| 1. |
- Aggemyr, Elsa, et al.
(author)
-
Species richness and composition differ in response to landscape and biogeography
- 2018
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 33:12, s. 2273-2284
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context Understanding how landscape patterns affect species diversity is of great importance in the fields of biogeography, landscape ecology and conservation planning, but despite the rapid advance in biodiversity analysis, investigations of spatial effects on biodiversity are still largely focused on species richness.Objectives We wanted to know if and how species richness and species composition are differentially driven by the spatial measures dominating studies in landscape ecology and biogeography. As both measures require the same limited presence/absence information, it is important to choose an appropriate diversity measure, as differing results could have important consequences for interpreting ecological processes.Methods We recorded plant occurrences on 112 islands in the Baltic archipelago. Species richness and composition were calculated for each island, and the explanatory power of island area and habitat heterogeneity, distance to mainland and structural connectivity at three different landscape sizes were examined.Results A total of 354 different plant species were recorded. The influence of landscape variables differed depending on which diversity measure was used. Island area and structural connectivity determined plant species richness, while species composition revealed a more complex pattern, being influenced by island area, habitat heterogeneity and structural connectivity.Conclusions Although both measures require the same basic input data, species composition can reveal more about the ecological processes affecting plant communities in fragmented landscapes than species richness alone. Therefore, we recommend that species community composition should be used as an additional standard measure of diversity for biogeography, landscape ecology and conservation planning.
|
|
| 2. |
- Andersson, Erik, et al.
(author)
-
Neighbourhood character affects the spatial extent and magnitude of the functional footprint of urban green infrastructure
- 2020
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 35:7, s. 1605-1618
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context Urban densification has been argued to increase the contrast between built up and open green space. This contrast may offer a starting point for assessing the extent and magnitude of the positive influences urban green infrastructure is expected to have on its surroundings.Objectives Drawing on insights from landscape ecology and urban geography, this exploratory study investigates how the combined properties of green and grey urban infrastructures determine the influence of urban green infrastructure on the overall quality of the urban landscape.Methods This article uses distance rise-or-decay functions to describe how receptive different land uses are to the influence of neighbouring green spaces, and does this based on integrated information on urban morphology, land surface temperature and habitat use by breeding birds.Results Our results show how green space has a non-linear and declining cooling influence on adjacent urban land uses, extending up to 300-400 m in densely built up areas and up to 500 m in low density areas. Further, we found a statistically significant declining impact of green space on bird species richness up to 500 m outside its boundaries.Conclusions Our focus on land use combinations and interrelations paves the way for a number of new joint landscape level assessments of direct and indirect accessibility to different ecosystem services. Our early results reinforce the challenging need to retain more green space in densely built up part of cities.
|
|
| 3. |
- Andersson, Erik, et al.
(author)
-
Patterns and scale relations among urbanization measures in Stockholm, Sweden
- 2009
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 24, s. 1331-1339
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this study we measure urbanization based on a diverse set of 21 variables ranging from landscape indices to demographic factors such as income and land ownership using data from Stockholm, Sweden. The primary aims were to test how the variables behaved in relation to each other and if these patterns were consistent across scales. The variables were mostly identified from the literature and limited to the kind of data that was readily accessible. We used GIS to sample the variables and then principal component analyses to search for patterns among them, repeating the sampling and analysis at four different scales (250 × 250, 750 × 750, 1,250 × 1,250 and 1,750 × 1,750, all in meters). At the smallest scale most variables seemed to be roughly structured along two axes, one with landscape indices and one mainly with demographic factors but also impervious surface and coniferous forest. The other land-cover types did not align very well with these two axes. When increasing the scale this pattern was not as obvious, instead the variables separated into several smaller bundles of highly correlated variables. Some pairs or bundles of variables were correlated on all scales and thus interchangeable while other associations changed with scale. This is important to keep in mind when one chooses measures of urbanization, especially if the measures are indices based on several variables. Comparing our results with the findings from other cities, we argue that universal gradients will be difficult to find since city shape and size, as well as available information, differ greatly. We also believe that a multivariate gradient is needed if you wish not only to compare cities but also ask questions about how urbanization influences the ecological character in different parts of a city.
|
|
| 4. |
- Andren, Henrik, et al.
(author)
-
Prerequisites for coexistence: human pressure and refuge habitat availability shape continental‑scale habitat use patterns of a large carnivore
- 2023
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 38, s. 1713–1728-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- ContextAdjustments in habitat use by large carnivores can be a key factor facilitating their coexistence with people in shared landscapes. Landscape composition might be a key factor determining how large carnivores can adapt to occurring alongside humans, yet broad-scale analyses investigating adjustments of habitat use across large gradients of human pressure and landscape composition are lacking.ObjectivesHere, we investigate adjustments in habitat use by Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in response to varying availability of refuge habitats (i.e., forests and rugged terrain) and human landscape modification.MethodsUsing a large tracking dataset including 434 individuals from seven populations, we assess functional responses in lynx habitat use across two spatial scales, testing for variation by sex, daytime, and season.ResultsWe found that lynx use refuge habitats more intensively with increasing landscape modification across spatial scales, selecting forests most strongly in otherwise open landscapes and rugged terrain in mountainous regions. Moreover, higher forest availability enabled lynx to place their home ranges in more human-modified landscapes. Human pressure and refuge habitat availability also shaped temporal patterns of lynx habitat use, with lynx increasing refuge habitat use and reducing their use of human-modified areas during periods of high exposure (daytime) or high vulnerability (postnatal period) to human pressure.ConclusionsOur findings suggest a remarkable adaptive capacity of lynx towards human pressure and underline the importance of refuge habitats across scales for enabling coexistence between large carnivores and people. More broadly, we highlight that the composition of landscapes determines how large carnivores can adapt to human pressure and thus play an important role shaping large carnivore habitat use and distributions.
|
|
| 5. |
- Angelstam, Mattias
(author)
-
Landscape concepts and approaches foster learning about ecosystem services
- 2019
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 34, s. 1445-1460
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The ecosystem services framework aims to encourage ecological sustainability through political-economic decisions. However, it fails to capture the complexity of social-ecological interactions. This is an obstacle for coping with current grand challenges through integrative knowledge production and collaborative learning. Landscape concepts and approaches, which emphasize human-environment interactions, governance and stewardship, can help overcome this obstacle. In particular, landscape concepts and approaches can help resolve the integrative and operational gaps encountered in the ecosystem services framework as a means of communicating evidence-based knowledge about the state and trends of ecosystems. The goal of this Special Issue is to address how different interpretations of landscape can support knowledge production about ES, and how applying landscape approaches on the ground can encourage more collaborative and sustainable land management alternatives. The effectiveness of the ecosystem services framework can be improved by (1) the use of landscape concepts to build bridges to different disciplines, arts and practice, as well as to build SMART sustainability indicators, and (2) the application of holistic landscape approaches for place-based knowledge co-production and collaborative learning across multiple governance levels. This forms the base for a research infrastructure integrating methods from the natural and social sciences through macroecology, comparative politics, and regional studies. While place-based research using landscape concepts can help develop more sustainable alternatives for land management, scaling up landscape approach initiatives towards landscape stewardship and fostering collaborations among initiatives are paramount challenges.
|
|
| 6. |
- Angelstam, Mattias
(author)
-
Stakeholders' views on sustaining honey bee health and beekeeping: the roles of ecological and social system drivers
- 2021
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 36, s. 763-783
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context Honey bees provide multiple ecosystem services. Comparisons of coupled social-ecological systems (SES) can improve the understanding of the factors affecting honey bees and beekeeping. Objectives Stressing the need for SES analyses, we explore beekeepers' perceived factors affecting bees and beekeeping, test the hypothesis that honey bee colony losses are associated to agricultural land use intensity, and discuss the role of beekeeping for rural development. Methods We used as a case study the steep gradient in SES in Ukraine's Chernivtsi region with three strata: (i) traditional villages, (ii) intermediate and (iii) intensive agriculture. In each stratum, we analysed the social system using five open-ended focus groups. Regarding the ecological system, we analysed data about winter loss rate of honey bee colonies, number of colonies per beekeeper, the average amount of supplemental feeding, and proportion of beekeepers treating against Varroa mite. Results Thirty-three themes were extracted, of which 73% concerned the social system at multiple levels of governance. The number of themes increased from the traditional stratum with higher winter colony losses to the intensive agriculture stratum with lower losses. This does not support the hypothesis that the intensive agriculture per se affect honey bees negatively. Conclusions Social system factors dominate over ecological factors, and interact across scales. This requires systems analyses of honey bees and beekeeping. We see beekeeping as a social innovation enhancing stakeholders' navigation in social systems, thus supporting rural development in countries in transition like Ukraine.
|
|
| 7. |
- Angelstam, Per
(author)
-
Assessing levels, trade-offs and synergies of landscape services in the Iranian province of Qazvin: towards sustainable landscapes
- 2022
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 37, s. 305-327
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context Evidence-based knowledge is crucial for place-based knowledge production and learning towards sustainable landscapes through stewardship and integrated spatial planning. Objectives We focus on the landscape service concept as a tool, and three fundamental challenges for its use: (1) how to monitor benefits provided by different landscapes; (2) to demonstrate trade-offs and synergies among benefits in a landscape; and (3) to discuss how to incorporate results from analyses into landscape stewardship and planning. Methods As a case study we chose the Iranian Qazvin province with diverse natural and anthropogenic landscapes, and top-down societal steering. Five landscape services (water yield, water regulation, pollination, actual net primary production (NPPact) and social-cultural connectivity) were assessed and compared. Results All landscape services were significantly correlated. Major trade-offs and synergies among services were between NPPact and water yield and regulation. Trade-off and synergy clusters showed that landscape functions depend on both natural and anthropogenic landscape patterns and processes. Conclusions Providing transparent data about trade-offs and synergies among landscape services can facilitate learning about which services are important among landscapes. For each of six settings we suggest action plans. We discuss the role of Iranian landscape stewardship and planning, and integrative research needs.
|
|
| 8. |
- Angelstam, Per, et al.
(author)
-
LTSER platforms as a place-based transdisciplinary research infrastructure: learning landscape approach through evaluation
- 2019
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 34, s. 1461-1484
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context Place-based transdisciplinary research involves multiple academic disciplines and non-academic actors. Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research (LTSER) platform is one concept with similar to 80 initiatives globally.Objectives As an exercise in learning through evaluation we audited (1) the siting, construction and maintenance of individual LTSER platforms, and (2) them as a distributed infrastructure for place-based transdisciplinary research with focus on the European continent.MethodsFirst, we defined a normative model for ideal performance at both platform and network levels. Second, four surveys were sent out to the 67 self-reported LTSER platforms officially listed at the end of 2016. Third, with a focus on the network level, we analyzed the spatial distribution of both long-term ecological monitoring sites within LTSER platforms, and LTSER platforms across the European continent. Fourth, narrative biographies of 18 platforms in different stages of development were analyzed.ResultsWhile the siting of LTSER platforms represented biogeographical regions well, variations in land use history and democratic governance were not well represented. Platform construction was based on 2.1 ecological monitoring sites, with 72% ecosystem and 28% social system research. Maintenance of a platform required three to five staff members, focused mostly on ecosystem research, was based mainly on national funding, and had 1-2years of future funding secured. Networking with other landscape approach concepts was common.ConclusionsIndividually, and as a network, LTSER platforms have good potential for transdisciplinary knowledge production and learning about sustainability challenges. To improve the range of variation of Pan-European social-ecological systems we encourage interfacing with other landscape approach concepts.
|
|
| 9. |
- Angelstam, Per, et al.
(author)
-
Maintaining natural and traditional cultural green infrastructures across Europe: learning from historic and current landscape transformations
- 2021
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Publishing Company. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 36:2, s. 637-663
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context Maintaining functional green infrastructures (GIs) require evidence-based knowledge about historic and current states and trends of representative land cover types. Objectives We address: (1) the long-term loss and transformation of potential natural forest vegetation; (2) the effects of site productivity on permanent forest loss and emergence of traditional cultural landscapes; (3) the current management intensity; and (4) the social-ecological contexts conducive to GI maintenance . Methods We selected 16 case study regions, each with a local hotspot landscape, ranging from intact forest landscapes, via contiguous and fragmented forest covers, to severe forest loss. Quantitative open access data were used to estimate (i) the historic change and (ii) transformation of land covers, and (iii) compare the forest canopy loss from 2000 to 2018. Qualitative narratives about each hotspot landscape were analysed for similarities (iv). Results While the potential natural forest vegetation cover in the 16 case study regions had a mean of 86%, historically it has been reduced to 34%. Higher site productivity coincided with transformation to non-forest land covers. The mean annual forest canopy loss for 2000-2018 ranged from 0.01 to 1.08%. The 16 case studies represented five distinct social-ecological contexts (1) radical transformation of landscapes, (2) abuse of protected area concepts, (3) ancient cultural landscapes (4) multi-functional forests, and (5) intensive even-aged forest management, of which 1 and 4 was most common. Conclusions GIs encompass both forest naturalness and traditional cultural landscapes. Our review of Pan-European regions and landscapes revealed similarities in seemingly different contexts, which can support knowledge production and learning about how to sustain GIs.
|
|
| 10. |
- Angelstam, Per
(author)
-
Multi-scale mapping of cultural ecosystem services in a socio-ecological landscape: A case study of the international Wadden Sea Region
- 2019
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 34, s. 1751-1768
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- ContextThe governance of international natural World Heritage sites is extremely challenging. In the search for effective multilevel governance there is a need to identify the community of people which have place attachment to the areas, i.e. the community of fans' at local to international levels.ObjectivesFocusing on the landscape of the international Wadden Sea coastal area in the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark as a case study, we address three key questions: What is the spatial distribution of the community of fans? How does the size of this community relate to the overlapping communities of locals and actual visitors to the Wadden Sea coastal area? Which parts of the Wadden Sea coastal area are most appreciated by the community of fans, and how does this relate to its formal protection status?MethodsWe analysed 7650 respondents' answers to a tri-lateral web survey (the standardized Greenmapper survey) conducted in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands.ResultsWe estimated that 14 million German, Dutch and Danish citizens can be regarded as the potential-national level-community of fans. The correlation between place or landscape attachment and distance was varied among the three countries. Furthermore, only 37% of the markers placed by fans of the Wadden Sea coastal area are within the protected UNESCO World Heritage limits, suggesting that a broader demarcation could be possible.ConclusionsWe discuss how the identification of fans can potentially contribute to more effective public involvement in the governance of valuable landscapes.
|
|
| 11. |
- Asplund, Maria. E., 1970, et al.
(author)
-
Dynamics and fate of blue carbon in a mangrove-seagrass seascape : influence of landscape configuration and land-use change
- 2021
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 36, s. 1489-1509
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context Seagrass meadows act as efficient natural carbon sinks by sequestering atmospheric CO2 and through trapping of allochthonous organic material, thereby preserving organic carbon (C-org) in their sediments. Less understood is the influence of landscape configuration and transformation (land-use change) on carbon sequestration dynamics in coastal seascapes across the land-sea interface. Objectives We explored the influence of landscape configuration and degradation of adjacent mangroves on the dynamics and fate of C-org in seagrass habitats. Methods Through predictive modelling, we assessed sedimentary C-org content, stocks and source composition in multiple seascapes (km-wide buffer zones) dominated by different seagrass communities in northwest Madagascar. The study area encompassed seagrass meadows adjacent to intact and deforested mangroves. Results The sedimentary C-org content was influenced by a combination of landscape metrics and inherent habitat plant- and sediment-properties. We found a strong land-to-sea gradient, likely driven by hydrodynamic forces, generating distinct patterns in sedimentary C-org levels in seagrass seascapes. There was higher C-org content and a mangrove signal in seagrass surface sediments closer to the deforested mangrove area, possibly due to an escalated export of C-org from deforested mangrove soils. Seascapes comprising large continuous seagrass meadows had higher sedimentary C-org levels in comparison to more diverse and patchy seascapes. Conclusion Our results emphasize the benefit to consider the influence of seascape configuration and connectivity to accurately assess C-org content in coastal habitats. Understanding spatial patterns of variability and what is driving the observed patterns is useful for identifying carbon sink hotspots and develop management prioritizations.
|
|
| 12. |
- Baggio, J. A., et al.
(author)
-
Landscape connectivity and predator-prey population dynamics
- 2011
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 26:1, s. 33-45
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Landscapes are increasingly fragmented, and conservation programs have started to look at network approaches for maintaining populations at a larger scale. We present an agent-based model of predator–prey dynamics where the agents (i.e. the individuals of either the predator or prey population) are able to move between different patches in a landscaped network. We then analyze population level and coexistence probability given node-centrality measures that characterize specific patches. We show that both predator and prey species benefit from living in globally well-connected patches (i.e. with high closeness centrality). However, the maximum number of prey species is reached, on average, at lower closeness centrality levels than for predator species. Hence, prey species benefit from constraints imposed on species movement in fragmented landscapes since they can reproduce with a lesser risk of predation, and their need for using anti-predatory strategies decreases.
|
|
| 13. |
- Beche, Dinkissa, et al.
(author)
-
Spatial variation in human disturbances and their effects on forest structure and biodiversity across an Afromontane forest
- 2022
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 37:2, s. 493-510
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context Human disturbances can have large impacts on forest structure and biodiversity, and thereby result in forest degradation, a property difficult to detect by remote sensing.Objectives To investigate spatial variation in anthropogenic disturbances and their effects on forest structure and biodiversity.Methods In 144 plots of 20 x 20 m distributed across a forest area of 750 km2 in Southwest Ethiopia, we recorded: landscape variables (e.g., distance to forest edge), different human disturbances, forest structure variables, and species composition of trees and epiphyllous bryophytes. We then first assessed if landscape variables could explain the spatial distribution of disturbances. Second, we analysed how forest structure and biodiversity were influenced by disturbances.Results Human disturbances, such as coffee management and grazing declined with distance to forest edges, and penetrated at least a kilometer into the forest. Slope was not related to disturbance levels, but several types of disturbances were less common at higher elevations. Among human disturbance types, coffee management reduced liana cover and was associated with altered species composition of trees. The presence of large trees and basal area were not related to any of the disturbance gradients.Conclusions Although most anthropogenic disturbances displayed clear edge effects, surprisingly the variation in the chosen forest degradation indices were only weakly related to these disturbances. We suggest that the intersection between edge effects and forest degradation is very context specific and relies much on how particular societies use the forests. For example, in this landscape coffee management seems to be a key driver.
|
|
| 14. |
- Bengtsson, Jan
(author)
-
Organic farming affects the biological control of hemipteran pests and yields in spring barley independent of landscape complexity
- 2016
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 31, s. 567-579
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context Hemipteran pests cause significant yield losses in European cereal fields. It has been suggested that local management interventions to promote natural enemies are most successful in simple landscapes that are dominated by large arable fields.Objectives We study how farming category (conventional, new and old organic fields) and landscape complexity affect pests, natural enemies and biological control services in spring barley. We further analyse if yields are related to pest infestation or biological control services.Methods The amount of pasture and the length of field borders were used to define landscape complexity around barley fields in Southern Sweden. Arthropods were sampled with an insect suction sampler and predation and parasitism services were estimated by field observations and inspections of pest individuals.Results Pest infestation was affected by landscape complexity, with higher aphid, but lower leafhopper numbers in more complex landscapes. Aphid predation was higher under organic farming and affected by effects on predator abundance and community composition independent of landscape complexity. Auchenorrhyncha parasitism was neither significantly affected by landscape complexity nor by farming category. Higher aphid predation rates and lower aphid densities were characteristic for organically managed fields with higher barley yields.Conclusions Our results suggest that it is possible to increase both aphid biological control services and barley yield via local management effects on predator communities independent of landscape complexity. However, the success of such management practices is highly dependent on the pest and natural enemy taxa and the nature of the trophic interaction.
|
|
| 15. |
- Berggren, Åsa
(author)
-
Effect of landscape and population variables on immune response in experimentally introduced bush-cricket populations
- 2009
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 24, s. 749-757
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Despite the growing interest in relationships between ecological variables and individual immune function, few empirical data have been available from wild populations. In this study, I assayed the immune response from 370 wild-caught bush-crickets, Metrioptera roeseli, from 20 experimentally introduced populations, by measuring individual encapsulation responses to a surgically implanted nylon monofilament. Bush-crickets descended from populations introduced into larger habitat patches showed a greater immune response when compared to individuals from smaller habitat-area introductions. Also, there was a significant positive correlation between immune response and the amount of linear elements at the introduction site. However, there was a lack of effect of population variables (i.e., propagule size and rate of population growth) on immune response. These results suggest that large-scale environmental parameters, such as patch size and connectivity, can be important for an individual's physiological health and its ability to defend against disease-causing agents. Such effects are likely to compound the negative impacts associated with isolation of sub-populations and habitat fragmentation.
|
|
| 16. |
- Bergman, Karl-Olof, et al.
(author)
-
Butterflies in Swedish grasslands benefit from forest and respond to landscape composition at different spatial scales
- 2018
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : SPRINGER. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 33:12, s. 2189-2204
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- ContextLoss and fragmentation of semi-natural grasslands has critically affected many butterfly species in Europe. Habitat area and isolation can have strong effects on the local biodiversity but species may also be strongly affected by the surrounding matrix.ObjectivesWe explored how different land cover types in the landscape explained the occurrence of butterfly species in semi-natural grasslands.MethodsUsing data from 476 semi-natural grasslands in Sweden, we analysed the effect of matrix composition on species richness and occurrence. Additionally, we analysed at which spatial scales butterflies responded to matrix types (forests, semi-natural grasslands, arable land and water).ResultsForest cover showed the strongest positive effect on species richness, followed by semi-natural grasslands. Forest also had a positive effect on red-listed species at local scales. Responses to matrix composition were highly species-specific. The majority of the 30most common species showed strong positive responses to the amount of forest cover within 200-500m. There was a smaller group of species showing a positive response to arable land cover within 500-2000m. Thirteen species showed positive responses to the amount of semi-natural grasslands, generally at larger scales (10-30km).ConclusionsOur study showed that surrounding forest is beneficial for many grassland butterfly species and that forests might mitigate the negative effects of habitat loss caused by agricultural intensification. Also, semi-natural grasslands were an important factor for species richness at larger spatial scales, indicating that a landscape consisting mainly of supporting habitats (i.e. forests) are insufficient to sustain a rich butterfly fauna.
|
|
| 17. |
- Bonnot, Nadège
(author)
-
Temporal shifts in landscape connectivity for an ecosystem engineer, the roe deer, across a multiple-use landscape
- 2018
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 33, s. 937-954
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Routine movements of large herbivores, often considered as ecosystem engineers, impact key ecological processes. Functional landscape connectivity for such species influences the spatial distribution of associated ecological services and disservices.We studied how spatio-temporal variation in the risk-resource trade-off, generated by fluctuations in human activities and environmental conditions, influences the routine movements of roe deer across a heterogeneous landscape, generating shifts in functional connectivity at daily and seasonal time scales.We used GPS locations of 172 adult roe deer and step selection functions to infer landscape connectivity. In particular, we assessed the influence of six habitat features on fine scale movements across four biological seasons and three daily periods, based on variations in the risk-resource trade-off.The influence of habitat features on roe deer movements was strongly dependent on proximity to refuge habitat, i.e. woodlands. Roe deer confined their movements to safe habitats during daytime and during the hunting season, when human activity is high. However, they exploited exposed open habitats more freely during night-time. Consequently, we observed marked temporal shifts in landscape connectivity, which was highest at night in summer and lowest during daytime in autumn. In particular, the onset of the autumn hunting season induced an abrupt decrease in landscape connectivity.Human disturbance had a strong impact on roe deer movements, generating pronounced spatio-temporal variation in landscape connectivity. However, high connectivity at night across all seasons implies that Europe's most abundant and widespread large herbivore potentially plays a key role in transporting ticks, seeds and nutrients among habitats.
|
|
| 18. |
- Brady, Mark, et al.
(author)
-
An agent-based approach to modeling impacts of agricultural policy on land use, biodiversity and ecosystem services
- 2012
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1572-9761 .- 0921-2973. ; 27:9, s. 1363-1381
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present extensions to the agent-based agricultural policy simulator (AgriPoliS) model that make it possible to simulate the consequences of agricultural policy reform on farmers' land use decisions and concomitant impacts on landscape mosaic, biodiversity and ecosystem services in a real agricultural region. An observed population of farms is modelled as a multi-agent system where individual farm-agent behaviour and their interactions-principally competition for land-are defined through an optimization framework with land use and landscape impacts resulting as emergent properties of the system. The model is calibrated to real data on the farms and the landscape to be studied. We illustrate the utility of the model by evaluating the potential impacts of three alternative frameworks for the European Union Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on landscape values in two marginal agricultural regions. Mosaic value was found to be sensitive to the choice of policy scheme in one of the landscapes, whereas significant trade-offs were shown to occur in terms of species richness by habitat and species composition at the landscape scale in both regions. The relationship between food production and other ecosystem services was found to be multifaceted. Thus illustrating the difficulty of achieving landscape goals in a particular region with simple or general land management rules (such as the current rules attached to CAPs direct payments). Given the scarcity of funding for conservation, the level and conditions for allocating direct payments are, potentially, of great importance for preserving landscape values in marginal agricultural regions (subject to levels of other support).
|
|
| 19. |
- Brandão Niebuhr Dos Santos, Bernardo
(author)
-
Dispersal movement through fragmented landscapes: the role of stepping stones and perceptual range
- 2021
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 36, s. 3249-3267
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context Dispersal is a crucial process for species persistence under natural and disturbed landscapes. The effectiveness of stepping stones as a connectivity strategy for increasing dispersal success depends on landscape structure and animal behaviour, such as the perceptual range. Objectives We quantify the relative contribution of stepping stones (small fragments and scattered trees) to dispersal success considering interactions with perceptual range, habitat amount and configuration. Methods We develop an individual-based model (IBM) to simulate the dispersal movement of small mammals. The model is parametrized using empirical estimates of perceptual range and movement properties (turning angles and steps length). Simulations are implemented in landscapes with varying gradients of habitat amount and clumpiness, with and without the presence of stepping stones. Results Small patches and scattered trees combined, or only scattered trees, have a positive effect on dispersal. Meanwhile, the presence of only small patches has negative effects on dispersal. Habitat amount positively influences dispersal, which decreases abruptly when the habitat amount is less than 20%. This threshold disappears in the presence of stepping stones. In landscapes with intermediate levels of habitat amount, landscape fragmentation (low clumpiness) has a positive effect on dispersal success. Conclusions Stepping stones, especially scattered trees, are a fundamental connectivity strategy for the conservation of small non-flying vertebrates in human-modified landscapes, particularly landscapes with less than 20% of habitat amount. However, small patches stepping stones may act as ecological traps leading the individuals to dead-ends. Their effectiveness in improving dispersal depends on both landscape structure and perceptual range.
|
|
| 20. |
- Bunce, R. G. H., et al.
(author)
-
A standardized procedure for surveillance and monitoring European habitats and provision of spatial data
- 2008
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 23, s. 11-25
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Both science and policy require a practical, transmissible, and reproducible procedure for surveillance and monitoring of European habitats, which can produce statistics integrated at the landscape level. Over the last 30 years, landscape ecology has developed rapidly, and many studies now require spatial data on habitats. Without rigorous rules, changes from baseline records cannot be separated reliably from background noise. A procedure is described that satisfies these requirements and can provide consistent data for Europe, to support a range of policy initiatives and scientific projects. The methodology is based on classical plant life forms, used in biogeography since the nineteenth century, and on their statistical correlation with the primary environmental gradient. Further categories can therefore be identified for other continents to assist large scale comparisons and modelling. The model has been validated statistically and the recording procedure tested in the field throughout Europe. A total of 130 General Habitat Categories (GHCs) is defined. These are enhanced by recording environmental, site and management qualifiers to enable flexible database interrogation. The same categories are applied to areal, linear and point features to assist recording and subsequent interpretation at the landscape level. The distribution and change of landscape ecological parameters, such as connectivity and fragmentation, can then be derived and their significance interpreted.
|
|
| 21. |
- Burgi, Matthias, et al.
(author)
-
Processes and driving forces in changing cultural landscapes across Europe
- 2017
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 32:11, s. 2097-2112
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- ContextCultural landscapes evolve over time. However, the rate and direction of change might not be in line with societal needs and more information on the forces driving these changes are therefore needed.ObjectivesFilling the gap between single case studies and meta-analyses, we present a comparative study of landscape changes and their driving forces based in six regions across Europe conducted using a consistent method.MethodsA LULC analysis based on historical and contemporary maps from the nineteenth and twentieth century was combined with oral history interviews to learn more about perceived landscape changes, and remembered driving forces. Land cover and landscape changes were analysed regarding change, conversions and processes. For all case study areas, narratives on mapped land cover change, perceived landscape changes and driving forces were compiled.ResultsDespite a very high diversity in extent, direction and rates of change, a few dominant processes and widespread factors driving the changes could be identified in the six case study areas, i.e. access and infrastructure, political shifts, labor market, technological innovations, and for the more recent period climate change.ConclusionsGrasping peoples’ perception supplements the analyses of mapped land use and land cover changes and allows to address perceived landscape changes. The list of driving forces determined to be most relevant shows clear limits in predictability: Whereas changes triggered by infrastructural developments might be comparatively easy to model, political developments cannot be foreseen but might, nevertheless, leave major marks in the landscape.
|
|
| 22. |
- Christensen, Pernilla, et al.
(author)
-
Habitat preference of Clethrionomys rufocanus in boreal Sweden
- 2006
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - The Hague : SPB Academic Publ.. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 21:2, s. 185-194
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A long-term decline of vole populations in boreal Sweden, especially of the grey-sided vole (Clethrionomysrufocanus Sund.), has been revealed by snap-trapping in 1971–2004. We identified important habitats forthe grey-sided vole by mapping the distribution of cumulated number of reproductive females in 1971–1978, prior to the major decline in the 1980s. Mean abundance of C. rufocanus was higher in the western(inland) than eastern (coastland) part of the study area. As the inland appeared to represent the most, as faras we know, pristine, abundant part of the population, we based identification of high quality habitats oninland data only. Four habitats were more important than others and yielded nearly 86% of the reproductivefemales in spring: (1) forests of dry, (2) moist and (3) wet/hydric dwarf-shrub type, in addition to (4)forest/swamp complexes rich in dwarf-shrubs. The latter three habitats were used more frequently thanexpected from their occurrence in the landscape. Still, the variation in density of reproductive femaleswithin patches of the same habitat was frequently high. This suggested that habitat composition in thesurrounding landscape, perhaps may have affected local vole density at the patch scale. Clear-cut samplingplots appeared to be low-frequently used by reproductive females, but also by males and immatures. Inconclusion, our study indicated the importance of also studying habitat at a larger scale than that of thepatch to get a deeper understanding on how habitat influences local and regional densities and populationdynamics of C. rufocanus.
|
|
| 23. |
- Clark, Kyle H., et al.
(author)
-
Introducing urban food forestry: a multifunctional approach to increase food security and provide ecosystem services
- 2013
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1572-9761 .- 0921-2973. ; 28:9, s. 1649-1669
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We examine the potential role of perennial woody food-producing species ("food trees") in cities in the context of urban sustainable development and propose a multifunctional approach that combines elements of urban agriculture, urban forestry, and agroforestry into what we call "urban food forestry" (UFF). We used four approaches at different scales to gauge the potential of UFF to enhance urban sustainability and contribute to food security in the context of urbanization and climate change. First, we identified 37 current initiatives based around urban food trees, and analyzed their activities in three categories: planting, mapping, and harvesting, finding that the majority (73 %) only performed one activity, and only 8 % performed all three. Second, we analyzed 30 urban forestry master plans, finding that only 13 % included human food security among their objectives, while 77 % included habitat for wildlife. Third, we used Burlington, Vermont as a case study to quantify the potential fruit yield of publicly accessible open space if planted with Malus domestica (the common apple) under nine different planting and yield scenarios. We found that 108 % of the daily recommended minimum intake of fruit for the entire city's population could be met under the most ambitious planting scenario, with substantial potential to contribute to food security even under more modest scenarios. Finally, we developed a Climate-Food-Species Matrix of potential food trees appropriate for temperate urban environments as a decision-making tool. We identified a total of 70 species, 30 of which we deemed "highly suitable" for urban food forestry based on their cold hardiness, drought tolerance, and edibility. We conclude that substantial untapped potential exists for urban food forestry to contribute to urban sustainability via increased food security and landscape multifunctionality.
|
|
| 24. |
- Cousins, Sara A. O.
(author)
-
Analysis of land-cover transitions based on 17th and 18th century cadastral maps and aerial photographs
- 2001
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 16:1, s. 41-54
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper explores the possibility of using non-geometric cadastral maps from the 17th and 18th century together with aerial photographs from 1945 and 1981 to analyse land-cover change in south-east Sweden. Habitats rich in plant species in the European rural landscape seem to be correlated with a long continuity of management. Accurate spatial data from historical data sources are fundamental to understand patterns of vegetation and biodiversity in the present-day landscape. However, traditional methods for rectification of non-geometric maps using corresponding points from orthophotos or modern maps are not satisfying, as internal inaccuracies will remain in the maps. This study presents a method to rectify the maps by local warping, thereby eliminating geometrical irregularities. Further, the land-cover changes were calculated and presented as transition matrices. The extent of arable fields and grasslands were analysed in relation to soil characteristics and continuity of management. The results show a dynamic relation between grassland and arable field, albeit the overall proportions remained almost the same between 17th and 18th centuries: 60% grassland to 32% arable field. The most substantial changes in land-cover were prior to 1945. Today there is 18% grasslands left in the study area, while 56% of the land-cover is arable field. Approximately 8% of present-day land-cover is semi-natural grassland 300 years of age or more. Compared to 300 years ago there is only 1% grassland left on peat and 2% on clay. In contrast, grassland covers associated with bare bedrock have been fairly stable in size. All semi-natural grasslands with a long continuity of management were situated on shallow soils, less than 50 cm depth. The major conclusions from this study are that (i) correctly rectified, old maps are very useful to address questions of land-cover changes in historical time, (ii) general trends in land use over 300 years in this hemi-boreal landscape seem to underestimate the full dynamics of land use change, and (iii) only a small proportion of the semi-natural grassland area had a 300 year continuity of management.
|
|
| 25. |
- Cousins, Sara A. O., et al.
(author)
-
Effects of historical and present fragmentation on plant species diversity in semi-natural grasslands in Swedish rural landscapes.
- 2007
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 22:5, s. 723-730
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Habitat loss and fragmentation of natural and semi-natural habitats are considered as major threats to plant species richness. Recently several studies have pinpointed the need to analyse past landscape patterns to understand effects of fragmentation, as the response to landscape change may be slow in many organisms, plants in particular. We compared species richness in continuously grazed and abandoned grasslands in different commonplace rural landscapes in Sweden, and analysed effects of isolation and area in three time-steps (100 and 50 years ago and today). Old cadastral maps and aerial photographs were used to analyse past and present landscape patterns in 25 sites. Two plant diversity measures were investigated; total species richness and species density. During the last 100 years grassland area and connectivity have been reduced by about 90%. Present-day habitat area was positively related to total species richness in both habitats. There was also a relationship to habitat area 50 years ago for continuously grazed grasslands. Only present management was related to species density: continuously grazed grasslands had the highest species density. There were no relationships between grassland connectivity, present or past, and any diversity measure. We conclude that landscape history is not directly important for present-day plant diversity patterns in ordinary landscapes, although past grassland management is a prerequisite for the grassland habitats that can be found there today. It is important that studies are conducted, not only in very diverse landscapes, but also in managed landscapes in order to assess the effects of fragmentation on species.
|
|
| 26. |
- Cousins, Sara A. O., et al.
(author)
-
Modelling the effects of landscape pattern and grazing regimes on the persistence of plant species with high conservation value in grasslands in south-eastern Sweden
- 2003
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 18:3, s. 315-332
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Semi-natural grasslands in Sweden are threatened by land-use change and lack of management with attendant risk to their biodiversity. We present a model to explore the effects of grazing frequency and intensity on plant species persistence, and the relative effects of grassland size and pattern. We used a landscape modelling platform, LAMOS (LAndscape MOdelling Shell), to design a landscape model of vegetation dynamics incorporating the effects of local succession, dispersal and grazing disturbance. Five plant functional groups (PFG), representing various combinations of persistence and dispersal character, light requirements and disturbance responses, were defined to model species dynamics. Based on old cadastral maps three different landscapes were designed representing specific time-layers, i.e., a historical (17th to 18th century), a pre-modern (1940s) and a present-day landscape. Simulations showed that a threshold was crossed when grasslands decreased in area to about 10 - 30% of the modelled area, and as a consequence the biomass of grassland-specific PFGs was strongly reduced. These competition sensitive groups did not persist in the model even with intense grazing in the present-day landscape, where grasslands occupy 11% of the total area. However, all grassland species would have been able to persist in the historical landscape, where grasslands occupied 59% of the total area, even without grazing. Our results suggest that continuous but low-intensity grazing is more positive for grassland PFGs than discontinuous but highly intensive grazing. This effect was particularly strong when the frequency and/or intensity of grazing dropped below a threshold of 20%. Simulations using three landscape maps designed to explore effects of further fragmentation and habitat loss showed that the spatial pattern of remaining grasslands is important for the persistence of grassland-specific PFG. The model presented here is an advance towards more realistic grazing models to explore the effects of prescribed grazing and landscape fragmentation on the persistence species or plant functional groups.
|
|
| 27. |
- Cousins, Sara A. O., et al.
(author)
-
The influence of management history and habitat on plant species richness in a rural hemiboreal landscape, Sweden
- 2002
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 17:6, s. 517-529
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We explored patterns of plant species richness at different spatial scales in 14 habitats in a Swedish rural landscape. Effects of physical conditions, and relationships between species richness and management history reaching back to the 17 (th) century were examined, using old cadastral maps and aerial photographs. The most species-rich habitats were dry open semi- natural grasslands, midfield islets and road verges. Alpha diversity (species richness within sites) was highest in habitats on dry substrates (excluding bedrock with sparse pines) and beta diversity (species richness among sites) was highest in moist to wet habitats. Alpha and beta components of species richness tended to be inversely related among habitats with similar species richness. Management history influenced diversity patterns. Areas managed as grasslands in the 17 th and 18 th century harboured more species than areas outside the villages. We also found significant relationships between species richness and soil type. Silt proved to be the most species- rich topsoil (10- 20 cm) in addition to thin soils top of on green- or limestone bedrock. The variation in species richness due to local relief or form of the site also showed significant relationships, where flat surfaces had the highest number of species. In contrast, no significant relationship was found between species richness and aspect. Our study suggests that present- day diversity patterns are much influenced by management history, and that small habitat, e. g., road verges and midfield islets, are important for maintaining species richness.
|
|
| 28. |
- Cumming, Graeme S., et al.
(author)
-
Resilience, experimentation, and scale mismatches in social-ecological landscapes
- 2013
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 28:6, s. 1139-1150
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Growing a resilient landscape depends heavily on finding an appropriate match between the scales of demands on ecosystems by human societies and the scales at which ecosystems are capable of meeting these demands. While the dynamics of environmental change and ecosystem service provision form the basis of many landscape ecology studies, enhancing landscape resilience is, in many ways, a problem of establishing relevant institutions that act at appropriate scales to modify and moderate demand for ecosystem services and the resulting exploitation of ecosystems. It is also of central importance for landscape sustainability that institutions are flexible enough to adapt to changes in the external environment. The model provided by natural ecosystems suggests that it is only by encouraging and testing a diversity of approaches that we will be able to build landscapes that are resilient to future change. We advocate an approach to landscape planning that involves growing learning institutions on the one hand, and on the other, developing solutions to current problems through deliberate experimentation coupled with social learning processes.
|
|
| 29. |
- De Smedt, Pallieter, et al.
(author)
-
Linking macrodetritivore distribution to desiccation resistance in small forest fragments embedded in agricultural landscapes in Europe
- 2018
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 33:3, s. 407-421
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Most of the agricultural landscape in Europe, and elsewhere, consists of mosaics with scattered fragments of semi-natural habitat like small forest fragments. Mutual interactions between forest fragments and agricultural areas influence ecosystem processes such as nutrient cycling, a process strongly mediated by the macrodetritivore community, which is however, poorly studied. We investigated macrodetritivore distribution patterns at local and landscape-level and used a key functional trait (desiccation resistance) to gain mechanistic insights of the putative drivers.
|
|
| 30. |
- Dorresteijn, Ine, et al.
(author)
-
Disaggregating ecosystem services and disservices in the cultural landscapes of southwestern Ethiopia : a study of rural perceptions
- 2017
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 32:11, s. 2151-2165
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cultural landscapes provide essential ecosystem services to local communities, especially in poor rural settings. However, potentially negative impacts of ecosystems-or disservices-remain inadequately understood. Similarly, how benefit-cost outcomes differ within communities is unclear, but potentially important for cultural landscape management. Here we investigated whether distinct forest ecosystem service-disservice outcomes emerge within local communities. We aimed to characterize groups of community members according to service-disservice outcomes, and assessed their attitudes towards the forest. We interviewed 150 rural households in southwestern Ethiopia about locally relevant ecosystem services (provisioning services) and disservices (wildlife impacts). Households were grouped based on their ecosystem service-disservice profiles through hierarchical clustering. We used linear models to assess differences between groups in geographic and socioeconomic characteristics, as well as attitudes toward the forest. We identified three groups with distinct ecosystem service-disservice profiles. Half of the households fell into a lose-lose profile (low benefits, high costs), while fewer had lose-escape (low benefits, low costs) and win-lose (high benefits, high costs) profiles. Location relative to forest and altitude explained differences between the lose-escape profile and other households. Socioeconomic factors were also important. Win-lose households appeared to be wealthier and had better forest use rights compared to lose-lose households. Attitudes towards the forest did not differ between profiles. Our study demonstrates the importance of disaggregating both ecosystem services and disservices, instead of assuming that communities receive benefits and costs homogenously. To manage cultural landscapes sustainably, such heterogeneity must be acknowledged and better understood.
|
|
| 31. |
- Ecke, Frauke, et al.
(author)
-
Identification of landscape elements related to local declines of a boreal grey-sided vole population
- 2006
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 21:4, s. 485-497
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Several studies indicate a long-term decline in numbers of different species of voles in northern Fennoscandia. In boreal Sweden, the long-term decline is most pronounced in the grey-sided vole (Clethrionomys rufocanus). Altered forest landscape structure has been suggested as a possible cause of the decline. However, habitat responses of grey-sided voles at the landscape scale have never been studied. We analyzed such responses of this species in lowland forests in Västerbotten, northern Sweden. Cumulated spring densities representing 22 local time series from 1980-1999 were obtained by a landscape sampling design and were related to the surrounding landscape structure of 2.5×2.5 km plots centred on each of the 22 1-ha trapping plots. In accordance with general knowledge on local habitat preferences of grey-sided voles, our study supported the importance of habitat variables such as boulder fields and old-growth pine forest at the landscape scale. Densities were negatively related to clear cuts. Habitat associations were primarily those of landscape structure related to habitat fragmentation, distance between habitat patches and patch interspersion rather than habitat patch type quantity. Local densities of the grey-sided vole were positively and exponentially correlated with spatial contiguity (measured with the fragmentation index) of old-growth pine forest, indicating critical forest fragmentation thresholds. Our results indicate that altered land use might be involved in the long-term decline of the grey-sided vole in managed forest areas of Fennoscandia. We propose two further approaches to reveal and test responses of this species to changes in landscape structure.
|
|
| 32. |
- Ecke, Frauke, et al.
(author)
-
Landscape structure and the long-term decline of cyclic grey-sided voles in Fennoscandia
- 2010
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 25:4, s. 551-560
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Changes in forest landscape structure have been suggested as a likely contributing factor behind the long-term decline in the numbers of cyclic grey-sided voles (Clethrionomys rufocanus) in northern Fennoscandian lowland regions in contrast to mountain regions due to the absence of forest management in the mountains. This study, for the first time, formally explored landscape structure in 29 lowland (LF) and 14 mountain forest (MF) landscapes (each 2.5 x 2.5 km) in northern Sweden, and related the results to the cumulated spring trapping index of the grey-sided vole in 2002-2006. The grey-sided vole showed striking contrasts in dynamics close in space and time. The MF landscapes were characterized by larger patches and less fragmentation of preferred forest types. The grey-sided vole was trapped in all of 14 analyzed MF landscapes but only in three out of 29 of the LF landscapes. MF and LF landscapes with grey-sided vole occurrence were characterized by similar focal forest patch size (mean 357 ha, minimum 82 ha and mean 360 ha, minimum 79 ha, respectively). In contrast, these MF compared to the LF landscapes were characterized by larger patches of preferred forest types and less fragmented preferred forest types and by a lower proportion of clear-cut areas. The present results suggest that landscape structure is important for the abundance of grey-sided voles in both regions. However, in the mountains the change from more or less seasonal dynamics to high-amplitude cycles between the mid 1990s and 2000s cannot be explained by changes in landscape structure.
|
|
| 33. |
- Edenius, Lars, et al.
(author)
-
Landscape level effects of modern forestry on bird communities in North Swedish boreal forests
- 1996
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. - 0921-2973 ; 11:6, s. 325-338
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We address effects of large-scale forestry on landscape structure and the structure and composition of boreal bird communities in North Sweden. Specifically, we ask: after controlling for the effect of patch size, forest age and tree species composition, is there any residual effect attributable to the reduction in area of old forest? Pairs of landscape blocks (25 by 25 km) were selected to maximize area difference in human-induced disturbance, clear-cut as opposed to semi-natural old forest. Median distance to natural edge (wetlands, open water) from randomly selected points in forest was 250 and 200 m in high and low impact landscapes, respectively, indicating a high degree of 'natural' fragmentation of the pristine boreal landscape in the area. By contrast, median distance to clear-cut in uncut forest was 750 and 100 m, respectively. Clear-cuts in high impact landscapes were disproportionally more common in areas with contiguous forest land than in areas with spatially disjunct forest, implicating that forestry increases natural fragmentation of the landscape by subdividing larger forest tracts. Point counts along forestry roads showed that species richness and relative abundance of forest birds were higher in landscapes with low forestry impact. These differences can partly be explained by differences in age composition of forest and composition of tree species. After controlling for patch size, forest age and tree species composition, a significant effect of forestry impact remained for Sibirian species and the Tree pipit Anthus trivialis. Our results thus imply that this group of species and the Tree pipit may be sensitive to forest fragmentation. In contrast to previous Finnish studies, we found relatively small negative effects on relative abundance of species hypothesized to be negatively affected by large-scale clear-cutting forestry. However, our picture of the present does not contradict results from Finnish long-term population studies. Five factors may account for this: 1) clear-cut areas are not permanently transformed into other land use types, 2) planted forests are not completely inhabitable for species preferring older forest, 3) the majority of species in the regional pool are habitat generalists, 4) the region studied is still extensively covered with semi-natural forest, and 5) our study area is relatively close to contiguous boreal forest in Russia, a potential source area for taiga species.
|
|
| 34. |
- Ekblom, Anneli, 1969-, et al.
(author)
-
Hierarchy and scale : testing the long term role of water, grazing and nitrogen in the savanna landscape of Limpopo National Park (Mozambique)
- 2010
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 25:10, s. 1529-1546
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper compares vegetation dynamics at two sites in the savanna landscape of Limpopo National Park (PNL), Mozambique. In order to test the relationship between vegetation cover and hydrology, nutrient availability and disturbance from grazing and fire over the last 1,200 years at local (100 m2) scales, we use palaeoecological data (i.e. pollen assemblages, charcoal abundance, C/N ratio, stable isotopes and herbivore-associated spore abundance). Two pans governed by similar rainfall regimes (on average 600 mm/year) but different hydrologies are compared. Chixuludzi Pan is responsive to the Limpopo River and is more water rich than Radio Pan, which is situated in a dry landscape with little surface water. The analysis suggests that in savannas where water is scarce, the recruitment of woody taxa is constrained mainly by the availability of underground water. In the Radio Pan sequence, the present grassland savanna has been stable throughout the time studied. In contrast, the Chixuludzi Pan savanna landscape where local hydrology, due to the proximity of Limpopo River, allows for a higher water availability the relationship between grass-arboreal pollen suggests a greater variability in vegetation cover, and other factors such as grazing, herbivory and nitrogen availability are important as controlling mechanisms for woody cover. The historical depth of the analysis enables a sub-hierarchy of local scale process to be identified, in this case local hydrology. Local water availability is shown to override the effect of regional rainfall and, in turn, to control the influence of other local scale factors such as nutrients and grazing.
|
|
| 35. |
|
|
| 36. |
- Ekroos, Johan, et al.
(author)
-
Trait-dependent responses of flower-visiting insects to distance to semi-natural grasslands and landscape heterogeneity
- 2013
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1572-9761 .- 0921-2973. ; 28:7, s. 1283-1292
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Protecting semi-natural grasslands may through spill-over benefit species richness and abundance of flower-visiting insects in linear habitats, such as uncultivated field boundaries, in agricultural landscapes. However, whether local diversity increases both with decreasing distance from potential source habitats and increasing landscape heterogeneity is poorly known due to a general lack of studies replicated at the landscape scale. We analysed if local assemblages of bumblebees, butterflies and hoverflies in linear uncultivated habitats increased with increasing distance to the nearest semi-natural grassland in 12 replicated landscapes along a gradient of landscape heterogeneity in Scania, Southern Sweden. Species richness and abundance of bumblebees and butterflies, but not hoverflies, decreased with increasing distance to semi-natural grasslands, but none of these groups were related to increasing landscape heterogeneity. Further analyses on trait-specific groups revealed significant decreases in the abundance of sedentary and grassland specialist butterflies with increasing distance to assumed source populations, whereas this was not the case concerning mobile species and grassland generalists. The abundance of all bumblebee trait groups decreased with increasing distance to semi-natural grasslands, but only some species (those nesting above ground, with long colony cycles and with small colony sizes) also increased with increasing landscape heterogeneity. We conclude that local species assemblages of flower-visiting insects in linear habitat elements were mainly affected by the occurrence of nearby semi-natural grasslands. In order to conserve diverse assemblages of flower-visiting insects, including the ecological services they provide, it is important to conserve semi-natural grasslands dispersed throughout agricultural landscapes.
|
|
| 37. |
- Ekroos, Johan, et al.
(author)
-
Weak effects of farming practices corresponding to agricultural greening measures on farmland bird diversity in boreal landscapes
- 2019
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 34:2, s. 389-402
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context: The current Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union includes three greening measures, which are partly intended to benefit farmland biodiversity. However, the relative biodiversity effects of the greening measures, including joint effects of landscape context, are not well understood. Objectives: We studied the effects of increasing crop diversity, proportions of production grasslands and fallows, corresponding to CAP greening measures, on open farmland bird diversity, whilst controlling for the effects of distance to forests, field edge density and proportion of built-up areas. Methods: We surveyed open farmland birds using territory mapping in Southern Finland. We modelled effects of greening measures and landscape structure on farmland birds (7642 territories) using generalised linear mixed models. Results: Increasing proportions of grasslands increased farmland bird species richness and diversity in open farmland, whereas increasing proportions of fallows increased bird diversity. Increasing crop diversity benefited individual species, but not species richness or diversity. Increasing field edge densities consistently increased the species richness of all farmland species, in-field nesters and non-crop nesters, as well as total farmland bird diversity. The relative effect of edge density was much stronger compared to the three greening measures. Conclusions: Our results show that promoting fallows and grasslands, in particular grazed grasslands and various types of semi-natural grasslands, has the highest potential to benefit farmland bird diversity. Maintaining or increasing field edge densities, currently not supported, seems to be of even more benefit. In open farmland, with little or no field edges, fallows and grasslands are particularly beneficial.
|
|
| 38. |
- Gillson, Lindsey, et al.
(author)
-
Holocene palaeo-invasions : the link between pattern,process and scale in invasion ecology?
- 2008
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 23:7, s. 757-769
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Invasion ecology has made rapid progress in recent years through synergies with landscape ecology, niche theory, evolutionary ecology and the ecology of climate change. The palaeo-record of Holocene invasions provides a rich but presently underexploited resource in exploring the pattern and process of invasions through time. In this paper, examples from the palaeo-literature are used to illustrate the spread of species through time and space, also revealing how interactions between invader and invaded communities change over the course of an invasion. The main issues addressed are adaptation and plant migration, ecological and evolutionary interactions through time, disturbance history and the landscape ecology of invasive spread. We consider invasions as a continuous variable, which may be influenced by different environmental or ecological variables at different stages of the invasion process, and we use palaeoecological examples to describe how ecological interactions change over the course of an invasion. Finally, the use of palaeoecological information to inform the management of invasions for biodiversity conservation is discussed.
|
|
| 39. |
- Gimmi, Urs, et al.
(author)
-
Soil carbon pools in Swiss forests show legacy effects from historic forest litter raking
- 2013
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS : Springer. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 28:5, s. 835-846
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Globally, forest soils contain twice as much carbon as forest vegetation. Consequently, natural and anthropogenic disturbances affecting carbon accumulation in forest soils can alter regional to global carbon balance. In this study, we evaluate the effects of historic litter raking on soil carbon stocks, a former forest use which used to be widespread throughout Europe for centuries. We estimate, for Switzerland, the carbon sink potential in current forest soils due to recovery from past litter raking ('legacy effect'). The year 1650 was chosen as starting year for litter raking, with three different end years (1875/1925/1960) implemented for this forest use in the biogeochemical model LPJ-GUESS. The model was run for different agricultural and climatic zones separately. Number of cattle, grain production and the area of wet meadow have an impact on the specific demand for forest litter. The demand was consequently calculated based on historical statistical data on these factors. The results show soil carbon pools to be reduced by an average of 17 % after 310 years of litter raking and legacy effects were still visible 130 years after abandonment of this forest use (2 % average reduction). We estimate the remaining carbon sink potential in Swiss forest due to legacy effects from past litter raking to amount to 158,000 tC. Integrating historical data into biogeochemical models provides insight into the relevance of past land-use practices. Our study underlines the importance of considering potentially long-lasting effects of such land use practices for carbon accounting.
|
|
| 40. |
- Hiron, Matthew, et al.
(author)
-
The relationship of bird diversity to crop and non-crop heterogeneity in agricultural landscapes
- 2015
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 30, s. 2001-2013
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Habitat heterogeneity is often assumed to benefit farmland biodiversity. Increasing heterogeneity of non-crop habitats is often too costly in terms of agricultural production. It has been suggested that increased crop heterogeneity could mitigate the negative effects of intensification on biodiversity while still maintaining high production levels.We investigated if habitat-specific species pools of two groups of farmland birds, field-nesting and non-crop-nesting species, were related to landscape-level heterogeneity of crop and non-crop cover. We analysed total number of species (gamma diversity) and average local species richness (alpha diversity) in landscapes and related these two biodiversity measures to four components of landscape heterogeneity (compositional and configurational heterogeneity of crop and non-crop cover).We selected 30 farmland landscapes (each 25 km(2)) in Sweden that largely broke up correlated relationships between crop and non-crop heterogeneity and between compositional and configurational heterogeneity. Estimates of species richness (alpha and gamma diversity) were calculated with bird survey data from specific habitats within landscapes (farmsteads and arable fields) and then related to measures of landscape heterogeneity.No measure of landscape species richness was associated with landscape-scale crop cover heterogeneities. However, gamma diversity of both bird groups was negatively related to the compositional and configurational heterogeneity of non-crop land-use in the landscapes, respectively.Our results suggest that: (i) crop heterogeneities are not related to habitat-specific richness of farmland birds, (ii) heterogeneity effects of habitat complementarity in general are weak and (iii) relationships between diversity and heterogeneity in landscapes are dependent on the biodiversity measure used.
|
|
| 41. |
- Hämäläinen, Aino
(author)
-
Time-lag effects of habitat loss, but not fragmentation, on deadwood-dwelling lichens
- 2024
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 39
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context Landscape habitat amount is known to increase biodiversity, while the effects of habitat fragmentation are still debated. It has been suggested that negative fragmentation effects may occur with a time lag, which could explain inconsistent results. However, there is so far no empirical support for this idea.Objectives We evaluated whether habitat amount and fragmentation at the landscape scale affect the species density of deadwood-dwelling lichens, and whether these effects occur with a time lag.Methods We surveyed deadwood-dwelling lichens in woodland key habitats in two regions in northern Sweden, and modelled their species density as a function of past (1960s) and present (2010s) habitat amount (old forest area) and fragmentation (edge density) in the surrounding landscapes.Results Present habitat amount generally had weak positive effects on lichen species density. Positive effects of the past habitat amount were stronger, indicating a time lag in habitat amount effects. Habitat fragmentation effects were generally weak and similar whether fragmentation was measured in the past or the present landscapes, indicating no time lag in fragmentation effects.Conclusions We found a time lag effect of habitat amount, but not fragmentation. This result is not consistent with suggestions that time lags explain the mixed observations of fragmentation effects. Time-lag effects of habitat amount suggest that the studied lichen communities face an extinction debt. Conservation should therefore prioritize increasing the amount of old forest, for example by creating forest reserves, to maintain the current lichen diversity. More generally, our results imply that studies examining only the present habitat amount risk under-estimating its importance.
|
|
| 42. |
- Hörnfeldt, Birger, et al.
(author)
-
Long-term decline and local extinction of Clethrionomys rufocanus in boreal Sweden
- 2006
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - The Hague : SPB Academic Publ.. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 21, s. 1135-1150
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Over the past three decades in boreal Sweden, there has been a long-term decline of cyclic sympatric voles,leading to local extinctions of the most affected species, the grey-sided vole (Clethrionomys rufocanus). Wemonitored this decline by snap-trapping on 58 permanent plots spread over 100 km2 in spring and fall from fall1971–2003. The reason for the decline is largely unknown, although a common major factor is likely to beinvolved in the decline of C. rufocanus and of the coexisting voles.However, here we deal with the reasonabilityof one complementary hypothesis, the habitat fragmentation hypothesis, which assumes that part of thedecline of C. rufocanus is caused by habitat (forest) destruction. There was considerable local variation in thedecline among the 58 1-ha sampling plots, with respect to both density and timing of the decline; however, alldeclines ended up with local extinction almost without exception. Local declines were not associated withhabitat destruction by clear-cutting within sampling-plots, as declines started about equally often before asafter clear-cutting, which suggested that habitat destruction outside sampling plots could be involved. In amultiple regression analysis, local habitat preference (LHP; expressed as a ratio of observed to expectednumber of voles trapped per habitat) together with two habitat variables in the surrounding (2.5 · 2.5 km2)landscape matrix explained56%of the variation among local cumulated densities of C. rufocanus and hence oflocal time-series.LHPwas positively correlated and explained31%of the variation, while connectivity amongclear-cuts was negatively correlated and proximity among xeric-mesic mires was positively correlated andexplained additional 16% and 9%, respectively. Even if the overall decline cannot be connected to local clearcuttingon sampling-plots, clear-cutting and hence habitat fragmentation/destruction in the surroundinglandscapes potentially influenced grey-sided vole numbers negatively.
|
|
| 43. |
- Image, Mike, et al.
(author)
-
Which interventions contribute most to the net effect of England’s agri-environment schemes on pollination services?
- 2023
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 38:1, s. 271-291
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context: Agri-environment schemes support land management interventions that benefit biodiversity, environmental objectives, and other public goods. Process-based model simulations suggest the English scheme, as implemented in 2016, increased wild bee pollination services to pollinator-dependent crops and non-crop areas in a geographically heterogeneous manner. Objectives: We investigated which interventions drove the scheme-wide predicted pollination service increase to oilseed rape, field beans and non-cropped areas. We determined whether the relative contribution of each intervention was related to floral and/or nesting resource quality of the intervention, area of uptake, or placement in the landscape. Methods: We categorised interventions into functional groups and used linear regression to determine the relationship between predicted visitation rate increase and each category’s area within a 10 km grid tile. We compared the magnitude of the regression coefficients to measures of resource quality, area of uptake nationally, and placement to infer the factors underpinning this relationship. Results: Hedgerow/woodland edge management had the largest positive effect on pollination service change, due to high resource quality. Fallow areas were also strong drivers, despite lower resource quality, implying effective placement. Floral margins had limited benefit due to later resource phenology. Interventions had stronger effects where there was less pre-existing semi-natural habitat. Conclusions: Future schemes could support greater and more resilient pollination service in arable landscapes by promoting hedgerow/woodland edge management and fallow interventions. Including early-flowering species and increasing uptake would improve the effect of floral margins. Spatial targeting of interventions should consider landscape context and pairing complimentary interventions to maximise whole-scheme effectiveness.
|
|
| 44. |
- Jonason, Dennis, et al.
(author)
-
Landscape simplification promotes weed seed predation by carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae)
- 2013
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1572-9761 .- 0921-2973. ; 28:3, s. 487-494
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Weeds constitute major constraints for farmers by reducing crop yield and quality. However, weeds are managed effectively using herbicides, but this may cause harmful effects on human health and the environment. In an experiment on weed seed predation, we tested the biological control potential of carabid beetles to combat weeds in the absence of herbicides. Seeds from three common weed species were placed in cereal fields on conventional and organic farms located along a landscape complexity gradient (area annual crops within 1 km) in two distinct regions in Sweden. Carabid beetles were sampled in the same fields using pitfall traps. Neither carabid species richness nor seed removal was related to organic farming. Seed removal was significantly related to carabid species richness and both carabid species richness and seed removal was higher in landscapes with large total area of annual crops, although the evenness of the carabid communities was lower. The carabid genera with strongest positive relationship to seed removal differed between regions (Trechus in Uppland and Pterostichus in Scania), as did the preference for the different weed seed species. This study concludes that carabid species richness contributes to weed seed predation and that large scale landscape context explains more variation in the carabids' responses than local farming practices.
|
|
| 45. |
- Klinga, Peter, et al.
(author)
-
Considering landscape connectivity and gene flow in the Anthropocene using complementary landscape genetics and habitat modelling approaches
- 2019
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 34:3, s. 521-536
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context: A comprehensive understanding of how rapidly changing environments affect species gene flow is critical for mitigating future biodiversity losses. While recent methodological developments in landscape ecology and genetics have greatly advanced our understanding of biodiversity conservation, they are rarely combined and applied in studies.Objectives: We merged multifaceted landscape habitat modelling with genetics to detect and design biological corridors, and we evaluated the importance of habitat patches to test corridor efficacy for gene flow in a fragmented landscape. We examined an isolated population of an endangered umbrella species, the capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus), in the Western Carpathians; they have experienced habitat deterioration and accompanying population declines in recent decades.Methods: To detect spatial patterns of genetic distances, we combined and optimized resistance surfaces using species distribution modelling, structural and functional connectivity analyses, multivariate regression approaches, and Moran’s eigenvector maps at hierarchical scales.Results: Larger habitat patches had better gene flow among them, and we confirmed a broken metapopulation network characterised by a pattern of isolation by the environment. Distance to human settlements explained landscape genetic patterns better than other environmental and landscape features, MaxEnt resistance, Conefor resistance surfaces, and the pairwise Euclidean distances among individuals. The closer individuals were to settlements, the more pronounced were the effects of logging and other negative factors on their connectivity.Conclusions: Merging multifaceted landscape habitat modelling with genetics can effectively test corridor efficacy for gene flow, and it represents a powerful tool for conservation of endangered species.
|
|
| 46. |
- Koelemeijer, Irena A., et al.
(author)
-
Interactive effects of drought and edge exposure on old-growth forest understory species
- 2022
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 37:7, s. 1839-1853
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context Both climatic extremes and land-use change constitute severe threats to biodiversity, but their interactive effects remain poorly understood. In forest ecosystems, the effects of climatic extremes can be exacerbated at forest edges.Objectives We explored the hypothesis that an extreme summer drought reduced the richness and coverage of old-growth forest species, particularly in forest patches with high edge exposure.Methods Using a high-resolution spatially explicit precipitation dataset, we could detect variability in drought intensity during the summer drought of 2018. We selected 60 old-growth boreal forest patches in central Sweden that differed in their level of drought intensity and amount of edge exposure. The year after the drought, we surveyed red-listed and old-growth forest indicator species of vascular plants, lichens and bryophytes. We assessed if species richness, composition, and coverage were related to drought intensity, edge exposure, and their interaction.Results Species richness was negatively related to drought intensity in forest patches with a high edge exposure, but not in patches with less edge exposure. Patterns differed among organism groups and were strongest for cyanolichens, epiphytes associated with high-pH bark, and species occurring on convex substrates such as trees and logs.Conclusions Our results show that the effects of an extreme climatic event on forest species can vary strongly across a landscape. Edge exposed old-growth forest patches are more at risk under extreme climatic events than those in continuous forests. This suggest that maintaining buffer zones around forest patches with high conservation values should be an important conservation measure.
|
|
| 47. |
- Kärvemo, Simon, et al.
(author)
-
Multi-taxon conservation in northern forest hot-spots: the role of forest characteristics and spatial scales
- 2021
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 36, s. 989-1002
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context Biodiversity is highly affected by industrial forestry, which leads to the loss and fragmentation of natural habitats. To date, most conservation studies have evaluated associations among a single species group, forest type, or spatial scale. Objective The objective was to evaluate the richness of multiple species groups across various forest types and characteristics at multiple scales. Methods We used the occurrence data for 277 species of conservation interest from 455 stands of high conservation value, including four species groups and four forest types. Results Local, landscape, and regional forest characteristics influenced biodiversity in a non-uniform pattern among species groups and forest types. For example, an increased local spruce basal area in spruce forests was associated with higher vascular plant and bryophyte richness values, whereas macrofungi and lichen richness were positively correlated with deadwood availability, but negatively correlated with the spruce volume in the landscape. Furthermore, landscapes with twice as much mature forest as the average, had more than 50% higher richness values for vascular plants, macrofungi, and lichens. Conclusion Among sessile species groups in northern forests, a uniform conservation strategy across forest types and scales is suboptimal. A multi-faceted strategy that acknowledges differences among species groups and forest types with tailored measures to promote richness is likely to be more successful. Nevertheless, the single most common measure associated with high richness across the species groups and forest types was mature forest in the landscape, which suggests that increasing old forests in the landscape is a beneficial conservation strategy.
|
|
| 48. |
- Lande, Unni Støbet, et al.
(author)
-
Landscape characteristics explain large-scale variation in demographic traits in forest grouse
- 2014
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 29, s. 127-139
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The effects of landscape composition on species and populations have become increasingly important due to large and rapid habitat changes worldwide. In particular, concern is raised for several forest-dwelling species such as capercaillie and black grouse, because their habitats are continuously changing and deteriorating from human development. Conservation of these species is linked to sustainable forest management that seeks to benefit multiple species, which demands knowledge about demographic rates in relation to forest composition and structure. We related the spatial variation in adult density and chick production of capercaillie and black grouse to landscape characteristics from 13 areas within the boreal forest of Norway. Linear mixed effects models showed that black grouse and capercaillie had similar associations to landscape characteristics. Adult density of both species was positively related to the proportion of old forest (> 80 years), but only if the area had large proportions of mid to high productive forests. Chick production was negatively related to the proportion of old forest, but positively to habitat diversity and more so for black grouse compared to capercaillie. However, the result for chick production suggest that other forest types also are important, and that forest grouse needs a variety of habitats during their life history stages. Management that seeks to simultaneously conserve populations of black grouse and capercaillie needs to ensure a matrix of various forest types. A special focus must be on the critical life history of local populations to successfully preserve viable populations, for black grouse and capercaillie this implies protection of old and mid to high productive forest while keeping a heterogeneous landscape.
|
|
| 49. |
- Lazdinis, Marius, et al.
(author)
-
Towards sustainable forest management in the European Union through polycentric forest governance and an integrated landscape approach
- 2019
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 34, s. 1737-1749
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- ContextAchieving sustainable development as an inclusive societal process, and securing sustainability and resilience of human societies as well as the natural environment are wicked problems. Realising sustainable forest management (SFM) policy in local landscapes is one example.ObjectivesUsing the European Union as a case study for the implementation of SFM policy across multiple governance levels in different contexts, we discuss the benefits of adopting an integrated landscape approach with place and space, partnership and sustainability as three pillars.MethodsWe map the institutional frameworks for implementing SFM policy within all EU member states. Next, we analyse whether or not there is EU-level forest governance, and how power is distributed among EU, member state and operational levels.ResultsMechanisms to steer a centralized forest governance approach towards SFM in the EU are marginal. Instead, there is a polycentric forest governance with 90 national and sub-national governments, which create and implement own and EU-wide SFM-related policies. Additionally, both among and within regional governance units there is a large variation in governance arrangements linked to land ownership at the operational level.ConclusionsTo effectively translate EU-wide SFM and SFM-related policies into action in local landscapes, it is crucial to acknowledge that there are different land ownership structures, landscape histories and alternative value chains based on multiple ecosystem services. Therefore regionally adapted landscape approaches engaging multiple stakeholders and actors through evidence-based landscape governance and stewardship towards sustainable forest landscape management are needed. Model Forest, Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research platform and Biosphere Reserve are three of many examples.
|
|
| 50. |
- Lemessa, Debissa, et al.
(author)
-
The effect of local and landscape level land-use composition on predatory arthropods in a tropical agricultural landscape
- 2015
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 30:1, s. 167-180
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- It has been suggested that the composition of different non-crop land-use types along with tree density regulate local biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. However, specific data is limited, not least from tropical regions. We examined how different land-use types and forest cover at different scales influenced the abundance and species composition of predatory arthropods in 40 homegardens of southwest Ethiopia. We collected specimens using pitfall traps during two separate months and related sample composition to land-use in the vicinity (1 ha plot, local scale, field data) and tree cover within 200 and 500 m radius zones (landscape scale, satellite data). Spiders, beetles and ants were most common. A high abundance of ants was found in tree-rich homegardens while the variation in abundance of spiders was best explained by the interaction between tree cover at the local and landscape scales. The highest spider abundances were found when either the homegarden or the surroundings had high tree-cover and was lower in both the most tree-rich and tree-poor landscape-garden combinations. In addition, open non-crop cover (mostly grasslands) and ensete (a banana-like perennial crop) favored spiders. This pattern demonstrates that different land-use types at different scales can interact to create variations in biodiversity across an agricultural landscape. To enhance numbers of predatory arthropods in homegardens, which may be beneficial for natural pest control, our results suggest that different strategies are needed depending on the target group or species. Grasslands, ensete fields and tree-rich habitats seem to play important roles.
|
|
