1
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Guo Y, Boughton EH, Bohlman S, Bernacchi C, Bohlen PJ, Boughton R, DeLucia E, Fauth JE, Gomez-Casanovas N, Jenkins DG, Lollis G, Miller RS, Quintana-Ascencio PF, Sonnier G, Sparks J, Swain HM, Qiu J. Grassland intensification effects cascade to alter multifunctionality of wetlands within metaecosystems. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8267. [PMID: 38092756 PMCID: PMC10719369 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44104-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Sustainable agricultural intensification could improve ecosystem service multifunctionality, yet empirical evidence remains tenuous, especially regarding consequences for spatially coupled ecosystems connected by flows across ecosystem boundaries (i.e., metaecosystems). Here we aim to understand the effects of land-use intensification on multiple ecosystem services of spatially connected grasslands and wetlands, where management practices were applied to grasslands but not directly imposed to wetlands. We synthesize long-term datasets encompassing 53 physical, chemical, and biological indicators, comprising >11,000 field measurements. Our results reveal that intensification promotes high-quality forage and livestock production in both grasslands and wetlands, but at the expense of water quality regulation, methane mitigation, non-native species invasion resistance, and biodiversity. Land-use intensification weakens relationships among ecosystem services. The effects on grasslands cascade to alter multifunctionality of embedded natural wetlands within the metaecosystems to a similar extent. These results highlight the importance of considering spatial flows of resources and organisms when studying land-use intensification effects on metaecosystems as well as when designing grassland and wetland management practices to improve landscape multifunctionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxi Guo
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, 3205 College Ave, Davie, FL, USA
| | - Elizabeth H Boughton
- Archbold Biological Station, Buck Island Ranch, 300 Buck Island Ranch Road, Lake Placid, FL, USA.
| | - Stephanie Bohlman
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Carl Bernacchi
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, ARS Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Patrick J Bohlen
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Raoul Boughton
- Archbold Biological Station, Buck Island Ranch, 300 Buck Island Ranch Road, Lake Placid, FL, USA
| | - Evan DeLucia
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - John E Fauth
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Nuria Gomez-Casanovas
- Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center, Texas A&M University, Vernon, TX, USA
- Rangeland, Wildlife & Fisheries Management Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - David G Jenkins
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Gene Lollis
- Archbold Biological Station, Buck Island Ranch, 300 Buck Island Ranch Road, Lake Placid, FL, USA
| | - Ryan S Miller
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, APHIS Veterinary Services, Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | - Grégory Sonnier
- Archbold Biological Station, Buck Island Ranch, 300 Buck Island Ranch Road, Lake Placid, FL, USA
| | - Jed Sparks
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Hilary M Swain
- Archbold Biological Station, Buck Island Ranch, 300 Buck Island Ranch Road, Lake Placid, FL, USA
| | - Jiangxiao Qiu
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, 3205 College Ave, Davie, FL, USA.
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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2
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Hanusch M, He X, Janssen S, Selke J, Trutschnig W, Junker RR. Exploring the Frequency and Distribution of Ecological Non-monotonicity in Associations among Ecosystem Constituents. Ecosystems 2023; 26:1819-1840. [PMID: 38106357 PMCID: PMC10721710 DOI: 10.1007/s10021-023-00867-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Complex links between biotic and abiotic constituents are fundamental for the functioning of ecosystems. Although non-monotonic interactions and associations are known to increase the stability, diversity, and productivity of ecosystems, they are frequently ignored by community-level standard statistical approaches. Using the copula-based dependence measure qad, capable of quantifying the directed and asymmetric dependence between variables for all forms of (functional) relationships, we determined the proportion of non-monotonic associations between different constituents of an ecosystem (plants, bacteria, fungi, and environmental parameters). Here, we show that up to 59% of all statistically significant associations are non-monotonic. Further, we show that pairwise associations between plants, bacteria, fungi, and environmental parameters are specifically characterized by their strength and degree of monotonicity, for example, microbe-microbe associations are on average stronger than and differ in degree of non-monotonicity from plant-microbe associations. Considering directed and non-monotonic associations, we extended the concept of ecosystem coupling providing more complete insights into the internal order of ecosystems. Our results emphasize the importance of ecological non-monotonicity in characterizing and understanding ecosystem patterns and processes. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10021-023-00867-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Hanusch
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, Paris-Lodron-University Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Xie He
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, Paris-Lodron-University Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Stefan Janssen
- Algorithmic Bioinformatics, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, 35390 Giessen, Germany
| | - Julian Selke
- Algorithmic Bioinformatics, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, 35390 Giessen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Trutschnig
- Department for Artificial Intelligence & Human Interfaces, Paris-Lodron-University Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Robert R. Junker
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, Paris-Lodron-University Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
- Evolutionary Ecology of Plants, Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
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3
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Filipiak M, Gabriel D, Kuka K. Simulation-based assessment of the soil organic carbon sequestration in grasslands in relation to management and climate change scenarios. Heliyon 2023; 9:e17287. [PMID: 37441408 PMCID: PMC10333473 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Soil organic carbon (SOC) is crucial for the quality and productivity of terrestrial ecosystems and its sequestration plays an important role in mitigating climate change. Understanding the effects of agricultural management under future climate on the SOC balance helps decision making in environmental policies. Thereby, grasslands will play a key role, since future climate change may prolong the vegetation period. We used 24 representative grassland sites in Germany to assess the SOC balance obtained from the CANDY model in relation to ten management regimes, 18 future climate change scenarios and different soil types. Simulations were conducted over a period of 110 years. For most of the selected grassland sites an increase in both air temperature and precipitation was observed in the future climate. The effect of management on the SOC balance largely exceeded the effect of soil type and climate. An increasing management intensity (i.e. three to five cuts) generally increased the SOC balance, while extensive management (i.e. two or fewer cuts) lead to SOC losses. The seasonal variation of precipitation was the most important climate metric, with increased SOC sequestration rates being observed with increasing growing season precipitation. Clay soils had the potential for both highest gains and highest losses depending on management and precipitation. Given an overall lower SOC storage potential in sands and loams, the SOC balance in those soil types varied the least in response to climate change. We conclude that fostering SOC sequestration is possible in grassland soils by increasing management intensity, which involves increased fertilizer input and field traffic. This however may stand in conflict with other policy aims, such as preserving biodiversity. Multicriterial assessments are required to estimate the nett greenhouse gas balance and other aspects associated with these management practices at a farm scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Filipiak
- Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) – Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Crop and Soil Science, Bundesallee 58, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany
- Thuenen Institute of Agricultural Technology, Bundesallee 47, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Doreen Gabriel
- Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) – Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Crop and Soil Science, Bundesallee 58, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Katrin Kuka
- Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) – Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Crop and Soil Science, Bundesallee 58, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany
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4
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The supply of multiple ecosystem services requires biodiversity across spatial scales. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:236-249. [PMID: 36376602 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01918-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The impact of local biodiversity loss on ecosystem functioning is well established, but the role of larger-scale biodiversity dynamics in the delivery of ecosystem services remains poorly understood. Here we address this gap using a comprehensive dataset describing the supply of 16 cultural, regulating and provisioning ecosystem services in 150 European agricultural grassland plots, and detailed multi-scale data on land use and plant diversity. After controlling for land-use and abiotic factors, we show that both plot-level and surrounding plant diversity play an important role in the supply of cultural and aboveground regulating ecosystem services. In contrast, provisioning and belowground regulating ecosystem services are more strongly driven by field-level management and abiotic factors. Structural equation models revealed that surrounding plant diversity promotes ecosystem services both directly, probably by fostering the spill-over of ecosystem service providers from surrounding areas, and indirectly, by maintaining plot-level diversity. By influencing the ecosystem services that local stakeholders prioritized, biodiversity at different scales was also shown to positively influence a wide range of stakeholder groups. These results provide a comprehensive picture of which ecosystem services rely most strongly on biodiversity, and the respective scales of biodiversity that drive these services. This key information is required for the upscaling of biodiversity-ecosystem service relationships, and the informed management of biodiversity within agricultural landscapes.
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5
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Soil Invertebrate Communities as Indicator of Ecological Conservation Status of Some Fertilised Grasslands from Romania. DIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/d14121031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Quantification of soil biological status, through investigation of edaphic communities’ composition, constitutes an important factor for the assessment of the grassland ecosystems, including their protection. The structure of soil invertebrate communities was investigated for five grasslands under different chemical and organic treatments, for the first time in Romania. In order to accomplish this task, some structural parameters were quantified: numerical abundance, taxa richness, Shannon diversity index of taxa and equitability. We demonstrated the relationship between five environmental factors (vegetation coverage, soil temperature, soil acidity, soil resistance at penetration, soil moisture content) and the community structures of soil fauna. In total, 17 invertebrate groups were identified with a total numerical abundance of 14,953 individuals. Considering the numerical abundance, the dominant taxa were Acaridae, Collembola, Oribatida and Mesostigmata, the least dominant being Coleoptera, Opiliones and Araneae. In spatial dynamics the investigated plots were characterised specifically by soil invertebrates’ communities’ structures, highlighted by the varied values of structural parameters: by indicator taxa and by the characteristic average values of environmental parameters. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that the most important environment parameters influencing the soil taxa were vegetation coverage (especially on Acaridae, Glycyphagidae and Formicoidea) and soil resistance at penetration (Nematoda and Coleoptera). This study constitutes a scientific argument for the usage of soil invertebrate communities as indicators of the ecological conservation status of some fertilised grasslands.
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6
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Hanusch M, He X, Ruiz-Hernández V, Junker RR. Succession comprises a sequence of threshold-induced community assembly processes towards multidiversity. Commun Biol 2022; 5:424. [PMID: 35523944 PMCID: PMC9076875 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03372-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Research on successions and community assembly both address the same processes such as dispersal, species sorting, and biotic interactions but lack unifying concepts. Recent theoretical advances integrated both research lines proposing a sequence of stochastic and deterministic processes along successional gradients. Shifts in ecosystem states along successional gradients are predicted to occur abruptly once abiotic and biotic factors dominate over dispersal as main driver. Considering the multidiversity composed of five organismal groups including plants, animals, and microbes, our results imply that stochastic, likely dispersal-dominated, processes are replaced by rather deterministic processes such as environmental filtering and biotic interactions after around 60 years of succession in a glacier forefield. The niche-based character of later successional processes is further supported by a decline in multi-beta-diversity. Our results may update concepts of community assembly by considering multiple taxa, help to bridge the gap between research on successions and community assembly, and provide insights into the emergence of multidiverse and complex ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Hanusch
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, Paris Lodron University Salzburg, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Xie He
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, Paris Lodron University Salzburg, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Victoria Ruiz-Hernández
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, Paris Lodron University Salzburg, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Robert R Junker
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, Paris Lodron University Salzburg, 5020, Salzburg, Austria.
- Evolutionary Ecology of Plants, Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, 35043, Marburg, Germany.
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7
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Frenzel T, Rischen T, Fischer K. Humid grassland fallows promote spider diversity in a traditionally managed landscape. Basic Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2022.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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8
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Rosa García R, Peric T, Cadavez V, Geß A, Lima Cerqueira JO, Gonzales-Barrón Ú, Baratta M. Arthropod biodiversity associated to European sheep production systems. Small Rumin Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.smallrumres.2021.106536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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9
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Liposki Biassi D, Baldissera R, Galiano D, Souza Rezende R. Effect of forestry (
Pinus
sp.) on the bat community (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in Neotropical region. AUSTRAL ECOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David Liposki Biassi
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ciências Ambientais Universidade Comunitária da Região de Chapecó (UNOCHAPECÓ) ChapecóBrazil
| | - Ronei Baldissera
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ciências Ambientais Universidade Comunitária da Região de Chapecó (UNOCHAPECÓ) ChapecóBrazil
| | - Daniel Galiano
- Laboratório de Zoologia Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul, Campus Realeza (UFFS) Realeza Brazil
| | - Renan Souza Rezende
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ciências Ambientais Universidade Comunitária da Região de Chapecó (UNOCHAPECÓ) ChapecóBrazil
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10
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Hodson ME, Corstanjeb R, Jones DT, Witton J, Burton VJ, Sloan T, Eggleton P. Earthworm distributions are not driven by measurable soil properties. Do they really indicate soil quality? PLoS One 2021; 16:e0241945. [PMID: 34460828 PMCID: PMC8404981 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241945] [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: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Abundance and distribution of earthworms in agricultural fields is frequently proposed as a measure of soil quality assuming that observed patterns of abundance are in response to improved or degraded environmental conditions. However, it is not clear that earthworm abundances can be directly related to their edaphic environment, as noted in Darwin’s final publication, perhaps limiting or restricting their value as indicators of ecological quality in any given field. We present results from a spatially explicit intensive survey of pastures within United Kingdom farms, looking for the main drivers of earthworm density at a range of scales. When describing spatial variability of both total and ecotype-specific earthworm abundance within any given field, the best predictor was earthworm abundance itself within 20–30 m of the sampling point; there were no consistent environmental correlates with earthworm numbers, suggesting that biological factors (e.g. colonisation rate, competition, predation, parasitism) drive or at least significantly modify earthworm distributions at this spatial level. However, at the national scale, earthworm abundance is well predicted by soil nitrate levels, density, temperature and moisture content, albeit not in a simple linear fashion. This suggests that although land can be managed at the farm scale to promote earthworm abundance and the resulting soil processes that deliver ecosystem services, within a field, earthworm distributions will remain patchy. The use of earthworms as soil quality indicators must therefore be carried out with care, ensuring that sufficient samples are taken within field to take account of variability in earthworm populations that is unrelated to soil chemical and physical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark E. Hodson
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Ron Corstanjeb
- School of Water, Energy and Environment, Cranfield University, Cranfield, United Kingdom
| | - David T. Jones
- Life Sciences Department, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jo Witton
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria J. Burton
- Life Sciences Department, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tom Sloan
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Eggleton
- Life Sciences Department, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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11
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Disentangling the Multidimensional Relationship between Livestock Breeds and Ecosystem Services. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11092548. [PMID: 34573513 PMCID: PMC8467734 DOI: 10.3390/ani11092548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Livestock breeds represent the diversity of livestock animals. They participate in the delivery of ecosystem services (ES), i.e., the benefits to humans provided by nature. In recent years, the contribution of livestock breeds to ES has received attention in livestock research. Additionally, there is increasing interest in integrating this knowledge into policies to make agriculture more sustainable. In this work, we elaborate on livestock breed characteristics that are key to the study of livestock breed contributions to ES. Thus, we explore the natural and human factors that have produced livestock breeds as ecologically and culturally mediated entities. In addition, we review the different roles of livestock breeds as biodiversity components. Finally, we examine how livestock breeds participate in livestock system heterogeneity. By integrating these aspects, we might better understand how livestock breeds provide and modulate ES provision and, therefore, how to improve breed conservation and livestock policies toward more sustainable farming. Abstract There is an increasing interest in assessing livestock breed contributions to ecosystem services (ES) and including this knowledge in decision making. However, this task has been limited due to the complexity of the multidimensional relationship between livestock diversity and ecosystem services. In this work, we elaborate on the livestock breed characteristics central to developing a comprehensive approach to livestock breed inclusion in the ecosystem services framework. Thus, we explore the multidimensional nature of livestock breeds, i.e., as eco-cultural entities, biodiversity components, and drivers of livestock system heterogeneity and functioning. First, anthropogenic and natural factors have acted jointly to develop breeds as eco-cultural entities. This fact represents an opportunity to move toward farming system sustainability by Nature-Based Solutions and Nature’s Contribution to People paradigms. Second, livestock breeds are components of biodiversity, and as such, can be framed as goods, as final ecosystem services, and as regulators of ecosystem processes. Third, livestock breeds contribute to livestock system heterogeneity and resilience. By integrating these aspects, we might better understand how livestock breeds provide and modulate ecosystem service provision and, therefore, how to improve breed conservation and livestock policies toward farming system sustainability.
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12
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Jenkins DG, Boughton EH, Bohonak AJ, Noss RF, Simovich MA, Bauder ET. Indicator-species and coarse-filter approaches in conservation appear insufficient alone. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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13
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Le Provost G, Thiele J, Westphal C, Penone C, Allan E, Neyret M, van der Plas F, Ayasse M, Bardgett RD, Birkhofer K, Boch S, Bonkowski M, Buscot F, Feldhaar H, Gaulton R, Goldmann K, Gossner MM, Klaus VH, Kleinebecker T, Krauss J, Renner S, Scherreiks P, Sikorski J, Baulechner D, Blüthgen N, Bolliger R, Börschig C, Busch V, Chisté M, Fiore-Donno AM, Fischer M, Arndt H, Hoelzel N, John K, Jung K, Lange M, Marzini C, Overmann J, Paŝalić E, Perović DJ, Prati D, Schäfer D, Schöning I, Schrumpf M, Sonnemann I, Steffan-Dewenter I, Tschapka M, Türke M, Vogt J, Wehner K, Weiner C, Weisser W, Wells K, Werner M, Wolters V, Wubet T, Wurst S, Zaitsev AS, Manning P. Contrasting responses of above- and belowground diversity to multiple components of land-use intensity. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3918. [PMID: 34168127 PMCID: PMC8225671 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23931-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Land-use intensification is a major driver of biodiversity loss. However, understanding how different components of land use drive biodiversity loss requires the investigation of multiple trophic levels across spatial scales. Using data from 150 agricultural grasslands in central Europe, we assess the influence of multiple components of local- and landscape-level land use on more than 4,000 above- and belowground taxa, spanning 20 trophic groups. Plot-level land-use intensity is strongly and negatively associated with aboveground trophic groups, but positively or not associated with belowground trophic groups. Meanwhile, both above- and belowground trophic groups respond to landscape-level land use, but to different drivers: aboveground diversity of grasslands is promoted by diverse surrounding land-cover, while belowground diversity is positively related to a high permanent forest cover in the surrounding landscape. These results highlight a role of landscape-level land use in shaping belowground communities, and suggest that revised agroecosystem management strategies are needed to conserve whole-ecosystem biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaëtane Le Provost
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBIK-F), Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - Jan Thiele
- Thünen Institute of Biodiversity, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Catrin Westphal
- Functional Agrobiodiversity, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Caterina Penone
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Eric Allan
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Margot Neyret
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBIK-F), Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Fons van der Plas
- Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservations Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Richard D Bardgett
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Klaus Birkhofer
- Department of Ecology, Brandenburg University of Technology, Cottbus, Germany
| | - Steffen Boch
- Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Michael Bonkowski
- Institute of Zoology, Terrestrial Ecology, University of Cologne, Köln, Germany
| | - Francois Buscot
- UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Soil Ecology, Halle (Saale), Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Heike Feldhaar
- Animal Ecology I, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth Center for Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Rachel Gaulton
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Kezia Goldmann
- UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Soil Ecology, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Martin M Gossner
- Forest Entomology, WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zürich, Universitätstr. 16, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Valentin H Klaus
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Universitätstr. 2, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Till Kleinebecker
- Department of Landscape Ecology and Resources Management, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Gießen, Germany
| | - Jochen Krauss
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Swen Renner
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservations Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Ornithology, Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Johannes Sikorski
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Dennis Baulechner
- Department of Animal Ecology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Nico Blüthgen
- Ecological Networks, Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Ralph Bolliger
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Carmen Börschig
- Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Verena Busch
- Department of Landscape Ecology and Resources Management, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Gießen, Germany
| | - Melanie Chisté
- Ecological Networks, Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | | | - Markus Fischer
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBIK-F), Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Hartmut Arndt
- Institute of Zoology, General Ecology, University of Cologne, Köln (Cologne), Germany
| | - Norbert Hoelzel
- Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Katharina John
- Ecological Networks, Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Kirsten Jung
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Markus Lange
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Ecology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Carlo Marzini
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jörg Overmann
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Esther Paŝalić
- Institute of Ecology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - David J Perović
- DPI Agriculture, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Australian Cotton Research Institute, Narrabri, NSW, Australia
| | - Daniel Prati
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Deborah Schäfer
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ingo Schöning
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Ilja Sonnemann
- Institute of Biology, Functional Biodiversity, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Marco Tschapka
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservations Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Manfred Türke
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Juliane Vogt
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Katja Wehner
- Ecological Networks, Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Christiane Weiner
- Ecological Networks, Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Weisser
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Konstans Wells
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Michael Werner
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Volkmar Wolters
- Department of Animal Ecology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Tesfaye Wubet
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Community Ecology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Susanne Wurst
- Institute of Biology, Functional Biodiversity, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andrey S Zaitsev
- Department of Animal Ecology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Peter Manning
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBIK-F), Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt, Germany
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14
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Shinohara N, Yoshida T. Why species richness of plants and herbivorous insects do or do not correlate. Ecol Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Naoto Shinohara
- Department of Agricultural and Life Sciences University of Tokyo Tokyo Japan
| | - Takehito Yoshida
- Research Institute for Humanity and Nature Kyoto Japan
- Department of General Systems Studies University of Tokyo Tokyo Japan
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15
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Felipe-Lucia MR, Soliveres S, Penone C, Fischer M, Ammer C, Boch S, Boeddinghaus RS, Bonkowski M, Buscot F, Fiore-Donno AM, Frank K, Goldmann K, Gossner MM, Hölzel N, Jochum M, Kandeler E, Klaus VH, Kleinebecker T, Leimer S, Manning P, Oelmann Y, Saiz H, Schall P, Schloter M, Schöning I, Schrumpf M, Solly EF, Stempfhuber B, Weisser WW, Wilcke W, Wubet T, Allan E. Land-use intensity alters networks between biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and services. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:28140-28149. [PMID: 33093203 PMCID: PMC7668166 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2016210117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Land-use intensification can increase provisioning ecosystem services, such as food and timber production, but it also drives changes in ecosystem functioning and biodiversity loss, which may ultimately compromise human wellbeing. To understand how changes in land-use intensity affect the relationships between biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and services, we built networks from correlations between the species richness of 16 trophic groups, 10 ecosystem functions, and 15 ecosystem services. We evaluated how the properties of these networks varied across land-use intensity gradients for 150 forests and 150 grasslands. Land-use intensity significantly affected network structure in both habitats. Changes in connectance were larger in forests, while changes in modularity and evenness were more evident in grasslands. Our results show that increasing land-use intensity leads to more homogeneous networks with less integration within modules in both habitats, driven by the belowground compartment in grasslands, while forest responses to land management were more complex. Land-use intensity strongly altered hub identity and module composition in both habitats, showing that the positive correlations of provisioning services with biodiversity and ecosystem functions found at low land-use intensity levels, decline at higher intensity levels. Our approach provides a comprehensive view of the relationships between multiple components of biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and ecosystem services and how they respond to land use. This can be used to identify overall changes in the ecosystem, to derive mechanistic hypotheses, and it can be readily applied to further global change drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- María R Felipe-Lucia
- Department of Ecosystem Services, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), 04318 Leipzig, Germany;
- Department of Ecosystem Services, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, 3013 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Santiago Soliveres
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, 3013 Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Ecology, University of Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain
| | - Caterina Penone
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, 3013 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Markus Fischer
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, 3013 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Christian Ammer
- Silviculture and Forest Ecology of the Temperate Zones, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Steffen Boch
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, 3013 Bern, Switzerland
- Research Unit Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Runa S Boeddinghaus
- Department of Soil Biology, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Michael Bonkowski
- Institute for Zoology, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - François Buscot
- Department of Ecosystem Services, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), 04318 Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Ecosystem Services, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Kevin Frank
- Department of Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Kezia Goldmann
- Soil Ecology Department, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Martin M Gossner
- Research Unit Forest Health and Biotic Interactions, Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, 85350 Freising, Germany
| | - Norbert Hölzel
- Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Malte Jochum
- Department of Ecosystem Services, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, 3013 Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ellen Kandeler
- Department of Soil Biology, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Valentin H Klaus
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Till Kleinebecker
- Institute of Landscape Ecology and Resource Management, University of Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Sophia Leimer
- Institute of Geography and Geoecology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Peter Manning
- Research Group Community Ecology and Macroecology, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Yvonne Oelmann
- Geoecology, Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, 72070 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hugo Saiz
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, 3013 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Peter Schall
- Silviculture and Forest Ecology of the Temperate Zones, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Michael Schloter
- Research Unit Comparative Microbiome Analysis, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Ingo Schöning
- Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, 07745 Jena, Germany
- Department of Biogeochemical Integration, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Marion Schrumpf
- Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, 07745 Jena, Germany
- Department of Biogeochemical Integration, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Emily F Solly
- Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, 07745 Jena, Germany
- Department of Biogeochemical Integration, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, 07745 Jena, Germany
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Barbara Stempfhuber
- Research Unit Comparative Microbiome Analysis, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang W Weisser
- School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, 85350 Freising, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wilcke
- Institute of Geography and Geoecology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Tesfaye Wubet
- Department of Ecosystem Services, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Eric Allan
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, 3013 Bern, Switzerland
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16
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Villa-Galaviz E, Smart SM, Clare EL, Ward SE, Memmott J. Differential effects of fertilisers on pollination and parasitoid interaction networks. J Anim Ecol 2020; 90:404-414. [PMID: 33067860 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Grassland fertilisation drives non-random plant loss resulting in areas dominated by perennial grass species. How these changes cascade through linked trophic levels, however, is not well understood. We studied how grassland fertilisation propagates change through the plant assemblage into the plant-flower-visitor, plant-leaf miner and leaf miner-parasitoid networks using a year's data collection from a long-term grassland fertiliser application experiment. Our experiment had three fertiliser treatments each applied to replicate plots 15 m2 in size: mineral fertiliser, farmyard manure, and mineral fertiliser and farmyard manure combined, along with a control of no fertiliser. The combined treatment had the most significant impact, and both plant species richness and floral abundance decreased with the addition of fertiliser. While insect species richness was unaffected by fertiliser treatment, fertilised plots had a significantly higher abundance of leaf miners and parasitoids and a significantly lower abundance of bumblebees. The plant-flower-visitor and plant-herbivore networks showed higher values of vulnerability and lower modularity with fertiliser addition, while leaf miner-parasitoid networks showed a rise in generality. The different groups of insects were impacted by fertilisers to varying degrees: while the effect on abundance was the highest for leaf miners, the vulnerability and modularity of flower-visitor networks was the most affected. The impact on the abundance of leaf miners was positive and three times higher than the impact on parasitoids, and the impact on bumblebee abundance was negative and double the magnitude of impact on flower abundance. Overall, our results show that while insect species richness was unaffected by fertilisers, network structure changed significantly as the replacement of forbs by grasses resulted in changes in relative abundance across trophic levels, with the direction of change depending on the type of network. Synthesis. By studying multiple networks simultaneously, we were able to rank the relative impact of habitat change on the different groups of species within the community. This provided a more holistic picture of the impact of agricultural intensification and provides useful information when deciding on priorities for mitigation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Elizabeth L Clare
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Susan E Ward
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, UK
| | - Jane Memmott
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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17
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Neff F, Resch MC, Marty A, Rolley JD, Schütz M, Risch AC, Gossner MM. Long-term restoration success of insect herbivore communities in seminatural grasslands: a functional approach. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2020; 30:e02133. [PMID: 32299121 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Seminatural grasslands are important biodiversity hotspots, but they are increasingly degraded by intensive agriculture. Grassland restoration is considered to be promising in halting the ongoing loss of biodiversity, but this evaluation is mostly based on plant communities. Insect herbivores contribute substantially to grassland biodiversity and to the provisioning of a variety of ecosystem functions. However, it is unclear how they respond to different measures that are commonly used to restore seminatural grasslands from intensively used agricultural land. We studied the long-term success of different restoration techniques, which were originally targeted at reestablishing seminatural grassland plant communities, for herbivorous insect communities on taxonomic as well as functional level. Therefore, we sampled insect communities 22 yr after the establishment of restoration measures. These measures ranged from harvest and removal of biomass to removal of the topsoil layer and subsequent seeding of plant propagules. We found that insect communities in restored grasslands had higher taxonomic and functional diversity compared to intensively managed agricultural grasslands and were more similar in composition to target grasslands. Restoration measures including topsoil removal proved to be more effective, in particular in restoring species characterized by functional traits susceptible to intensive agriculture (e.g., large-bodied species). Our study shows that long-term success in the restoration of herbivorous insect communities of seminatural grasslands can be achieved by different restoration measures and that more invasive approaches that involve the removal of the topsoil layer are more effective. We attribute these restoration successes to accompanying changes in the plant community, resulting in bottom-up control of the herbivore community. Our results are of critical importance for management decisions aiming to restore multi-trophic communities, their functional composition and consequently the proliferation of ecosystem functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Neff
- Forest Entomology, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, 8903, Switzerland
- Landscape Ecology, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zürich, Zürich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - M Carol Resch
- Community Ecology, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, 8903, Switzerland
| | - Anja Marty
- Community Ecology, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, 8903, Switzerland
| | - Jacob D Rolley
- Community Ecology, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, 8903, Switzerland
| | - Martin Schütz
- Community Ecology, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, 8903, Switzerland
| | - Anita C Risch
- Community Ecology, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, 8903, Switzerland
| | - Martin M Gossner
- Forest Entomology, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, 8903, Switzerland
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18
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Vogt J, Klaus VH, Both S, Fürstenau C, Gockel S, Gossner MM, Heinze J, Hemp A, Hölzel N, Jung K, Kleinebecker T, Lauterbach R, Lorenzen K, Ostrowski A, Otto N, Prati D, Renner S, Schumacher U, Seibold S, Simons N, Steitz I, Teuscher M, Thiele J, Weithmann S, Wells K, Wiesner K, Ayasse M, Blüthgen N, Fischer M, Weisser WW. Eleven years' data of grassland management in Germany. Biodivers Data J 2019; 7:e36387. [PMID: 31598068 PMCID: PMC6778154 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.7.e36387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The 150 grassland plots were located in three study regions in Germany, 50 in each region. The dataset describes the yearly grassland management for each grassland plot using 116 variables. General information includes plot identifier, study region and survey year. Additionally, grassland plot characteristics describe the presence and starting year of drainage and whether arable farming had taken place 25 years before our assessment, i.e. between 1981 and 2006. In each year, the size of the management unit is given which, in some cases, changed slightly across years. Mowing, grazing and fertilisation were systematically surveyed: Mowing is characterised by mowing frequency (i.e. number of cuts per year), dates of cutting and different technical variables, such as type of machine used or usage of conditioner. For grazing, the livestock species and age (e.g. cattle, horse, sheep), the number of animals, stocking density per hectare and total duration of grazing were recorded. As a derived variable, the mean grazing intensity was then calculated by multiplying the livestock units with the duration of grazing per hectare [LSU days/ha]. Different grazing periods during a year, partly involving different herds, were summed up to an annual grazing intensity for each grassland. For fertilisation, information on the type and amount of different types of fertilisers was recorded separately for mineral and organic fertilisers, such as solid farmland manure, slurry and mash from a bioethanol factory. Our fertilisation measures neglect dung dropped by livestock during grazing. For each type of fertiliser, we calculated its total nitrogen content, derived from chemical analyses by the producer or agricultural guidelines (Table 3). All three management types, mowing, fertilisation and grazing, were used to calculate a combined land use intensity index (LUI) which is frequently used to define a measure for the land use intensity. Here, fertilisation is expressed as total nitrogen per hectare [kg N/ha], but does not consider potassium and phosphorus. Information on additional management practices in grasslands was also recorded including levelling, to tear-up matted grass covers, rolling, to remove surface irregularities, seed addition, to close gaps in the sward. New information Investigating the relationship between human land use and biodiversity is important to understand if and how humans affect it through the way they manage the land and to develop sustainable land use strategies. Quantifying land use (the ‘X’ in such graphs) can be difficult as humans manage land using a multitude of actions, all of which may affect biodiversity, yet most studies use rather simple measures of land use, for example, by creating land use categories such as conventional vs. organic agriculture. Here, we provide detailed data on grassland management to allow for detailed analyses and the development of land use theory. The raw data have already been used for > 100 papers on the effect of management on biodiversity (e.g. Manning et al. 2015).
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Vogt
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Freising Germany
| | - Valentin H Klaus
- Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Institute of Landscape Ecology, Münster, Germany Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Institute of Landscape Ecology Münster Germany.,ETH Zürich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Zürich, Switzerland ETH Zürich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences Zürich Switzerland
| | - Steffen Both
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Fresing, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Fresing Germany.,Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Institut für Agrar- und Ernährungswissenschaften, Halle, Germany Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Institut für Agrar- und Ernährungswissenschaften Halle Germany
| | - Cornelia Fürstenau
- Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena, Institute for Computer Science, Heinz Nixdorf Chair for Distributed Information Systems, Jena, Germany Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena, Institute for Computer Science, Heinz Nixdorf Chair for Distributed Information Systems Jena Germany
| | - Sonja Gockel
- Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena, Institute of Ecology, Jena, Germany Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena, Institute of Ecology Jena Germany.,ThüringenForst, Forstliches Forschungs- und Kompetenzzentrum Gotha, Gotha, Germany ThüringenForst, Forstliches Forschungs- und Kompetenzzentrum Gotha Gotha Germany
| | - Martin M Gossner
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Freising Germany.,Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Forest Entomology, Birmensdorf, Switzerland Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Forest Entomology Birmensdorf Switzerland
| | - Johannes Heinze
- Universität Potsdam, Biodiversity Research/Systematic Botany, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Potsdam, Germany Universität Potsdam, Biodiversity Research/Systematic Botany, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology Potsdam Germany
| | - Andreas Hemp
- University of Bayreuth, Department of Plant Systematics, Bayreuth, Germany University of Bayreuth, Department of Plant Systematics Bayreuth Germany
| | - Nobert Hölzel
- Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Institute of Landscape Ecology, Münster, Germany Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Institute of Landscape Ecology Münster Germany
| | - Kirsten Jung
- University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology, Ulm, Germany University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology Ulm Germany
| | - Till Kleinebecker
- Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, nstitute of Landscape Ecology, Münster, Germany Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, nstitute of Landscape Ecology Münster Germany.,Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Institute of Landscape Ecology and Resource Management, Gießen, Germany Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Institute of Landscape Ecology and Resource Management Gießen Germany
| | - Ralf Lauterbach
- University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology, Ulm, Germany University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology Ulm Germany
| | - Katrin Lorenzen
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Freising Germany
| | - Andreas Ostrowski
- Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena, Institute for Computer Science, Heinz Nixdorf Chair for Distributed Information Systems, Jena, Germany Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena, Institute for Computer Science, Heinz Nixdorf Chair for Distributed Information Systems Jena Germany
| | - Niclas Otto
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Freising Germany
| | - Daniel Prati
- University of Bern, Institute of Plant Science, Department of Biology, Bern, Switzerland University of Bern, Institute of Plant Science, Department of Biology Bern Switzerland
| | - Swen Renner
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences BOKU, Institute of Zoology, Vienna, Austria University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences BOKU, Institute of Zoology Vienna Austria
| | - Uta Schumacher
- Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre BiK-F, Frankfurt, Germany Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre BiK-F Frankfurt Germany
| | - Sebastian Seibold
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Freising Germany
| | - Nadja Simons
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Freising Germany.,University Darmstadt, Ecological Networks, Darmstadt, Germany University Darmstadt, Ecological Networks Darmstadt Germany
| | - Iris Steitz
- University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology, Ulm, Germany University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology Ulm Germany
| | - Miriam Teuscher
- Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre BiK-F, Frankfurt, Germany Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre BiK-F Frankfurt Germany
| | - Jan Thiele
- Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute for Biodiversity, Braunschweig, Germany Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute for Biodiversity Braunschweig Germany
| | - Sandra Weithmann
- University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology, Ulm, Germany University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology Ulm Germany
| | - Konstans Wells
- The University of Adelaide, Department of Biosciences, Adelaide, Australia The University of Adelaide, Department of Biosciences Adelaide Australia.,University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology, Ulm, Georgia University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology Ulm Georgia
| | - Kerstin Wiesner
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Freising Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology, Ulm, Germany University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology Ulm Germany
| | - Nico Blüthgen
- University Darmstadt, Ecological Networks, Darmstadt, Germany University Darmstadt, Ecological Networks Darmstadt Germany
| | - Markus Fischer
- Universität Bern, Institute of Plant Science, Department of Biology, Bern, Germany Universität Bern, Institute of Plant Science, Department of Biology Bern Germany.,Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre BiK-F, Frankfurt, Germany Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre BiK-F Frankfurt Germany
| | - Wolfgang W Weisser
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Freising Germany
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19
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The relative importance of plant-soil feedbacks for plant-species performance increases with decreasing intensity of herbivory. Oecologia 2019; 190:651-664. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04442-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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20
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Multiple plant diversity components drive consumer communities across ecosystems. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1460. [PMID: 30926809 PMCID: PMC6440984 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09448-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans modify ecosystems and biodiversity worldwide, with negative consequences for ecosystem functioning. Promoting plant diversity is increasingly suggested as a mitigation strategy. However, our mechanistic understanding of how plant diversity affects the diversity of heterotrophic consumer communities remains limited. Here, we disentangle the relative importance of key components of plant diversity as drivers of herbivore, predator, and parasitoid species richness in experimental forests and grasslands. We find that plant species richness effects on consumer species richness are consistently positive and mediated by elevated structural and functional diversity of the plant communities. The importance of these diversity components differs across trophic levels and ecosystems, cautioning against ignoring the fundamental ecological complexity of biodiversity effects. Importantly, plant diversity effects on higher trophic-level species richness are in many cases mediated by modifications of consumer abundances. In light of recently reported drastic declines in insect abundances, our study identifies important pathways connecting plant diversity and consumer diversity across ecosystems. Here, Schuldt et al. collate data from two long-term grassland and forest biodiversity experiments to ask how plant diversity facets affect the diversity of higher trophic levels. The results show that positive effects of plant diversity on consumer diversity are mediated by plant structural and functional diversity, and vary across ecosystems and trophic levels.
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21
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Boch S, Allan E, Humbert JY, Kurtogullari Y, Lessard-Therrien M, Müller J, Prati D, Rieder NS, Arlettaz R, Fischer M. Direct and indirect effects of land use on bryophytes in grasslands. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 644:60-67. [PMID: 29980086 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 05/26/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Land-use intensification is the major threat for biodiversity in agricultural grasslands, and fertilization has been suggested as the most important driver. A common explanation for the decline of bryophyte diversity with higher land-use intensity is an indirect negative effect via the increase in vascular plant productivity, which reduces light levels for bryophytes. However, direct negative effects of land-use intensification may also be important. Here, we disentangle direct and vascular plant biomass mediated indirect effects of land use on bryophytes. We analyzed two complementary datasets from agricultural grasslands, an observational study across 144 differently managed grasslands in Germany and an experimental fertilization and irrigation study of eleven grasslands in the Swiss Alps. We found that bryophyte richness and cover strongly declined with land-use intensity and in particular with fertilization. However, structural equation modelling revealed that although both direct and indirect effects were important, the direct negative effect of fertilization was even stronger than the indirect effect mediated by increased plant biomass. Thus, our results challenge the widespread view that the negative effects of fertilization are mostly indirect and mediated via increased light competition with vascular plants. Our study shows that land use intensification reduces bryophyte diversity through several different mechanisms. Therefore, only low-intensity management with limited fertilizer inputs will allow the maintenance of bryophyte-rich grasslands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Boch
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland; Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013 Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Eric Allan
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Yves Humbert
- Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Yasemin Kurtogullari
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013 Bern, Switzerland; Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Malie Lessard-Therrien
- Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland; College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jörg Müller
- Department of Nature Conservation, Heinz Sielmann Foundation, Unter den Kiefern 9, 14641 Wustermark, Germany
| | - Daniel Prati
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Nora Simone Rieder
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013 Bern, Switzerland; Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Raphaël Arlettaz
- Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland; Swiss Ornithological Institute, Valais Field Station, Rue du Rhône 11, 1950 Sion, Switzerland
| | - Markus Fischer
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013 Bern, Switzerland
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22
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Kurze S, Heinken T, Fartmann T. Nitrogen enrichment in host plants increases the mortality of common Lepidoptera species. Oecologia 2018; 188:1227-1237. [PMID: 30288608 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4266-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The recent decline of Lepidoptera species strongly correlates with the increasing intensification of agriculture in Western and Central Europe. However, the effects of changed host-plant quality through agricultural fertilization on this insect group remain largely unexplored. For this reason, we tested the response of six common butterfly and moth species to host-plant fertilization using fertilizer quantities usually applied in agriculture. The larvae of the study species Coenonympha pamphilus, Lycaena phlaeas, Lycaena tityrus, Pararge aegeria, Rivula sericealis and Timandra comae were distributed according to a split-brood design to three host-plant treatments comprising one control treatment without fertilization and two fertilization treatments with an input of 150 and 300 kg N ha-1 year-1, respectively. In L. tityrus, we used two additional fertilization treatments with an input of 30 and 90 kg N ha-1 year-1, respectively. Fertilization increased the nitrogen concentration of both host-plant species, Rumex acetosella and Poa pratensis, and decreased the survival of larvae in all six Lepidoptera species by at least one-third, without clear differences between sorrel- and grass-feeding species. The declining survival rate in all species contradicts the well-accepted nitrogen-limitation hypothesis, which predicts a positive response in species performance to dietary nitrogen content. In contrast, this study presents the first evidence that current fertilization quantities in agriculture exceed the physiological tolerance of common Lepidoptera species. Our results suggest that (1) the negative effect of plant fertilization on Lepidoptera has previously been underestimated and (2) that it contributes to the range-wide decline of Lepidoptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Kurze
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, General Botany, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 3, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Thilo Heinken
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, General Botany, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 3, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Thomas Fartmann
- Department of Biodiversity and Landscape Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, Osnabrück University, Barbarastraße 11, 49076, Osnabrück, Germany. .,Institute of Biodiversity and Landscape Ecology (IBL), An der Kleimannbrücke 98, 48157, Münster, Germany.
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23
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Jung K, Threlfall CG. Trait-dependent tolerance of bats to urbanization: a global meta-analysis. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20181222. [PMID: 30135163 PMCID: PMC6125892 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Urbanization is a severe threat to global biodiversity, often leading to taxonomic and functional homogenization. However, current urban ecology research has focused mostly on urban birds and plants, limiting our ability to make generalizations about the drivers of urban biodiversity globally. To address this gap, we conducted a global meta-analysis of 87 studies, including 180 bat species (Chiroptera) from urban areas in Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America. We aimed to (i) understand the importance of functional traits and phylogeny in driving changes in urban bat assemblages, and (ii) assess the capacity of traits for predicting which types of species are most sensitive to urbanization. Our results indicate that species-specific functional traits explain differences in the intensity of urban habitat use. Urban tolerance mainly occurred within the open and edge space foraging and trawling species as well as in bats with flexible roosting strategies. In addition, across bioregions and independent of phylogeny, urban tolerance correlated with higher aspect ratio, a trait enabling fast flight but less agile manoeuvres during aerial food acquisition. Predictive success varied between bioregions, between 43 and 83%. Our analysis demonstrates that the local extinction of bat species in urban areas is non-random, trait-based and predictable, allowing urban landscape managers to tailor local conservation actions to particular types of species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Jung
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Caragh Grace Threlfall
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
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24
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Rotchés‐Ribalta R, Winsa M, Roberts SPM, Öckinger E. Associations between plant and pollinator communities under grassland restoration respond mainly to landscape connectivity. J Appl Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Roser Rotchés‐Ribalta
- Technology Centre for Biodiversity, Ecology and Environmental Technology and Food Management (BETA)University of Vic‐Central University of Catalonia Vic. Spain
- Teagasc Johnstown Castle Research CentreCrop, Environment and Land Use Wexford Ireland
- Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
| | - Marie Winsa
- Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
| | - Stuart P. M. Roberts
- Centre for Agri‐Environmental ResearchSchool of Agriculture, Policy and DevelopmentUniversity of Reading Reading UK
| | - Erik Öckinger
- Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
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25
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Wood JR, Holdaway RJ, Orwin KH, Morse C, Bonner KI, Davis C, Bolstridge N, Dickie IA. No single driver of biodiversity: divergent responses of multiple taxa across land use types. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jamie R. Wood
- Landcare Research; P.O. Box 69040 Lincoln 7640 New Zealand
| | | | - Kate H. Orwin
- Landcare Research; P.O. Box 69040 Lincoln 7640 New Zealand
| | - Chris Morse
- Landcare Research; P.O. Box 69040 Lincoln 7640 New Zealand
| | | | - Carina Davis
- Landcare Research; P.O. Box 69040 Lincoln 7640 New Zealand
| | | | - Ian A. Dickie
- Bio-Protection Research Centre; School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury; Private Bag 4800 Christchurch 8140 New Zealand
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26
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Dainese M, Isaac NJB, Powney GD, Bommarco R, Öckinger E, Kuussaari M, Pöyry J, Benton TG, Gabriel D, Hodgson JA, Kunin WE, Lindborg R, Sait SM, Marini L. Landscape simplification weakens the association between terrestrial producer and consumer diversity in Europe. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:3040-3051. [PMID: 27992955 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Land-use change is one of the primary drivers of species loss, yet little is known about its effect on other components of biodiversity that may be at risk. Here, we ask whether, and to what extent, landscape simplification, measured as the percentage of arable land in the landscape, disrupts the functional and phylogenetic association between primary producers and consumers. Across seven European regions, we inferred the potential associations (functional and phylogenetic) between host plants and butterflies in 561 seminatural grasslands. Local plant diversity showed a strong bottom-up effect on butterfly diversity in the most complex landscapes, but this effect disappeared in simple landscapes. The functional associations between plant and butterflies are, therefore, the results of processes that act not only locally but are also dependent on the surrounding landscape context. Similarly, landscape simplification reduced the phylogenetic congruence among host plants and butterflies indicating that closely related butterflies become more generalist in the resources used. These processes occurred without any detectable change in species richness of plants or butterflies along the gradient of arable land. The structural properties of ecosystems are experiencing substantial erosion, with potentially pervasive effects on ecosystem functions and future evolutionary trajectories. Loss of interacting species might trigger cascading extinction events and reduce the stability of trophic interactions, as well as influence the longer term resilience of ecosystem functions. This underscores a growing realization that species richness is a crude and insensitive metric and that both functional and phylogenetic associations, measured across multiple trophic levels, are likely to provide additional and deeper insights into the resilience of ecosystems and the functions they provide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Dainese
- DAFNAE, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg, 97074, Germany
| | - Nick J B Isaac
- Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Gary D Powney
- Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Riccardo Bommarco
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, SE-750 07, Sweden
| | - Erik Öckinger
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, SE-750 07, Sweden
| | - Mikko Kuussaari
- Natural Environment Centre, Finnish Environment Institute, PO Box 140, Helsinki, FI-00251, Finland
| | - Juha Pöyry
- Natural Environment Centre, Finnish Environment Institute, PO Box 140, Helsinki, FI-00251, Finland
| | - Tim G Benton
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Doreen Gabriel
- Institute of Crop and Soil Science, Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Bundesallee 50, Braunschweig, D-38116, Germany
| | - Jenny A Hodgson
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool, UK
| | - William E Kunin
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Regina Lindborg
- Department of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SE-106 91, Sweden
| | - Steven M Sait
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Lorenzo Marini
- DAFNAE, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy
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27
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28
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Impacts of 120 years of fertilizer addition on a temperate grassland ecosystem. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174632. [PMID: 28350853 PMCID: PMC5369769 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The widespread application of fertilizers has greatly influenced many processes and properties of agroecosystems, and agricultural fertilization is expected to increase even further in the future. To date, most research on fertilizer impacts has used short-term studies, which may be unrepresentative of long-term responses, thus hindering our capacity to predict long-term impacts. Here, we examined the effects of long-term fertilizer addition on key ecosystem properties in a long-term grassland experiment (Palace Leas Hay Meadow) in which farmyard manure (FYM) and inorganic fertilizer treatments have been applied consistently for 120 years in order to characterize the experimental site more fully and compare ecosystem responses with those observed at other long-term and short-term experiments. FYM inputs increased soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, hay yield, nutrient availability and acted as a buffer against soil acidification (>pH 5). In contrast, N-containing inorganic fertilizers strongly acidified the soil (<pH 4.5) and increased surface SOC stocks by increasing the C stored in the coarse (2.8 mm-200 μm) and fine (200–50 μm) fractions. Application of N fertilizers also reduced plant species richness and the abundance of forbs and legumes. Overall, our results were broadly consistent with those observed in other very long-term studies (the Park Grass and Steinach Grassland experiments) in that fertilization effects on plant and soil properties appeared to be driven by differences in both nutrient input and changes to soil pH. We also established that the direction of long-term fertilization effects tended to be comparable with short-term experiments, but that their magnitude differed considerably, particularly where ammonium sulphate-induced acidification had occurred. We therefore conclude that short-term studies are unlikely to possess the required timeframe to accurately predict long-term responses, thus necessitating the use of long-term study sites. Such experiments should be strategically established in regions where future fertilizer use is expected to increase rapidly.
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29
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Piano E, Isaia M, Falasco E, La Morgia V, Soldato G, Bona F. Local versus landscape spatial influence on biodiversity: a case study across five European industrialized areas. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2017; 189:126. [PMID: 28238172 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-017-5824-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2016] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Land use change-mostly habitat loss and fragmentation-has been recognized as one of the major drivers of biodiversity loss worldwide. According to the habitat amount hypothesis, these phenomena are mostly driven by the habitat area effect. As a result, species richness is a function of both the extent of suitable habitats and their availability in the surrounding landscape, irrespective of the dimension and isolation of patches of suitable habitat. In this context, we tested how the extent of natural areas, selected as proxies of suitable habitats for biodiversity, influences species richness in highly anthropogenic landscapes. We defined five circular sampling areas of 5 km radius, including both natural reserves and anthropogenic land uses, centred in five major industrial sites in France, Italy and Germany. We monitored different biodiversity indicators for both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, including breeding birds, diurnal butterflies, grassland vegetation, odonata, amphibians, aquatic plants and benthic diatoms. We studied the response of the different indicators to the extent of natural land uses in the sampling area (local effect) and in the surrounding landscape (landscape effect), identified as a peripheral ring encircling the sampling area. Results showed a positive response of five out of seven biodiversity indicators, with aquatic plants and odonata responding positively to the local effect, while birds, vegetation and diatoms showed a positive response to the landscape effect. Diatoms also showed a significant combined response to both effects. We conclude that surrounding landscapes act as important biodiversity sources, increasing the local biodiversity in highly anthropogenic contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Piano
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Turin, Italy
| | - M Isaia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Turin, Italy.
| | - E Falasco
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Turin, Italy
| | - V La Morgia
- ISPRA, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, Via Ca' Fornacetta 9, Ozzano dell'Emilia, Bologna, Italy
| | - G Soldato
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Turin, Italy
| | - F Bona
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Turin, Italy
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30
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Gossner MM, Lewinsohn TM, Kahl T, Grassein F, Boch S, Prati D, Birkhofer K, Renner SC, Sikorski J, Wubet T, Arndt H, Baumgartner V, Blaser S, Blüthgen N, Börschig C, Buscot F, Diekötter T, Jorge LR, Jung K, Keyel AC, Klein AM, Klemmer S, Krauss J, Lange M, Müller J, Overmann J, Pašalić E, Penone C, Perović DJ, Purschke O, Schall P, Socher SA, Sonnemann I, Tschapka M, Tscharntke T, Türke M, Venter PC, Weiner CN, Werner M, Wolters V, Wurst S, Westphal C, Fischer M, Weisser WW, Allan E. Land-use intensification causes multitrophic homogenization of grassland communities. Nature 2016; 540:266-269. [PMID: 27919075 DOI: 10.1038/nature20575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Land-use intensification is a major driver of biodiversity loss. Alongside reductions in local species diversity, biotic homogenization at larger spatial scales is of great concern for conservation. Biotic homogenization means a decrease in β-diversity (the compositional dissimilarity between sites). Most studies have investigated losses in local (α)-diversity and neglected biodiversity loss at larger spatial scales. Studies addressing β-diversity have focused on single or a few organism groups (for example, ref. 4), and it is thus unknown whether land-use intensification homogenizes communities at different trophic levels, above- and belowground. Here we show that even moderate increases in local land-use intensity (LUI) cause biotic homogenization across microbial, plant and animal groups, both above- and belowground, and that this is largely independent of changes in α-diversity. We analysed a unique grassland biodiversity dataset, with abundances of more than 4,000 species belonging to 12 trophic groups. LUI, and, in particular, high mowing intensity, had consistent effects on β-diversity across groups, causing a homogenization of soil microbial, fungal pathogen, plant and arthropod communities. These effects were nonlinear and the strongest declines in β-diversity occurred in the transition from extensively managed to intermediate intensity grassland. LUI tended to reduce local α-diversity in aboveground groups, whereas the α-diversity increased in belowground groups. Correlations between the β-diversity of different groups, particularly between plants and their consumers, became weaker at high LUI. This suggests a loss of specialist species and is further evidence for biotic homogenization. The consistently negative effects of LUI on landscape-scale biodiversity underscore the high value of extensively managed grasslands for conserving multitrophic biodiversity and ecosystem service provision. Indeed, biotic homogenization rather than local diversity loss could prove to be the most substantial consequence of land-use intensification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin M Gossner
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, Freising D-85354, Germany.,Institute of Ecology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Dornburger Str 159, Jena D-07743, Germany.,Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf CH-8903, Switzerland
| | - Thomas M Lewinsohn
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, Freising D-85354, Germany.,Department of Animal Biology, IB, UNICAMP-University of Campinas, Campinas, Sao Paulo, CEP, 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Tiemo Kahl
- Chair of Silviculture, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacherstraße 4, Freiburg im Breisgau D-79106, Germany.,Biosphere Reserve Vessertal-Thuringian Forest, Brunnenstr 1, Schmiedefeld am Rennsteig D-98711, Germany
| | - Fabrice Grassein
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, Bern CH-3013, Switzerland
| | - Steffen Boch
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, Bern CH-3013, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Prati
- Biosphere Reserve Vessertal-Thuringian Forest, Brunnenstr 1, Schmiedefeld am Rennsteig D-98711, Germany
| | - Klaus Birkhofer
- Department of Biology, Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, Lund S-22362, Sweden.,Chair of Ecology, Faculty Environment and Natural Sciences, BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, Großenhainer Str 57, Senftenberg D-01968, Germany
| | - Swen C Renner
- Institute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Wien A-1180, Austria.,Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm D-89069, Germany
| | - Johannes Sikorski
- Leibniz-Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Inhoffenstraße 7B, Braunschweig D-38302, Germany
| | - Tesfaye Wubet
- Department of Soil Ecology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Halle-Saale D-06120, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 21, Leipzig D-04103, Germany
| | - Hartmut Arndt
- Biocentre, Institute for Zoology, General Ecology, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str 47b, Cologne (Köln) D-50674, Germany
| | - Vanessa Baumgartner
- Leibniz-Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Inhoffenstraße 7B, Braunschweig D-38302, Germany
| | - Stefan Blaser
- Biosphere Reserve Vessertal-Thuringian Forest, Brunnenstr 1, Schmiedefeld am Rennsteig D-98711, Germany
| | - Nico Blüthgen
- Department of Biology, Ecological Networks, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstraße 3, Darmstadt D-64287, Germany
| | - Carmen Börschig
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg D-97074, Germany
| | - Francois Buscot
- Department of Soil Ecology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Halle-Saale D-06120, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 21, Leipzig D-04103, Germany
| | - Tim Diekötter
- Animal Ecology, Justus-Liebig-University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, Giessen D-35392, Germany.,Landscape Ecology, Institute for Natural Resource Conservation, Kiel University, Olshausenstr 75, Kiel D-24118, Germany
| | - Leonardo Ré Jorge
- Department of Animal Biology, IB, UNICAMP-University of Campinas, Campinas, Sao Paulo, CEP, 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Kirsten Jung
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm D-89069, Germany
| | - Alexander C Keyel
- Department of Ecosystem Modelling, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 4, Göttingen D-37077, Germany
| | - Alexandra-Maria Klein
- Chair of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacherstraße 4, Freiburg im Breisgau D-79106, Germany
| | - Sandra Klemmer
- Department of Soil Ecology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Halle-Saale D-06120, Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, Leipzig D-04103, Germany
| | - Jochen Krauss
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg D-97074, Germany
| | - Markus Lange
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, Freising D-85354, Germany.,Institute of Ecology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Dornburger Str 159, Jena D-07743, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knoell-Str 10, Jena D-07745, Germany
| | - Jörg Müller
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 1, Potsdam D-14469, Germany
| | - Jörg Overmann
- Leibniz-Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Inhoffenstraße 7B, Braunschweig D-38302, Germany
| | - Esther Pašalić
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, Freising D-85354, Germany.,Institute of Ecology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Dornburger Str 159, Jena D-07743, Germany
| | - Caterina Penone
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, Bern CH-3013, Switzerland
| | - David J Perović
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China.,Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen D-37077, Germany
| | - Oliver Purschke
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, Leipzig D-04103, Germany.,Department of Computer Science, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale) D-06120, Germany.,Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale) D-06108, Germany
| | - Peter Schall
- Department Silviculture and Forest Ecology of the Temperate Zones, University of Göttingen, Göttingen D-37077, Germany
| | - Stephanie A Socher
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Botanical Garden, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, Salzburg 5020, Austria
| | - Ilja Sonnemann
- Functional Biodiversity, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 1-3, Berlin D-14195, Germany
| | - Marco Tschapka
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm D-89069, Germany
| | - Teja Tscharntke
- Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen D-37077, Germany
| | - Manfred Türke
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, Freising D-85354, Germany.,Institute of Ecology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Dornburger Str 159, Jena D-07743, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 21, Leipzig D-04103, Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, Leipzig D-04103, Germany
| | - Paul Christiaan Venter
- Biocentre, Institute for Zoology, General Ecology, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str 47b, Cologne (Köln) D-50674, Germany
| | - Christiane N Weiner
- Department of Biology, Ecological Networks, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstraße 3, Darmstadt D-64287, Germany
| | - Michael Werner
- Department of Biology, Ecological Networks, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstraße 3, Darmstadt D-64287, Germany
| | - Volkmar Wolters
- Animal Ecology, Justus-Liebig-University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, Giessen D-35392, Germany
| | - Susanne Wurst
- Functional Biodiversity, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 1-3, Berlin D-14195, Germany
| | - Catrin Westphal
- Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen D-37077, Germany
| | - Markus Fischer
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, Freising D-85354, Germany
| | - Wolfgang W Weisser
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, Freising D-85354, Germany.,Institute of Ecology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Dornburger Str 159, Jena D-07743, Germany
| | - Eric Allan
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, Bern CH-3013, Switzerland.,Centre for Development and Environment, University of Bern, Hallerstrasse, 10, Bern CH-3012, Switzerland
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31
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Schrama M, van der Plas F, Berg MP, Olff H. Decoupled diversity dynamics in green and brown webs during primary succession in a saltmarsh. J Anim Ecol 2016; 86:158-169. [PMID: 27740686 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Terrestrial ecosystems are characterized by a strong functional connection between the green (plant-herbivore-based) and brown (detritus-detritivore-based) parts of the food web, which both develop over successional time. However, the interlinked changes in green and brown food web diversity patterns in relation to key ecosystem processes are rarely studied. Here, we demonstrate changes in species richness, diversity and evenness over a wide range of invertebrate green and brown trophic groups during 100 years of primary succession in a saltmarsh ecosystem, using a well-calibrated chronosequence. We contrast two hypotheses on the relationship between green and brown food web diversity across succession: (i) 'coupled diversity hypothesis', which predicts that all trophic groups covary similarly with the main drivers of successional ecosystem assembly vs. (ii) the 'decoupled diversity hypothesis', where green and brown trophic groups diversity respond to different drivers during succession. We found that, while species richness for plants and invertebrate herbivores (green web groups) both peaked at intermediate productivity and successional age, the diversity of macrodetritivores, microarthropod microbivores and secondary consumers (brown web groups) continuously increased towards the latest successional stages. These results suggest that green web trophic groups are mainly driven by vegetation parameters, such as the amount of bare soil, vegetation biomass production and vegetation height, while brown web trophic groups are mostly driven by the production and standing stock of dead organic material and soil development. Our results show that plant diversity cannot simply be used as a proxy for the diversity of all other species groups that drive ecosystem functioning, as brown and green diversity components in our ecosystem responded differently to successional gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maarten Schrama
- Institute for Environmental Science, University of Leiden, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Soil and Ecosystem Ecology Group, University of Manchester, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, M13 9PT, Manchester, UK.,Community and Conservation Ecology, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Fons van der Plas
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland.,Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre BIK-F, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Matty P Berg
- Community and Conservation Ecology, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Section Animal Ecology, Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Han Olff
- Community and Conservation Ecology, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
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32
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Biodiversity at multiple trophic levels is needed for ecosystem multifunctionality. Nature 2016; 536:456-9. [PMID: 27533038 DOI: 10.1038/nature19092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 284] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 07/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Many experiments have shown that loss of biodiversity reduces the capacity of ecosystems to provide the multiple services on which humans depend. However, experiments necessarily simplify the complexity of natural ecosystems and will normally control for other important drivers of ecosystem functioning, such as the environment or land use. In addition, existing studies typically focus on the diversity of single trophic groups, neglecting the fact that biodiversity loss occurs across many taxa and that the functional effects of any trophic group may depend on the abundance and diversity of others. Here we report analysis of the relationships between the species richness and abundance of nine trophic groups, including 4,600 above- and below-ground taxa, and 14 ecosystem services and functions and with their simultaneous provision (or multifunctionality) in 150 grasslands. We show that high species richness in multiple trophic groups (multitrophic richness) had stronger positive effects on ecosystem services than richness in any individual trophic group; this includes plant species richness, the most widely used measure of biodiversity. On average, three trophic groups influenced each ecosystem service, with each trophic group influencing at least one service. Multitrophic richness was particularly beneficial for 'regulating' and 'cultural' services, and for multifunctionality, whereas a change in the total abundance of species or biomass in multiple trophic groups (the multitrophic abundance) positively affected supporting services. Multitrophic richness and abundance drove ecosystem functioning as strongly as abiotic conditions and land-use intensity, extending previous experimental results to real-world ecosystems. Primary producers, herbivorous insects and microbial decomposers seem to be particularly important drivers of ecosystem functioning, as shown by the strong and frequent positive associations of their richness or abundance with multiple ecosystem services. Our results show that multitrophic richness and abundance support ecosystem functioning, and demonstrate that a focus on single groups has led to researchers to greatly underestimate the functional importance of biodiversity.
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33
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Treitler JT, Heim O, Tschapka M, Jung K. The effect of local land use and loss of forests on bats and nocturnal insects. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:4289-97. [PMID: 27386075 PMCID: PMC4930980 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2016] [Revised: 03/31/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Land‐use intensification at local and landscape level poses a serious threat to biodiversity and affects species interactions and ecosystem function. It is thus important to understand how interrelated taxa respond to land‐use intensification and to consider the importance of different spatial scales. We investigated whether and how local land‐use intensity and landscape features affect the predator–prey interaction of bats and insects. Bats and nocturnal insects were assessed on 50 grassland sites in the Schorfheide‐Chorin. We analyzed the effect of local land use and distance to forested areas as a proxy for site accessibility on bats and insects and their biological interaction measured in bat's feeding activity. Insect abundance increased with higher land‐use intensity, while size and diversity of insects decreased. In contrast, bat activity, diversity, and species composition were determined by the distance to forested areas and only slightly by land‐use intensity. Feeding attempts of bats increased with higher insect abundance and diversity but decreased with insect size and distance to forested areas. Finally, our results revealed that near forested areas, the number of feeding attempts was much lower on grassland sites with high, compared to those with low land‐use intensity. In contrast, far from forests, the feeding attempts did not differ significantly between intensively and extensively managed grassland sites. We conclude that the two interrelated taxa, bats and insects, respond to land‐use intensification on very different scales. While insects respond to local land use, bats are rather influenced by surrounding landscape matrix. Hereby, proximity to forests reveals to be a prerequisite for higher bat species diversity and a higher rate of feeding attempts within the area. However, proximity to forest is not sufficient to compensate local high land‐use intensity. Thus, local land‐use intensification in combination with a loss of forest remnants weakens the interaction of bats and insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia T Treitler
- Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics University Ulm Ulm Germany; Present address: RG Ecology and Environmental Education Institute of Biology and Chemistry University of Hildesheim Hildesheim Germany
| | - Olga Heim
- Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics University Ulm Ulm Germany; Present address: Leibniz Institute for Zoo- and Wildlife Research (IZW) Berlin Germany
| | - Marco Tschapka
- Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics University Ulm Ulm Germany; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Balboa Panama
| | - Kirsten Jung
- Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics University Ulm Ulm Germany
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34
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Orford KA, Murray PJ, Vaughan IP, Memmott J. Modest enhancements to conventional grassland diversity improve the provision of pollination services. J Appl Ecol 2016; 53:906-915. [PMID: 27609988 PMCID: PMC4996327 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Grassland for livestock production is a major form of land use throughout Europe and its intensive management threatens biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in agricultural landscapes. Modest increases to conventional grassland biodiversity could have considerable positive impacts on the provision of ecosystem services, such as pollination, to surrounding habitats.Using a field-scale experiment in which grassland seed mixes and sward management were manipulated, complemented by surveys on working farms and phytometer experiments, the impact of conventional grassland diversity and management on the functional diversity and ecosystem service provision of pollinator communities were investigated.Increasing plant richness, by the addition of both legumes and forbs, was associated with significant enhancements in the functional diversity of grassland pollinator communities. This was associated with increased temporal stability of flower-visitor interactions at the community level. Visitation networks revealed pasture species Taraxacum sp. (Wigg.) (dandelion) and Cirsium arvense (Scop.) (creeping thistle) to have the highest pollinator visitation frequency and richness. Cichorium intybus (L.) (chichory) was highlighted as an important species having both high pollinator visitation and desirable agronomic properties.Increased sward richness was associated with an increase in the pollination of two phytometer species; Fragaria × ananassa (strawberry) and Silene dioica (red campion), but not Vicia faba (broad bean). Enhanced functional diversity, richness and abundance of the pollinator communities associated with more diverse neighbouring pastures were found to be potential mechanisms for improved pollination. Synthesis and applications. A modest increase in conventional grassland plant diversity with legumes and forbs, achievable with the expertise and resources available to most grassland farmers, could enhance pollinator functional diversity, richness and abundance. Moreover, our results suggest that this could improve pollination services and consequently surrounding crop yields (e.g. strawberry) and wildflower reproduction in agro-ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A Orford
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol Life Sciences Building 24 Tyndall Avenue Bristol BS8 1TQ UK
| | - Phil J Murray
- Rothamsted Research North Wyke Okehampton Devon EX20 2SB UK
| | - Ian P Vaughan
- Cardiff School of Biosciences Cardiff University The Sir Martin Evans Building Museum Avenue Cardiff CF10 3AX UK
| | - Jane Memmott
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol Life Sciences Building 24 Tyndall Avenue Bristol BS8 1TQ UK
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35
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Allan E, Manning P, Alt F, Binkenstein J, Blaser S, Blüthgen N, Böhm S, Grassein F, Hölzel N, Klaus VH, Kleinebecker T, Morris EK, Oelmann Y, Prati D, Renner SC, Rillig MC, Schaefer M, Schloter M, Schmitt B, Schöning I, Schrumpf M, Solly E, Sorkau E, Steckel J, Steffen-Dewenter I, Stempfhuber B, Tschapka M, Weiner CN, Weisser WW, Werner M, Westphal C, Wilcke W, Fischer M. Land use intensification alters ecosystem multifunctionality via loss of biodiversity and changes to functional composition. Ecol Lett 2015; 18:834-843. [PMID: 26096863 PMCID: PMC4744976 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 263] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Revised: 03/12/2015] [Accepted: 03/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Global change, especially land‐use intensification, affects human well‐being by impacting the delivery of multiple ecosystem services (multifunctionality). However, whether biodiversity loss is a major component of global change effects on multifunctionality in real‐world ecosystems, as in experimental ones, remains unclear. Therefore, we assessed biodiversity, functional composition and 14 ecosystem services on 150 agricultural grasslands differing in land‐use intensity. We also introduce five multifunctionality measures in which ecosystem services were weighted according to realistic land‐use objectives. We found that indirect land‐use effects, i.e. those mediated by biodiversity loss and by changes to functional composition, were as strong as direct effects on average. Their strength varied with land‐use objectives and regional context. Biodiversity loss explained indirect effects in a region of intermediate productivity and was most damaging when land‐use objectives favoured supporting and cultural services. In contrast, functional composition shifts, towards fast‐growing plant species, strongly increased provisioning services in more inherently unproductive grasslands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Allan
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland.,Centre for Development and Environment, University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 10, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Pete Manning
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Fabian Alt
- Geocology, University of Tuebingen, Ruemelinstr. 19-23, 72070, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Julia Binkenstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Hauptstraße 1, 79104, Freiburg i. Br, Germany
| | - Stefan Blaser
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Nico Blüthgen
- Ecological Networks, Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstr. 3, 64287, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Stefan Böhm
- Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89069, Ulm, Germany
| | - Fabrice Grassein
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Norbert Hölzel
- Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Heisenbergstr. 2, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Valentin H Klaus
- Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Heisenbergstr. 2, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Till Kleinebecker
- Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Heisenbergstr. 2, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - E Kathryn Morris
- Xavier University, 3800 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, OH, 45207, USA
| | - Yvonne Oelmann
- Geocology, University of Tuebingen, Ruemelinstr. 19-23, 72070, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Daniel Prati
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Swen C Renner
- Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89069, Ulm, Germany.,Institute for Biology I (Zoology), University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Smithsonian Conservation Biology Center at the National Zoological Park, Front Royal, 1500 Remount Road, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Matthias C Rillig
- Freie Universität Berlin, Plant Ecology, Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Schaefer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Hauptstraße 1, 79104, Freiburg i. Br, Germany
| | - Michael Schloter
- Research Unit for Environmental Genomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85758, Oberschleissheim, Germany
| | - Barbara Schmitt
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ingo Schöning
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll-Str. 10, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Marion Schrumpf
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll-Str. 10, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Emily Solly
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll-Str. 10, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Sorkau
- Geocology, University of Tuebingen, Ruemelinstr. 19-23, 72070, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Juliane Steckel
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97974, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ingolf Steffen-Dewenter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97974, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Barbara Stempfhuber
- Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Environmental Genomics, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Marco Tschapka
- Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89069, Ulm, Germany.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, P.O. Box 0843-03092, Balboa Ancón, Panama
| | - Christiane N Weiner
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97974, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang W Weisser
- Institute of Ecology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Dornburger Straße 159, D-07743, Jena, Germany.,Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Center for Food and Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Michael Werner
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97974, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Catrin Westphal
- Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wilcke
- Geographic Institute, University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 12, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.,Institute of Geography and Geoecology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Reinhard-Baumeister-Platz 1, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Markus Fischer
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland.,Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre BIK-F, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt, Germany.,Biodiversity Research/Systematic Botany, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 1, D-14469, Potsdam, Germany
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