TY  - JOUR
A1  - de Paz, Víctor
A1  - Asís, Josep D.
A1  - Holzschuh, Andrea
A1  - Baños-Picón, Laura
T1  - Effects of traditional orchard abandonment and landscape context on the beneficial arthropod community in a Mediterranean agroecosystem
JF  - Insects
N2  - Agricultural abandonment is one of the main land-use changes in Europe, and its consequences on biodiversity are context- and taxa-dependent. While several studies have worked on this topic, few have focused on traditional orchards, especially in different landscapes and under a Mediterranean climate. In this context, we aimed to determine the effects of almond orchard abandonment on the communities of three groups of beneficial arthropods and the role of the landscape context in modulating these effects. Between February and September 2019, four samplings were carried out in twelve almond orchards (three abandoned and three traditional (active orchards under traditional agricultural management) located in simple landscapes as well as three abandoned and three traditional in complex landscapes). Abandoned and traditional almond orchards harbor different arthropod communities and diversity metrics that are strongly conditioned by seasonality. Abandoned orchards can favor pollinators and natural enemies, providing alternative resources in simple landscapes. However, the role that abandoned orchards play in simple landscapes disappears as the percentage of semi-natural habitats in the landscape increases. Our results show that landscape simplification, through the loss of semi-natural habitats, has negative consequences on arthropod biodiversity, even in traditional farming landscapes with small fields and high crop diversity.
KW  - abandonment
KW  - traditional almond orchard
KW  - spider
KW  - parasitoid
KW  - bee
KW  - landscape complexity
Y1  - 2023
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-311190
SN  - 2075-4450
VL  - 14
IS  - 3
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Wersebeckmann, Vera
A1  - Biegerl, Carolin
A1  - Leyer, Ilona
A1  - Mody, Karsten
T1  - Orthopteran diversity in steep slope vineyards: the role of vineyard type and vegetation management
JF  - Insects
N2  - The abandonment of traditional agricultural practices and subsequent succession are major threats to many open-adapted species and species-rich ecosystems. Viticulture on steep slopes has recently suffered from strong declines due to insufficient profitability, thus increasing the area of fallow land considerably. Changing cultivation systems from vertically oriented to modern vineyard terraces offers an opportunity to maintain management economically viable and thus reduces further abandonment. Hillside parallel terraces favor mechanization, and their embankments offer large undisturbed areas that could provide valuable habitats. We investigated the effects of vineyard abandonment, different vineyard management types (vertically oriented vs. terraced), and local parameters on Orthoptera diversity in 45 study sites along the Upper Middle Rhine Valley in Germany. Our results show that woody structures and vineyard abandonment reduced Orthoptera diversity at the local and landscape scale due to decreased habitat quality, especially for open-adapted species. In contrast, open inter-rows of actively managed vineyard types supported heat-adapted Caelifera species. On terrace embankments, extensive management and taller vegetation benefited Ensifera species, while short and mulched vegetation in vertically oriented vineyards favored the dominance of one single Caelifera species. Our results highlight the significance of maintaining viticultural management on steep slopes for the preservation of both open-adapted Orthoptera species and the cultural landscape.
KW  - abandonment
KW  - alternating management
KW  - biodiversity conservation
KW  - grasshopper
KW  - insect conservation
KW  - succession
KW  - traditional land use
KW  - vineyard terrace
Y1  - 2023
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-304891
SN  - 2075-4450
VL  - 14
IS  - 1
ER  -