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Rasmussen LV, Grass I, Mehrabi Z, Smith OM, Bezner-Kerr R, Blesh J, Garibaldi LA, Isaac ME, Kennedy CM, Wittman H, Batáry P, Buchori D, Cerda R, Chará J, Crowder DW, Darras K, DeMaster K, Garcia K, Gómez M, Gonthier D, Guzman A, Hidayat P, Hipólito J, Hirons M, Hoey L, James D, John I, Jones AD, Karp DS, Kebede Y, Kerr CB, Klassen S, Kotowska M, Kreft H, Llanque R, Levers C, Lizcano DJ, Lu A, Madsen S, Marques RN, Martins PB, Melo A, Nyantakyi-Frimpong H, Olimpi EM, Owen JP, Pantevez H, Qaim M, Redlich S, Scherber C, Sciligo AR, Snapp S, Snyder WE, Steffan-Dewenter I, Stratton AE, Taylor JM, Tscharntke T, Valencia V, Vogel C, Kremen C. Joint environmental and social benefits from diversified agriculture. Science 2024; 384:87-93. [PMID: 38574149 DOI: 10.1126/science.adj1914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Agricultural simplification continues to expand at the expense of more diverse forms of agriculture. This simplification, for example, in the form of intensively managed monocultures, poses a risk to keeping the world within safe and just Earth system boundaries. Here, we estimated how agricultural diversification simultaneously affects social and environmental outcomes. Drawing from 24 studies in 11 countries across 2655 farms, we show how five diversification strategies focusing on livestock, crops, soils, noncrop plantings, and water conservation benefit social (e.g., human well-being, yields, and food security) and environmental (e.g., biodiversity, ecosystem services, and reduced environmental externalities) outcomes. We found that applying multiple diversification strategies creates more positive outcomes than individual management strategies alone. To realize these benefits, well-designed policies are needed to incentivize the adoption of multiple diversification strategies in unison.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Vang Rasmussen
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ingo Grass
- Department of Ecology of Tropical Agricultural Systems, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
- Center for Biodiversity and Integrative Taxonomy (KomBioTa), University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Zia Mehrabi
- Department of Environmental Studies, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Better Planet Laboratory, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Mortenson Center for Global Engineering and Resilience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Olivia M Smith
- Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | | | - Jennifer Blesh
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Lucas Alejandro Garibaldi
- Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Río Negro, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Marney E Isaac
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences and Department of Global Development Studies, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Hannah Wittman
- Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Péter Batáry
- Lendület Landscape and Conservation Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Botany, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Damayanti Buchori
- Department of Plant Protection, Bogor Agricultural University, Jalan Kamper, Kampus Darmaga, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Rolando Cerda
- Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE), Turri Alba, Costa Rica
| | - Julián Chará
- Center for Research on Sustainable Agricultural Systems (CIPAV), Cali, Colombia
| | - David W Crowder
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | | | - Kathryn DeMaster
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Karina Garcia
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Manuel Gómez
- Federación Colombiana de Ganaderos (FEDEGAN), Bogotá, Columbia
| | - David Gonthier
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Aidee Guzman
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Purnama Hidayat
- Department of Plant Protection, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Juliana Hipólito
- Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Biology Institute, Salvador, Brazil
- Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Conselho de Ensino, Pesquisa e Extensão, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Campus Universitário, Viçosa, MG, Brazil
- Brazil Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, INPA, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Mark Hirons
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Lesli Hoey
- Urban and Regional Planning Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Dana James
- Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Innocensia John
- Department of Agricultural Economics and Business, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Andrew D Jones
- School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Daniel S Karp
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Yodit Kebede
- Eco&Sols, Université de Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Susanna Klassen
- Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Sociology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Martyna Kotowska
- Department of Plant Ecology and Ecosystems Research, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Holger Kreft
- Biodiversity, Macroecology & Biogeography, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Christian Levers
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Environmental Geography, Institute for Environmental Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Thünen Institute of Biodiversity, Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute - Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry, and Fisheries, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Diego J Lizcano
- The Nature Conservancy, Latin America North Andes and Central America Region, Bogota, Columbia
| | - Adrian Lu
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Sidney Madsen
- Department of Global Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Rosebelly Nunes Marques
- Applied Ecology Graduate Program, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pedro Buss Martins
- Applied Ecology Graduate Program, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - America Melo
- The Nature Conservancy, Latin America North Andes and Central America Region, Bogota, Columbia
| | | | | | - Jeb P Owen
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Heiber Pantevez
- Federación Colombiana de Ganaderos (FEDEGAN), Bogotá, Columbia
| | - Matin Qaim
- Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sarah Redlich
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Scherber
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Museum Koenig, Centre for Biodiversity Monitoring and Conservation Science, Bonn, Germany
- Bonn Institute for Organismic Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Sieglinde Snapp
- Sustainable Agrifood Systems, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), El Batan, Mexico
| | - William E Snyder
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Anne Elise Stratton
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Sustainable Use of Natural Resources Department, Institute of Social Sciences in Agriculture, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Joseph M Taylor
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Teja Tscharntke
- Department of Agroecology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Vivian Valencia
- Farming Systems Ecology Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
- Department of Environment, Agriculture and Geography at Bishop's University, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Cassandra Vogel
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Claire Kremen
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, Biodiversity Research Centre and Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Structural Equation Models Suggest That On-Farm Noncrop Vegetation Removal Is Not Associated with Improved Food Safety Outcomes but Is Linked to Impaired Water Quality. Appl Environ Microbiol 2022; 88:e0160022. [PMID: 36409131 PMCID: PMC9746293 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01600-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
While growers have reported pressures to minimize wildlife intrusion into produce fields through noncrop vegetation (NCV) removal, NCV provides key ecosystem services. To model food safety and environmental tradeoffs associated with NCV removal, published and publicly available food safety and water quality data from the Northeastern United States were obtained. Because data on NCV removal are not widely available, forest-wetland cover was used as a proxy, consistent with previous studies. Structural equation models (SEMs) were used to quantify the effect of forest-wetland cover on (i) food safety outcomes (e.g., detecting pathogens in soil) and (ii) water quality (e.g., nutrient levels). Based on the SEMs, NCV was not associated with or had a protective effect on food safety outcomes (more NCV was associated with a reduced likelihood of pathogen detection). The probabilities of detecting Listeria spp. in soil (effect estimate [EE] = -0.17; P = 0.005) and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli in stream samples (EE = -0.27; P < 0.001) were negatively associated with the amount of NCV surrounding the sampling site. Larger amounts of NCV were also associated with lower nutrient, salinity, and sediment levels, and higher dissolved oxygen levels. Total phosphorous levels were negatively associated with the amount of NCV in the upstream watershed (EE = -0.27; P < 0.001). Similar negative associations (P < 0.05) were observed for other physicochemical parameters, such as nitrate (EE = -0.38). Our findings suggest that NCV should not be considered an inherent produce safety risk or result in farm audit demerits. This study also provides a framework for evaluating environmental tradeoffs associated with using specific preharvest food safety strategies. IMPORTANCE Currently, on-farm food safety decisions are typically made independently of conservation considerations, often with detrimental impacts on agroecosystems. Comanaging agricultural environments to simultaneously meet conservation and food safety aims is complicated because farms are closely linked to surrounding environments, and management decisions can have unexpected environmental, economic, and food safety consequences. Thus, there is a need for research on the conservation and food safety tradeoffs associated with implementing specific preharvest food safety practices. Understanding these tradeoffs is critical for developing adaptive comanagement strategies and ensuring the short- and long-term safety, sustainability, and profitability of agricultural systems. This study quantifies tradeoffs and synergies between food safety and environmental aims, and outlines a framework for modeling tradeoffs and synergies between management aims that can be used to support future comanagement research.
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Garfinkel MB, Fuka ME, Minor E, Whelan CJ. When a pest is not a pest: Birds indirectly increase defoliation but have no effect on yield of soybean crops. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2527. [PMID: 34994027 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Natural habitats near agricultural systems can be sources of both ecosystem services and disservices on farms. Ecosystem disservices, those aspects of an ecosystem that have negative impacts on humans, may disproportionately affect conservation decisions made by farmers. Birds, in particular, can have complex effects on crops, ranging from positive to neutral to negative. Therefore, it is important to quantify them in a meaningful way. Birds may be more abundant on farms near natural areas and may provide ecosystem services by consuming insect pests. However, when birds consume beneficial predatory arthropods rather than pest species (intraguild predation), they can provide a disservice to the farmer if the intraguild predation decreases crop yield. We studied bird intraguild predation in Illinois (USA) at six soybean fields adjacent to grasslands that provided source habitat for bird populations. We placed cages over soybean crops, which excluded birds but allowed access to arthropods, and measured differences in leaf damage and crop yield of plants in control and exclosure plots. We also conducted point counts at each site to quantify the bird communities. We found that plants within the bird exclosures had lower levels of leaf damage by pests than those in control plots, but there was no resulting effect on crop yield. We also found that sites with higher bird abundance had higher levels of leaf damage by pests, but bird species richness was not a significant predictor of leaf damage. These results suggest that although birds may have released pests through intraguild predation, there was no net disservice when considering crop yield, the variable most important to stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan B Garfinkel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Mark E Fuka
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Emily Minor
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Institute for Environmental Science and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Christopher J Whelan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Cancer Physiology, Moffitt Cancer and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
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Smith OM, Olimpi EM, Navarro-Gonzalez N, Cornell KA, Frishkoff LO, Northfield TD, Bowles TM, Edworthy M, Eilers J, Fu Z, Garcia K, Gonthier DJ, Jones MS, Kennedy CM, Latimer CE, Owen JP, Sato C, Taylor JM, Wilson-Rankin EE, Snyder WE, Karp DS. A trait-based framework for predicting foodborne pathogen risk from wild birds. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2523. [PMID: 34921463 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Recent foodborne illness outbreaks have heightened pressures on growers to deter wildlife from farms, jeopardizing conservation efforts. However, it remains unclear which species, particularly birds, pose the greatest risk to food safety. Using >11,000 pathogen tests and 1565 bird surveys covering 139 bird species from across the western United States, we examined the importance of 11 traits in mediating wild bird risk to food safety. We tested whether traits associated with pathogen exposure (e.g., habitat associations, movement, and foraging strategy) and pace-of-life (clutch size and generation length) mediated foodborne pathogen prevalence and proclivities to enter farm fields and defecate on crops. Campylobacter spp. were the most prevalent enteric pathogen (8.0%), while Salmonella and Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) were rare (0.46% and 0.22% prevalence, respectively). We found that several traits related to pathogen exposure predicted pathogen prevalence. Specifically, Campylobacter and STEC-associated virulence genes were more often detected in species associated with cattle feedlots and bird feeders, respectively. Campylobacter was also more prevalent in species that consumed plants and had longer generation lengths. We found that species associated with feedlots were more likely to enter fields and defecate on crops. Our results indicated that canopy-foraging insectivores were less likely to deposit foodborne pathogens on crops, suggesting growers may be able to promote pest-eating birds and birds of conservation concern (e.g., via nest boxes) without necessarily compromising food safety. As such, promoting insectivorous birds may represent a win-win-win for bird conservation, crop production, and food safety. Collectively, our results suggest that separating crop production from livestock farming may be the best way to lower food safety risks from birds. More broadly, our trait-based framework suggests a path forward for co-managing wildlife conservation and food safety risks in farmlands by providing a strategy for holistically evaluating the food safety risks of wild animals, including under-studied species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia M Smith
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Elissa M Olimpi
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | | | - Kevin A Cornell
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Luke O Frishkoff
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA
| | - Tobin D Northfield
- Department of Entomology, Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, Washington State University, Wenatchee, Washington, USA
- Centre for Tropical Environmental Sustainability Science, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
| | - Timothy M Bowles
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Max Edworthy
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Johnna Eilers
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Zhen Fu
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
- Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | - Karina Garcia
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - David J Gonthier
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Matthew S Jones
- Department of Entomology, Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, Washington State University, Wenatchee, Washington, USA
| | - Christina M Kennedy
- Global Protect Oceans, Lands and Waters Program, The Nature Conservancy, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Christopher E Latimer
- Global Protect Oceans, Lands and Waters Program, The Nature Conservancy, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Jeb P Owen
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Chika Sato
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Joseph M Taylor
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | | | - William E Snyder
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Daniel S Karp
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
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Olimpi EM, Garcia K, Gonthier DJ, Kremen C, Snyder WE, Wilson‐Rankin EE, Karp DS. Semi‐natural habitat surrounding farms promotes multifunctionality in avian ecosystem services. J Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elissa M. Olimpi
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology University of California Davis CA USA
| | - Karina Garcia
- Department of Entomology University of Kentucky Lexington KY USA
| | | | - Claire Kremen
- Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California Berkeley CA USA
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Center University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
| | | | | | - Daniel S. Karp
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology University of California Davis CA USA
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Smith OM, Kennedy CM, Echeverri A, Karp DS, Latimer CE, Taylor JM, Wilson‐Rankin EE, Owen JP, Snyder WE. Complex landscapes stabilize farm bird communities and their expected ecosystem services. J Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Olivia M. Smith
- Department of Entomology University of Georgia Athens GA USA
- School of Biological Sciences Washington State University Pullman WA USA
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA
| | - Christina M. Kennedy
- Global Protect Oceans, Lands and Waters Program The Nature Conservancy Fort Collins CO USA
| | - Alejandra Echeverri
- Center for Conservation Biology Stanford University Stanford CA USA
- The Natural Capital Project Stanford University Stanford CA USA
| | - Daniel S. Karp
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology University of California Davis CA USA
| | - Christopher E. Latimer
- Global Protect Oceans, Lands and Waters Program The Nature Conservancy Fort Collins CO USA
| | - Joseph M. Taylor
- Department of Entomology University of Georgia Athens GA USA
- Department of Entomology Washington State University Pullman WA USA
| | | | - Jeb P. Owen
- Department of Entomology Washington State University Pullman WA USA
| | - William E. Snyder
- Department of Entomology University of Georgia Athens GA USA
- Department of Entomology Washington State University Pullman WA USA
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Mata VA, da Silva LP, Veríssimo J, Horta P, Raposeira H, McCracken GF, Rebelo H, Beja P. Combining DNA metabarcoding and ecological networks to inform conservation biocontrol by small vertebrate predators. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e02457. [PMID: 34529299 PMCID: PMC9285058 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
In multifunctional landscapes, diverse communities of flying vertebrate predators provide vital services of insect pest control. In such landscapes, conservation biocontrol should benefit service-providing species to enhance the flow, stability and resilience of pest control services supporting the production of food and fiber. However, this would require identifying key service providers, which may be challenging when multiple predators interact with multiple pests. Here we provide a framework to identify the functional role of individual species to pest control in multifunctional landscapes. First, we used DNA metabarcoding to provide detailed data on pest species predation by diverse predator communities. Then, these data were fed into an extensive network analysis, in which information relevant for conservation biocontrol is gained from parameters describing network structure (e.g., modularity) and species roles in such network (e.g., centrality, specialization). We applied our framework to a Mediterranean landscape, where 19 bat species were found to feed on 132 insect pest species. Metabarcoding data revealed potentially important bats that consumed insect pest species in high frequency and/or diversity. Network analysis showed a modular structure, indicating sets of bat species that are required to regulate specific sets of insect pests. A few generalist bats had particularly important roles, either at network or module levels. Extinction simulations highlighted six bats, including species of conservation concern, which were sufficient to ensure that over three-quarters of the pest species had at least one bat predator. Combining DNA metabarcoding and ecological network analysis provides a valuable framework to identify individual species within diverse predator communities that might have a disproportionate contribution to pest control services in multifunctional landscapes. These species can be regarded as candidate targets for conservation biocontrol, although additional information is needed to evaluate their actual effectiveness in pest regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa A. Mata
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório AssociadoCampus de Vairão, Universidade of PortoVairão4485‐661Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land PlanningCIBIO, Campus de VairãoVairão4485‐661Portugal
| | - Luis P. da Silva
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório AssociadoCampus de Vairão, Universidade of PortoVairão4485‐661Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land PlanningCIBIO, Campus de VairãoVairão4485‐661Portugal
| | - Joana Veríssimo
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório AssociadoCampus de Vairão, Universidade of PortoVairão4485‐661Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land PlanningCIBIO, Campus de VairãoVairão4485‐661Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de CiênciasUniversidade do PortoPorto4099‐002Portugal
| | - Pedro Horta
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório AssociadoCampus de Vairão, Universidade of PortoVairão4485‐661Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land PlanningCIBIO, Campus de VairãoVairão4485‐661Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de CiênciasUniversidade do PortoPorto4099‐002Portugal
| | - Helena Raposeira
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório AssociadoCampus de Vairão, Universidade of PortoVairão4485‐661Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land PlanningCIBIO, Campus de VairãoVairão4485‐661Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de CiênciasUniversidade do PortoPorto4099‐002Portugal
| | - Gary F. McCracken
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennessee37996‐1610USA
| | - Hugo Rebelo
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório AssociadoCampus de Vairão, Universidade of PortoVairão4485‐661Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land PlanningCIBIO, Campus de VairãoVairão4485‐661Portugal
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório AssociadoInstituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de LisboaLisboa1349‐017Portugal
| | - Pedro Beja
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório AssociadoCampus de Vairão, Universidade of PortoVairão4485‐661Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land PlanningCIBIO, Campus de VairãoVairão4485‐661Portugal
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório AssociadoInstituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de LisboaLisboa1349‐017Portugal
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Bogach M, Paliy A, Liulin P, Bohach O, Palii A. Endoparasitoses of the Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) on the northern Black Sea coast of Ukraine. BIOSYSTEMS DIVERSITY 2021. [DOI: 10.15421/10.15421/012143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the main tasks of ecological parasitology at the present stage is to determine patterns of spread of invasive diseases of poultry in the environment through a thorough epidemiological examination, as well as to determine the main directions and factors of spread of parasites in Ukraine. Some pigeon health problems can affect their populations, but parasitic infections play an important role. Our research found that 83.3% of Eurasian collared doves examined (Streptopelia decaocto) were affected by endoparasites. The commonest helminths were Raillietina spp. with the average invasion intensity of 4.9 ± 1.3 specimens/ind., Baruscapillaria spp. and Ascaridia columbae with an invasion intensity of 4.6 ± 1.5 and 3.7 ± 2.1 specimens/ind., respectively. The commonest cestodes were Raillietina spp. with the extent of invasion of 52.2% and Davainea proglottina – 6.7%. The Amoebotaenia cuneata cestodes were recorded in 3 (3.3%) doves, and Echinolepis carioca – only in 2 (2.2%) doves. Six doves (6.7%) were infected with the nematode Ascaridia columbae and 5 (5.6%) – Baruscapillaria spp. Eimerian oocysts were found in 9 (10%) collared doves, and Trichomonas gallinae was recorded in 15 (16.7%) birds. According to the results of helminthological autopsy and identification of the isolated pathogens, 8 varieties of mixinvasions were identified. In association with the Rayetins, there were the protozoa Eimeria spp. and Trichomonas gallinae and the nematode Ascaridia columbae. Two-component invasions were registered in 78.6% of doves, three-component infestations in 14.3% and four-component infestations in 7.1% of birds. Mixed infection with Raillietina spp. + Ascaridia columbae was found in the small intestine of Streptopelia decaocto, which was also pathomorphologically observed to have catarrhal-hemorrhagic enteritis, which was accompanied by the formation of a large number of spotted hemorrhages on the mucous membrane, and in the places of attachment of cestodes - necrotic-caseous areas. Temperature and other weather conditions such as humidity, precipitation, etc. of the northern Black Sea coast affect the population size of intermediate host cestodes. Continuous monitoring of invasive diseases of pigeons of different species will help to take the necessary preventive measures against endoparasitoses of birds.
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Bogach M, Paliy A, Liulin P, Bohach O, Palii A. Endoparasitoses of the Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) on the northern Black Sea coast of Ukraine. BIOSYSTEMS DIVERSITY 2021. [DOI: 10.15421/012143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the main tasks of ecological parasitology at the present stage is to determine patterns of spread of invasive diseases of poultry in the environment through a thorough epidemiological examination, as well as to determine the main directions and factors of spread of parasites in Ukraine. Some pigeon health problems can affect their populations, but parasitic infections play an important role. Our research found that 83.3% of Eurasian collared doves examined (Streptopelia decaocto) were affected by endoparasites. The commonest helminths were Raillietina spp. with the average invasion intensity of 4.9 ± 1.3 specimens/ind., Baruscapillaria spp. and Ascaridia columbae with an invasion intensity of 4.6 ± 1.5 and 3.7 ± 2.1 specimens/ind., respectively. The commonest cestodes were Raillietina spp. with the extent of invasion of 52.2% and Davainea proglottina – 6.7%. The Amoebotaenia cuneata cestodes were recorded in 3 (3.3%) doves, and Echinolepis carioca – only in 2 (2.2%) doves. Six doves (6.7%) were infected with the nematode Ascaridia columbae and 5 (5.6%) – Baruscapillaria spp. Eimerian oocysts were found in 9 (10%) collared doves, and Trichomonas gallinae was recorded in 15 (16.7%) birds. According to the results of helminthological autopsy and identification of the isolated pathogens, 8 varieties of mixinvasions were identified. In association with the Rayetins, there were the protozoa Eimeria spp. and Trichomonas gallinae and the nematode Ascaridia columbae. Two-component invasions were registered in 78.6% of doves, three-component infestations in 14.3% and four-component infestations in 7.1% of birds. Mixed infection with Raillietina spp. + Ascaridia columbae was found in the small intestine of Streptopelia decaocto, which was also pathomorphologically observed to have catarrhal-hemorrhagic enteritis, which was accompanied by the formation of a large number of spotted hemorrhages on the mucous membrane, and in the places of attachment of cestodes - necrotic-caseous areas. Temperature and other weather conditions such as humidity, precipitation, etc. of the northern Black Sea coast affect the population size of intermediate host cestodes. Continuous monitoring of invasive diseases of pigeons of different species will help to take the necessary preventive measures against endoparasitoses of birds.
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Marcacci G, Westphal C, Wenzel A, Raj V, Nölke N, Tscharntke T, Grass I. Taxonomic and functional homogenization of farmland birds along an urbanization gradient in a tropical megacity. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:4980-4994. [PMID: 34157186 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization is a major driver of land use change and biodiversity decline. While most of the ongoing and future urbanization hotspots are located in the Global South, the impact of urban expansion on agricultural biodiversity and associated functions and services in these regions has widely been neglected. Additionally, most studies assess biodiversity responses at local scale (α-diversity), however, ecosystem functioning is strongly determined by compositional and functional turnover of communities (β-diversity) at regional scales. We investigated taxonomic and functional β-diversity of farmland birds across three seasons on 36 vegetable farms spread along a continuous urbanization gradient in Bangalore, a South Indian megacity. Increasing amount of grey area in the farm surroundings was the dominant driver affecting β-diversity and resulting in taxonomic and functional homogenization of farmland bird communities. Functional diversity losses were higher than expected from species declines (i.e., urbanization acts as an environmental filter), with particular losses of functionally important groups such as insectivores of crop pests. Moreover, urbanization reduced functional redundancy of bird communities, which may further weaken ecosystems resilience to future perturbations. Our study underscores urbanization as a major driver of taxonomic and functional homogenization of species communities in agricultural systems, potentially threatening crucial ecosystem services for food production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Marcacci
- Functional Agrobiodiversity, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Catrin Westphal
- Functional Agrobiodiversity, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use (CBL), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Arne Wenzel
- Functional Agrobiodiversity, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Varsha Raj
- Agricultural Entomology, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bangalore, India
| | - Nils Nölke
- Forest Inventory and Remote Sensing, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Teja Tscharntke
- Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use (CBL), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Agroecology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ingo Grass
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics, Department of Ecology of Tropical Agricultural Systems, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
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Feng MLE, Che-Castaldo J. Comparing the reliability of relative bird abundance indices from standardized surveys and community science data at finer resolutions. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0257226. [PMID: 34506572 PMCID: PMC8432801 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Biodiversity loss is a global ecological crisis that is both a driver of and response to environmental change. Understanding the connections between species declines and other components of human-natural systems extends across the physical, life, and social sciences. From an analysis perspective, this requires integration of data from different scientific domains, which often have heterogeneous scales and resolutions. Community science projects such as eBird may help to fill spatiotemporal gaps and enhance the resolution of standardized biological surveys. Comparisons between eBird and the more comprehensive North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) have found these datasets can produce consistent multi-year abundance trends for bird populations at national and regional scales. Here we investigate the reliability of these datasets for estimating patterns at finer resolutions, inter-annual changes in abundance within town boundaries. Using a case study of 14 focal species within Massachusetts, we calculated four indices of annual relative abundance using eBird and BBS datasets, including two different modeling approaches within each dataset. We compared the correspondence between these indices in terms of multi-year trends, annual estimates, and inter-annual changes in estimates at the state and town-level. We found correspondence between eBird and BBS multi-year trends, but this was not consistent across all species and diminished at finer, inter-annual temporal resolutions. We further show that standardizing modeling approaches can increase index reliability even between datasets at coarser temporal resolutions. Our results indicate that multiple datasets and modeling methods should be considered when estimating species population dynamics at finer temporal resolutions, but standardizing modeling approaches may improve estimate correspondence between abundance datasets. In addition, reliability of these indices at finer spatial scales may depend on habitat composition, which can impact survey accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Ling Emily Feng
- Alexander Center for Applied Population Biology, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Judy Che-Castaldo
- Alexander Center for Applied Population Biology, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
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Tela M, Cresswell W, Chapman H. Pest-removal services provided by birds on subsistence farms in south-eastern Nigeria. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0255638. [PMID: 34370774 PMCID: PMC8351970 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
To what extent birds provide the ecosystem service of pest control in subsistence farms, and how this service might depend on retained natural habitats near farmlands is unexplored in West Africa. To fill this knowledge gap, we placed plasticine mimics of insect pests on experimentally grown crops on the Mambilla Plateau, South Eastern Nigeria. We recorded bird attacks on the mimics and the proportion of mimics removed by birds. We also determined the influence of distance of crops from forest fragments on both attack and removal rates. We placed 90 potted plants of groundnut (Arachis hypogea) and bambara nut (Vigna subterranea) along 15 transects running 4.5 km from forest edge into open grassland. Each plant had six of the 540 mimics in total placed on their leaves. We inspected the potted plants weekly for 12 weeks to record (i) the presence of bird beak marks on mimics, and (ii) the number of missing mimics. Once a week we collected all the mimics from the plants and counted the number of assumed beak marks. After counting we replaced the mimics on the plants, mark free. We found a strong positive correlation between the abundance of insectivorous birds and the mean number of missing mimics and/or bird attack marks on mimics. However, this positive effect of insectivorous bird abundance on prey mimic attack/removal became less strong the farther they were from a forest fragment. We found increased predation rates and abundance of insectivorous birds closer to forest fragments. Our data suggest that pest predation may be a key ecosystem service provided by insectivorous birds on Nigerian farmlands. Farmlands that are closer to forest fragments may experience a higher rate of pest control by insectivorous birds than those further away, suggesting that retaining forest fragments in the landscape may enhance pest control services in sub-Saharan subsistence farms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murna Tela
- Department of Biological Sciences, Gombe State University, Gombe, Nigeria
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
- * E-mail:
| | - Will Cresswell
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Hazel Chapman
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
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Brennan EB. Sparrow Preferences for Winter Cover Crops in California's Central Coast. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2020.567579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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