists to develop improved urban irrigation models.

An ecoinformatics approach was used to test how two noxious species in grapevines with varying host preferences and movement characteristics: the European grapevine moth (Lobesia botrana), and a parasitic fungus, the grape powdery mildew (Uncinula necator), are affected by local and landscape variables. Data were collected from 202 vineyards during four seasons: 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017 and analysed using generalized mixed models. We hypothesized that the European grapevine moth would be affected most by the landscape variables, while the grape powdery mildew would be affected most by local ones. We found that the number of sprayings during the season was an important variable explaining variation in infestation levels between vineyards for both species. At the landscape scale, we found larger variations in the relationship between the studied variables and the two pests, but both were also affected by the surrounding land use including areas of deciduous orchards. Understanding the factors that affect the occurrence of various pests in the same environment might improve farmers' decision‐making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work discusses the historical development of landscape typologies of Slovenia, focusing on methodology, terminology, criteria for the division of territory, and landscape type hierarchy. It presents all five macrotypologies of Slovenia created between 1946 and 2013, Slovenia's classification in nine selected macrotypologies of Europe produced between 1995 and 2016, and eight examples of microtypologies of smaller areas of Slovenia made between 1985 and 2020. It compares and evaluates similar typologies. If, in addition to the landscape typology, a geographical regionalization was also produced, common points are sought between the two. The macrotypologies and microtypologies of Slovenia are accompanied by an original and updated map. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The family Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) includes important predatory natural enemies in agricultural crops. To survive, this group uses different occurring resources across the landscape; therefore, the landscape can influence the Coccinellidae community in agroecosystems. In this context, this work aims to evaluate the response of the Coccinellidae community to the landscape context within a gradient of distances from vineyards managed under sustainable production methods. For that, Coccinellidae were sampled in thirty-five vineyards distributed by six wine Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) regions of Portugal, and landscape metrics—composition and configuration—were calculated in a 2000 m, 1500 m, 1000 m, 750 m, and 500 m buffers around the vineyards. Then, Coccinellidae species were identified, and the response of the Coccinellidae to the landscape metrics was analyzed. In total, 326 Coccinellidae from 21 species were collected. The most abundant species were Scymnus apetzi, Scymnus interruptus, Scymnus subvillosus, Coccinella septempunctata, and Stethorus pusillus, which together represented 83.4% of the total collected individuals. Most specimens were concentrated in July and at the vegetation cover. Results from the statistical analysis (Generalized Linear Mixed Models) indicated that the presence of seminatural habitat surrounding the crop may favor Coccinellidae, while habitat fragmentation seems detrimental for them. The potential relevance of the identified Coccinellidae for pest control in vineyards is discussed.

This paper focuses on designing an approach to monitor the effects of the Rural Development Program (RDP) on High Nature Value Farmland type 2 – farmland dominated by traditional mosaics of cultivated land and small-scale features (HNV2) – and its application to farmland in Slovakia. Based on the identification of HNV2 on the national level and selection of monitoring sites, we carried out monitoring for two periods: 1st monitoring of RDP 2007–2013 and 2nd monitoring of RDP 2014–2020. We developed a set of indicators for monitoring of HNV2, which were mapped in the field: management intensity, categories of land cover and type of management, share of semi-natural elements, management activities. The most significant changes were observed in the proportion of semi-natural vegetation and management intensity. We defined five categories of changes in management intensity: either positive – 1) improved, or 2) persistent regular management – or negative – 3) continued abandonment, 4) decrease in management intensity, or 5) intensification causing decrease of landscape diversity. The evaluation of land cover changes on the basis of landscape indices shows higher landscape diversity on sites without subsidies. This shows that subsidies are linked to farmland with less diverse landscape structure. Statistical analyses showed semi-natural vegetation to be dominant on both subsidised and unsubsidised sites. The total area of HNV2, which is one of the basic indicators evaluated under the RDP, is decreasing: partly due to updates and refinements of the Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS), and exclusion of HNV2 sites from LPIS due to a presence of woody elements, but also partly due to abandonment. The results of our study showed a slightly positive contribution of RDP to maintenance and sustainable management of HNV2.

In order to both combat the decline of biodiversity and produce food, fuel, and fiber for a growing human population, current agricultural landscapes must transition into diversified, multifunctional systems. Perennial cellulosic biofuel crops have potential to meet both of these challenges, acting as multifunctional systems that can enhance biodiversity. What is not well understood, and what we test here, are the tradeoffs among different perennial crops in their performance as biofuels and in biodiversity conservation. Working in an established bioenergy experiment with four native, perennial, cellulosic biofuel crop varieties—ranging from monoculture to diverse restoration planting—we tested the effect of biofuel crop management on flower communities, pollinator communities, and crop yield. The greatest abundance and diversity of pollinators and flowers were in treatments that were successional (unmanaged), followed by restored prairie (seeded mix of native grasses and forbs), switchgrass, and a mix of native grasses. However, biofuel crop yield was approximately the inverse, with native grasses having the highest yield, followed by switchgrass and prairie, then successional treatments. Restored prairie was the optimal biofuel crop when both pollinator conservation and crop yield are valued similarly. We add to mounting evidence that policy is needed to create sustainable markets that value the multifunctionality of perennial biofuel systems in order to achieve greater ecosystem services from agricultural landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conserving functionally diverse bird communities in European farmland is becoming critical, with no exception for regions of wine production. Management intensification combined with the loss of semi‐natural habitats in wine‐growing landscapes has led to a long‐term decline not only in birds of conservation concern but also in once common insectivores and seed eaters. These declines are expected not only to threaten key ecological services provided by vineyard birds, such as pest or weed control, but also their cultural significance.We analysed how organic management and landscape heterogeneity affected taxonomic and functional diversity of 334 bird communities from 12 regions of the three main wine‐producing European countries (France, Italy and Spain). We further modelled the responses of community‐level metrics measuring mean habitat specialization and bird song attractiveness to humans, as well as cumulative abundances of functional insectivores, seed and grape eaters to account for individual avian functions.We found that organic viticulture enhanced bird functional diversity and individual functions, but that its positive effect partially depended on grass cover management in the inter‐rows and landscape heterogeneity. Woodland cover and landscape compositional heterogeneity increased both taxonomic and functional diversity of bird communities, as well as functional insectivory. Landscape configurational heterogeneity also increased functional diversity and mean song attractiveness of bird communities.Overall, both bird diversity and functions were enhanced by higher landscape heterogeneity, especially in organic vineyards. However, mean habitat specialization decreased with woodland cover and configurational heterogeneity, meaning that open habitat specialists preferred more even landscapes with high vineyard cover.Synthesis and applications. Our study highlights the benefits of combining organic management and partial grass cover at the field level and promoting interfaces between vineyards and semi‐natural habitats at the landscape level to sustain multifunctional bird communities in wine‐producing European countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paper the factors affecting on the α- and β-diversity of bird communities in the south and south-east of Ukraine were identified. Also indicator species for most typical habitats of the territory were identified. The relationship between indicators of bird communities diversity and area of habitats were found. The recording of the comminities of birds was held in the zonal, azonal, intrazonal, and anthropogenically transformed landscapes in the river of Danube, Dniester, Moloshnaya, Moloshniy lagoons, in artificial forests, agricultural landscapes, steppe, meadow, reed, saltmarsh habitats of the sea islands in the settlements of various type. The quantitative assessments of bird communities biodiversity were made using the logarithm of the number of species, Shannon-Wiener index, the Pielow index. The effect of the area and the type habitat on a diversity index variance was estimated using the General linear models (GLM) procedure. The estimation of the mean α-diversity of the bierd communities diversity was found to be equal of 11.0 species varying from 10.9 to 11.11. Evaluation of the γ-diversity gived a mean value of 174 species with varying scores from 170 to 177 species. Evaluation of β-diversity gived a mean value of 15.8 varying from 15.4 to 16.1. The richest in the number of birds is forests and reed belts. The smallest species richness was characterized for steppes, marshes and cliffs. Between Shannon index and Pielow index there was a positive correlation. The greatest evennes in the number of species of birds are characterized by step, shelterbelts and forests communities. The smal-lest evennes was characteristic for pits, islands and cliffs communities. The fractioning of β-diversity indicated that the type of habitat determines 37% of the variation of this indicator and the area of habitat variation determining β-diversity. The joint effect of habitat type and area determines 11% of the variation of β-diversity. The main source of variation β-diversity was the differentiation gradient “open habitats” (steppe or agriculture biotopes) – forest habitats (forests, artificial forest plantations). Indices of species diversity of birds communities was found to be depend on the area and habitat types. Also shown the dependence of species diversity of the area is specific for each type of habitat. In most cases, the number of species increased from natural habitat area. You can select habitats with high levels of species depending on the area. These included belts, woodlands, thickets of reeds. The group with the lack of statistically significant association between the number of species and habitat area, or even negative bond include anthropogenically transformed or dynamic natural habitats (alluvial sand spit islands and estuaries, agricultural, residential areas, cliffs, steppes, lakes). Species richness of these habitats was formed by the representatives of other habitat factors result in landscape diversity. With the increase in some areas monocoenosis (steppe, lake or island) the relative area of contact with neighboring habitats and ecotonic effect was reduced, resulting in species richness decreases with increasing their area. The indicators species grops were reveales due to realation between biotopes types and bird distribution.

Aim. The article considers the potential of the natural, cultural and historical features of the territory of the Dido (Shaurinsky District) basin with its dramatic mountainous setting for the further development of tourism and recreation in regions of the highlands of the East Caucasus. Materials and Methods. In carrying out our study data obtained from field research, including a comprehensive environmental survey of the territory, were used. Field research included on‐site expeditions, profiling, descriptive, identification of key areas, mapping, photography. Historical sources, as well as stock imagery and existing cartographic material, were consulted. Results. The territory’s natural features and historical and cultural heritage were examined in terms of their attractiveness for tourist visits and an option of creating a recreational zone with tourist centres was articulated among other proposals for tourism and recreational development. Conclusion. The Dido basin with its high biological and landscape diversity and distinctive cultural and historical heritage presents significant potential for the development of various types of tourism and an associated local hospitality industry.

The transformation of vineyard landscapes is evaluated in this article by assessing the changes in land cover and landscape diversity in selected study areas in two time periods – from 1867 to 1949, and from then to 2016. The study areas are characterised by a long history of viticulture and with important occurrences of old and new agrarian relief forms. Fine-scale land cover and landscape diversity analysis, as well as the study of historical and strategic documents, enabled an accurate interpretation of the viticultural landscape trajectories and their drivers. Landscape diversity was computed using the Shannon diversity index for each 625 square metre grid unit, and applying other metrics for the entire study area. Our research established that the study areas oscillated during this period between extensification and agricultural intensification, and the general trend confirmed the disappearance of traditional vineyards and a decline in modernised vineyard areas after socialism. Although extensification and intensification are seemingly contradictory processes, it is established that these both increase landscape diversity. In addition, landscape diversity changes in the second period are influenced more by changes in quantitative landscape pattern characteristics via edge density than qualitative patterns, e.g. patch richness, which reflect land use diversity.

Human activities have modified the landscape composition. The changes in the landscape structure can be evaluated by metrics, which are influenced, among other factors, by the number of cover classes used for the landscape classification (thematic resolution). In high thematic resolutions, landscape covers that can influence biological responses are identified and detailed. In low thematic resolutions, this detail level is lower because it aggregates different landscape covers in a few classes. However, how the thematic resolution influences our ability to understand landscape structure on biodiversity is poorly explored, particularly for pollinators. Here we asked how thematic resolution affects the explanatory power of landscape composition on explaining Euglossini bees (richness and abundance) within 15 landscapes composed mainly of coffee and pasture. To address this issue, we quantified the association between five attributes of the euglossine bee community and landscape composition: landscape cover classes (%) and landscape heterogeneity. Moreover, we also evaluated how the thematic resolution influences bee responses to landscape structure. We found a strong and positive influence of landscape heterogeneity in low thematic resolutions (i.e., few cover classes on maps) over the richness and rare species abundance. We also observed that- in addition to the forest cover in the landscape- the pasture cover (%) quantified in high thematic resolution positively influenced the total abundance and abundance of common and intermediate species. Our study highlights the importance of maintaining compositional heterogeneity for the orchid bee community in agroecosystems, and forest cover for the biological requirements and conservation of these pollinators. Moreover, the use of different thematic resolutions showed how specific types of landscape covers influence the euglossine community attributes. This can highlight the species preferences for habitats and landscape covers. Thus, we call the attention of landscape ecologists to the importance of the definition of thematic resolution, as our ability to quantify the association between biological responses and landscape structure may be influenced by the number of classes used when building thematic maps.

Land use change has led to large-scale insect decline, threatening ecosystem resilience through reduced functional diversity. Even in nature reserves, losses in insect diversity have been detected. Hereby, changes in local habitat quality and landscape-scale habitat quantity can play a role driving functional diversity toward erosion. Our aim was to analyze how local and landscape-scale factors simultaneously affect functional insect diversity. Therefore, we sampled moths in two Italian coastal forest reserves at 60 sites. Our focus was on functional richness, redundancy and niche occupation, being important for ecosystem resilience, following the insurance framework. Ecological information about 387 species and 14 traits was used to analyze functional diversity. Twenty-five functional groups were recognized and used to estimate niche occupation and redundancy. Fourteen local and 12 landscape-scale factors were measured and condensed by using Principal Components Analysis. The resulting PC-axes served as predictors in linear mixed effects models. Functional richness, redundancy and niche occupation of moths were lower at sites with low habitat quality and quantity, indicating reduced ecosystem resilience. Especially landscape diversity and habitat structure, viz. a humidity-nutrient gradient, but also plant diversity, were promoting functional richness. Landscape fragmentation, indicating increased impermeability for insects, reduced local functional richness, redundancy and niche occupation. Local habitat quality and landscape-wide habitat quantity are both important for maintaining functional insect diversity inside reserves. Therefore, small and isolated nature reserves might fail in preserving biodiversity and ecosystem functions through adverse effects acting from the surrounding landscape structure and configuration.

Norwegian landscapes are changing at an increasingly rapid rate and therefore systematically structured information about observable landscape variation is required for knowledge-based management of landscape diversity. The purpose of the article is to present the first version of a complete, area covering, evidence-based, landscape type map of Norway, simultaneously addressing geoecological, bioecological and land use related variations. The type system used for the mapping is supported by systematically structured empirical evidence. The results of the mapping procedure, including the geographical distribution and descriptive statistics (abundance and areal coverage), are presented for each of the nine identified major landscape types identified based on coarse-scale landform variation. Within six inland and coastal major types, a large number of minor landscape types are defined based on the composition of geoecological, bioecological, and land use related landscape properties. The results provide new insights into the geography of Norwegian marine, coastal and inland landscapes. The authors discuss potential errors, uncertainties and limitations of the landscape type maps, and address the potential value of the new tool for research, management and planning purposes. They conclude that the results of the study might contribute to knowledge-based spatial planning and management of the unique landscape diversity of Norway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of a dispersed settlement on the changes of the land cover (LC) and landscape diversity (LDI) in the years 1950, 1986 and 2016 was analyzed on four spatially different levels: on the level of the whole cadastral area, 60 circular areas - hinterlands of hamlets, 15 circular areas in agricultural land outside hamlets and areas outside circular areas. The primary hypothesis that the landscape with a dispersed settlement is internally differentiated in terms of LC and LDI changes and that a dispersed settlement itself is an important driving force of these changes has been confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For Transcarpathian region, with a pronounced landscape diversity of territories and significant areas of nature reserves, well water is an important source of drinking water. Screening of the microelement composition of drinking well water in Transcarpathia has not been carried out before. The microelement composition of such well water can be considered as the natural (baseline) indicator of quality. Methods: We screened of the microelement (Cu, Zn, Fe, P, Ca, Mg, Mn, Mo, Co, As, Se, I, Br and F) composition of drinking well water in Transcarpathian region (for all 13 districts). Standard methods were used to determination the concentration of chemical elements in well water: electrothermal atomic absorption spectroscopy (Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Mo, Co), flame photometry (Ca, Mg), inverse voltammetry (total iodine), potentiometry (F, Br), fluorimetric (Se) and spectrophotometric methods (P, As). Results: The content of chemical elements in well water varies over a wide range, in particular for Cu: 3.27–11.6 μg⋅L−1, Zn: 8.16–38.2 μg⋅L−1; Fe: 37.9–411 μg⋅L−1; P: 51.4–193 μg⋅L−1; Ca: 85–139 mg⋅L−1, Mg: 10.2–18.9 mg⋅L−1, Mn: 22.8–78.1 μg⋅L−1; Mo: 2.33–8.96 μg⋅L−1; Co: 1.72–3.38 μg⋅L−1; As: 2.9–17.4 μg⋅L−1; Se: 0.95–3.6 μg⋅L−1; I: 0.94–4.4 μg⋅L−1; Br: 712–3098 μg⋅L−1; F: 71–149 μg⋅L−1. The tendency that the content of microelements (Cu, Zn, Mn, Mo, Co, As, Se, I, Br, and F) in well waters of different landscape zones was evaluated through Spearman's coefficients. The content of trace elements in the waters of different landscape zones increases in the series: lowland landscape > foothill landscape > mountainous landscape (Spearman's coefficients: Cu – 0.62, Zn – 0.85, Mn – 0.69, Mo – 0.83, Co – 0.79, P – 0.74, As – 0.72, Se – 0.75, I – 0.80, Br – 0.91, F – 0.73). Conclusion: It is shown that the chemical composition of well water can be considered as the natural (baseline) indicator of quality of groundwater in Transcarpathia, taking into account topographic and geochemical features of the territories. Among the main problems of drinking well water in Transcarpathia are the relatively high content of Fe (typical for different landscape zones), as well as the low content of Se, I and F. The correlation of inter-elements content of chemical elements in drinking well waters of Transcarpathia has been revealed. The most pronounced correlations are observed for such pairs of microelements: Co–Mo (r > 0.95), I–Br (r > 0.92), Zn–Br (r > 0.89), Cu–Co (r > 0.84), Se–Co (r > 0.84), Mo–P (r > 0.84), Mo–I (r > 0.82) and Zn–Mo (r > 0.80).

This study aimed to determine effect of Isparta-Atabey Lowlands agricultural landscape diversity on large mammal species diversity. Studies which focus on especially small mammals and natural areas, measure effect of landscape diversity on habitat chose. Studies on mammalian wild animals and habitats were usually made in natural areas. In this study, the relationship between agricultural landscape diversity and species diversity of mammal wild animals was investigated. Atabey Lowland, positioned 15 km northeast to Isparta. Observations were executed in 30 of these sample grid squares. Track and sign counting method, habitats and vegetation datas were recorded conducted in these sample plots. Shannon-Wiener diversity index was used for wild mammalian species in sample plots. Multiple Linear Regression Analyzes use to explain agricultural landscape diversity and large mammal species diversity linkage. According to the analysis results, Area-weighted mean patch fractal dimension (AWMPFD) and Mean of patches size (MPS) has been found to be significantly effective at predicting mammal species diversity (R2 = 0,71). It has been identified, based in a sample area if increase of patch number and patch size ratio as much diversity as one another, diversity of mammal species is that increase (R= 0,84).

The relationship between land values, climate and landscape diversity is investigated for a region of the Mediterranean where climate impacts are expected to be particularly severe. The Ricardian approach is applied, and spatial correlation and endogenous selection of farm type are accounted for. The analysis is at the farm level, and it is completely geocoded. It is found that farmland value is affected by both climate and landscape agrobiodiversity, and that their impacts differ across models. However, landscape agrobiodiversity is extremely significant, and it greatly contributes to sustaining the mean level of land value. The results show that spatial correlation and the endogenous nature of adaptation substantially affect impacts assessment and suggest that spatial dependence and adaptation should not be overlooked in Ricardian models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Key message: Recent afforestation in Europe might involve deep changes on landscape composition and configuration. We show that afforestation promotes defragmentation of pre-existing forests and new patch proliferation, in forest-dominated and non-forest-dominated landscapes respectively, while it is not associated to decreasing landscape diversity. These processes are modulated by geographic factors and might affect functional connectivity and biodiversity conservation in newly forested landscapes. Context: A recent forest increase in Europe might drive changes in the landscape pattern, with increasing forest defragmentation and connectivity but decreasing land cover diversity that, in turn, might affect biodiversity conservation. However, little is known about these patterns of change and their association with the environmental context. Aims: To explore the association of forest cover increase with changes in the spatial pattern of European landscapes, while considering their original landscape composition, geographical position and elevation. Methods: We obtained data from ESA and GFC land cover maps and other GIS layers and performed a set of GLM on randomly selected 752 landscapes with recent (1990–2012) forest increase. Results: A decrease in landscape diversity in the last decades was not associated to forest increase but to high cropland and low scrub-grassland cover. A forest increase promoted the defragmentation of already-existing forests and new patch proliferation in forest-dominated and non-dominated landscapes, respectively. These processes also depend on elevation and geographical position, with forest defragmentation concentrated in Northern and Eastern Europe and new patch proliferation in southern and western regions, and in mid-elevation areas. Conclusion: Changes in afforested landscapes are more complex than expected and cannot be solely attributable to forest increase, but also to landscape composition and location across elevation and geographical gradients across Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a country with abundant natural resources, Slovakia has legislation to protect significant parts of nature and landscape. The paper aimed to identify the extent and nature of land cover changes in large protected areas in Slovakia and to determine how had these changes impacted the diversity and ecological stability of the landscape. We used the CORINE Land Cover data from 1990 and 2018 to identify landscape changes and analyzed them spatially and statistically. Overall, 21.7% of the total area was changed. In terms of landscape changes, nine dominant sub-processes within five»land cover flows«were identified. In terms of changes in landscape diversity and stability the most significant changes occurred in the NP Nízke Tatry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture, including the viticulture practices of the 1950s-1980s, has led to a great decrease in diversity and simplification of the landscape. Such an environment does not support biodiversity, thus does not provide an ecosystem service, and is very vulnerable to changes and pest attacks. This agricultural production needs high inputs and so cannot be considered to be sustainable. The aim of our work was to assess the diversity of the vineyard sites of South Moravia according to proportions of noncrop vegetation, cropland and bare soil vineyards. The relationship between land-use and locality was analysed with Canoco 5 software for ordination analysis. Areas with bare soil vineyards, cropland and intensive orchards can be regarded as areas that decrease the diversity of the landscape, while elements such as non-crop vegetation and extensive old orchards support and increase landscape diversity. This landscape with high diversity provides an environment for a number of plant and animal species, which leads to the preservation and support of the biodiversity of the whole ecosystem. The highest landscape diversity was assessed in the Mikulov region, with 12% non-crop vegetation and the Strážnice region (8%), while the worst situation is in Valtice region, where 53% and in Znojmo 43% of the total are designed for grapevine production (vineyard sites) and used as cropland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild boar are widespread mammals in the world that can cause serious economic damage to farmers. Using data from a survey of farmers in Sweden, this study provides estimates of the cost of wild boar (crop loss, machinery damage, protection) to farmers in Sweden. The results indicate that 39 per cent of respondents had experienced at least one of the three types of costs and that they report a wide range of damage values. Regression results from an instrumental variable Tobit model showed that costs are significantly increasing in wild boar abundance and landscape diversity, and decreasing in the share of grain production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bees are ecosystem service providers that are globally threatened by losses of plant diversity. However, effects of multi‐species floral displays on bees in agro‐ecosystems with variable landscape context remain poorly understood, hindering pollinator conservation tactics. We addressed this knowledge gap through a novel application of the modified Price equation to evaluate responses of bees to diverse floral communities on 36 farms in Washington, USA, over 3 years. We found that floral richness, not floral identity, was the best predictor of floral visits by bees. However, the benefits of regionally rare floral species (i.e. plants found at relatively few sites) were only fully realised when farms were embedded in diverse landscapes. Our analysis used the modified Price equation to demonstrate that plant diversity, rather than specific plant species, promotes pollinator visitation, and that diverse landscapes promote the response of pollinators to regionally rare plant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]