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Leatherjackets (Tipula spp.) are soil‐dwelling pests associated with agriculture. Land management decisions made at farm scale can have subsequent effects on their populations. Between 1980 and 2020, surveys were conducted across Scotland to collect field histories and larval population data from grassland farms. To assess the impact of management and bioclimatic factors on leatherjacket occurrence over time, this study investigated data from fields continuously sampled between 2009 and 2018. We utilized a Generalized Linear Mixed‐Effect Model on a dataset of 61 fields on 19 farms. Results indicated three significant factors affecting larval populations; field size, grazing type and application of insecticides or herbicides (referred to collectively as pesticides). Larval populations were significantly lower in fields that were larger in size and under sheep grazing, compared to no grazing. Pesticide application also caused a significant reduction in larval populations. Management variables were amalgamated to create a Management Intensity Index, revealing significantly increased larval populations under low‐management systems. These results, coupled with significant effects of bioclimatic variables, pinpoint predictive signals for high infestations and potential routes for control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stone walls are ubiquitous field boundaries used to restrict livestock movement or to separate property. Bryophytes and lichens are often the dominant vegetation in dry stone walls and are strongly affected by local microhabitat characteristics. Bryophytes and lichens related metrics can be used to define habitat quality of stone walls.The current study assessed how richness and cover of bryophytes and macrolichens in dry stone walls related to each other and how different environmental variables and farm management descriptors determined richness and cover of both groups in dry stone walls. Bryophytes and macrolichens were sampled in stone walls on sixteen farms across a management intensity gradient in Ireland.Bryophyte cover correlated positively and significantly with bryophyte richness and macrolichen cover and richness, and can thus be used to assess stone walls quality. Farm management intensity emerged as the variable most strongly related with species richness of bryophytes and cover of both groups. Altitude also emerged as a strong predictor of both groups’ richness and cover. This study provides a novel perspective on stone wall habitat quality and results indicate that by promoting extensive farming it is possible to increase stone walls quality.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are essential for growth of coffee plants in acidic and phosphate deficient soils in Central and South America. We investigated the species richness of Glomeromycotean fungi in 9-13 years old coffee plantations in Colombia and Mexico. Fungal species richness was related to physical and chemical soil factors, soil aggregate stability, and farm management practices. Using morphological spore characteristics 85 AMF species were found. AMF species similarity within the plantations was 62-73 %, and the most regularly AMF species found in both countries were: Acaulospora mellea, Acaulospora spinosa, Ambispora fennica, Diversispora aurantia, Dominikia aurea, Glomus brohultii, Rhizoglomus clarum and Rhizoglomus intraradices. In both countries species richness was differently influenced by agronomic management intensity and soil parameter. In Colombia, where soils were more fertile with higher organic matter and soil pH than in Mexico, soil parameter explained the variations in species diversity, while in Mexico, agronomic management intensities explained the variations in species richness among sites. Soil aggregate stability slightly explains the AMF species richness in Colombia and Mexico. It can be concluded that the Glomeromycotean species richness is very high in older coffee plantations in Colombia and Mexico, and that agronomic inputs have positive effects on species richness in very acidic soils with lower organic matter contents, while in more fertile soils like in Colombia, soil parameter define more the AMF richness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Stone walls are ubiquitous features in European agricultural landscapes. • Bryophytes and macrolichens can be used as proxies of stone wall habitat quality. • Farm management variables and altitude relate to bryophytes and macrolichens in stone walls. • Results, if confirmed, can guide actions for improving quality of stone walls. Stone walls are ubiquitous field boundaries used to restrict livestock movement or to separate property. Bryophytes and lichens are often the dominant vegetation in dry stone walls and are strongly affected by local microhabitat characteristics. Bryophytes and lichens related metrics can be used to define habitat quality of stone walls. The current study assessed how richness and cover of bryophytes and macrolichens in dry stone walls related to each other and how different environmental variables and farm management descriptors determined richness and cover of both groups in dry stone walls. Bryophytes and macrolichens were sampled in stone walls on sixteen farms across a management intensity gradient in Ireland. Bryophyte cover correlated positively and significantly with bryophyte richness and macrolichen cover and richness, and can thus be used to assess stone walls quality. Farm management intensity emerged as the variable most strongly related with species richness of bryophytes and cover of both groups. Altitude also emerged as a strong predictor of both groups' richness and cover. This study provides a novel perspective on stone wall habitat quality and results indicate that by promoting extensive farming it is possible to increase stone walls quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Weeds sit at the crux of issues of arable biodiversity and productivity. We test whether the effects of a simple local landscape richness score are apparent on in-field data for the predominant weeds, in the seedbank and as standing weeds, across the Great Britain (GB) scale. We test two hypotheses: (H1) that in-field weed species richness is positively related to local landscape richness around arable fields; and (H2) that in-field weed abundance is positively related to local landscape richness. We maintain H1, but find little evidence of a consistent effect of local landscape on the species richness of in-field weeds. Convincing evidence for local landscape richness affecting weed abundance lead us to accept H2 as a working hypothesis for in-field weed abundance. However, we have no mechanism to explain why in-field weed abundance should be linked to off-field landscape features, as expectations for farmer management intensity and local bee abundance affecting weed abundance were not significant. The effects of landscape on weed abundance were consistent across the GB scale dataset despite systematic sources of error due to cropping and regional differences. These results suggest that local landscape might be managed to achieve goals of changing in-field weed abundance at policy-relevant scales. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]