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Hua F, Liu M, Wang Z. Integrating forest restoration into land-use planning at large spatial scales. Curr Biol 2024; 34:R452-R472. [PMID: 38714177 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
Forest restoration is being scaled up globally, carrying major expectations of environmental and societal benefits. Current discussions on ensuring the effectiveness of forest restoration are predominantly focused on the land under restoration per se. But this focus neglects the critical issue that land use and its drivers at larger spatial scales have strong implications for forest restoration outcomes, through the influence of landscape context and, importantly, potential off-site impacts of forest restoration that must be accounted for in measuring its effectiveness. To ensure intended restoration outcomes, it is crucial to integrate forest restoration into land-use planning at spatial scales large enough to account for - and address - these larger-scale influences, including the protection of existing native ecosystems. In this review, we highlight this thus-far neglected issue in conceptualizing forest restoration for the delivery of multiple desirable benefits regarding biodiversity and ecosystem services. We first make the case for the need to integrate forest restoration into large-scale land-use planning, by reviewing current evidence on the landscape-level influences and off-site impacts pertaining to forest restoration. We then discuss how science can guide the integration of forest restoration into large-scale land-use planning, by laying out key features of methodological frameworks required, reviewing the extent to which existing frameworks carry these features, and identifying methodological innovations needed to bridge the potential shortfall. Finally, we critically review the status of existing methods and data to identify future research efforts needed to advance these methodological innovations and, more broadly, the effective integration of forest restoration design into large-scale land-use planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangyuan Hua
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Mingxin Liu
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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2
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Ferguson-Gow H, Nicholas O, Outhwaite C, Green R, Scheelbeek P, Eustachio Colombo P, Wheeler A, Taylor A, Dangour AD, Mace G, Pearson RG. Potential for positive biodiversity outcomes under diet-driven land use change in Great Britain. Wellcome Open Res 2024; 7:147. [PMID: 38504774 PMCID: PMC10948972 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.17698.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Background A shift toward human diets that include more fruit and vegetables, and less meat is a potential pathway to improve public health and reduce food system-related greenhouse gas emissions. Associated changes in land use could include conversion of grazing land into horticulture, which makes more efficient use of land per unit of dietary energy and frees-up land for other uses. Methods Here we use Great Britain as a case study to estimate potential impacts on biodiversity from converting grazing land to a mixture of horticulture and natural land covers by fitting species distribution models for over 800 species, including pollinating insects and species of conservation priority. Results Across several land use scenarios that consider the current ratio of domestic fruit and vegetable production to imports, our statistical models suggest a potential for gains to biodiversity, including a tendency for more species to gain habitable area than to lose habitable area. Moreover, the models suggest that climate change impacts on biodiversity could be mitigated to a degree by land use changes associated with dietary shifts. Conclusions Our analysis demonstrates that options exist for changing agricultural land uses in a way that can generate win-win-win outcomes for biodiversity, adaptation to climate change and public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry Ferguson-Gow
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, University College London, London, Greater London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Owen Nicholas
- Department of Statistical Science, University College London, London, Greater London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Charlotte Outhwaite
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, University College London, London, Greater London, WC1E 6BT, UK
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Rosie Green
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, Greater London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Pauline Scheelbeek
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, Greater London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Patricia Eustachio Colombo
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, Greater London, WC1E 7HT, UK
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Amber Wheeler
- The Food Foundation, London, Greater London, SW9 7QD, UK
| | - Anna Taylor
- The Food Foundation, London, Greater London, SW9 7QD, UK
| | - Alan D Dangour
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, Greater London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Georgina Mace
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, University College London, London, Greater London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Richard G Pearson
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, University College London, London, Greater London, WC1E 6BT, UK
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Derebe Y, Derebe B, Kassaye M, Gibru A. Species diversity, relative abundance, and distribution of avifauna in different habitats within Lewi Mountain, Awi zone, Ethiopia. Heliyon 2023; 9:e17127. [PMID: 37484391 PMCID: PMC10361310 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Almost all habitats on the planet are home to birds, from the lowest deserts to the highest mountains. Birds have proved to be excellent indicators of biodiversity or productivity as they are easily observed and are relatively well known compared to other animals. Although bird species are distributed across the globe, habitat destruction, fragmentation, and loss have adversely affected their survival and distribution. Therefore, this study is an attempt to prepare a baseline data on avifaunal diversity with their relative abundance and species richness in different habitats within Lewi Mountain Awi zone, Ethiopia from December 2018 to October 2020, including both the wet and dry seasons. The sampling sites were stratified based on land cover features, and transect count techniques were employed. The data were summarized per season and habitat type in the excel spreadsheet throughout the study period. In this study, one-way ANOVA was used to determine the effect of habitat type on species diversity and abundance. T-tests are also use to analyze bird populations among seasons. A total of 1591 individuals, 56 bird species belonging to 29 families and 12 orders were identified during the two seasons. The Wetland habitat had the highest species diversity index (H' = 3) with high evenness index (J = 0.88) during the dry season followed by the open shrubs habitat (H' = 2.97) with the highest evenness index (J = 0.95). The settlement had the lowest species diversity (H' = 2.17) and the lowest evenness index (J = 0.8) in the same season. During the wet season, disturbed forests recorded the highest Shannon-Weiner diversity index (H' = 3.2) with the highest evenness (J = 0.92) followed by Wetland habitat (H' = 2.97) with high evenness index (J = 0.87). During dry and wet seasons, the abundance of birds' species in different habitat types did not differ significantly (F = 1.91, p = 0.193, dƒ = 3) and (F = 1.579, p = 0.199, dƒ = 3), respectively. From all studied habitats, the overall mean abundance of bird species between dry and wet seasons was significantly different (F = 3642, P ≤ 0.001, dƒ = 1). In conclusion, settlement had the lowest species diversity and the lowest evenness index in the research area for the entire season. The habitats are important to the conservation of birds, so good habitat management is required, such as minimizing agricultural expansion and overgrazing, demarcating the forest habitats for wild species only, and creating awareness among local communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonas Derebe
- Department of Forest and Climate Science, College of Agriculture, Food and Climate Science, Injibara University, Ethiopia
| | - Binega Derebe
- Department of Natural Resource Management, College of Agriculture, Food and Climate Science, Injibara University, Ethiopia
| | - Melkamu Kassaye
- Department of Forest and Climate Science, College of Agriculture, Food and Climate Science, Injibara University, Ethiopia
| | - Amare Gibru
- Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute, P.O. Box- 30726, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Collas L, Crastes dit Sourd R, Finch T, Green R, Hanley N, Balmford A. The costs of delivering environmental outcomes with land sharing and land sparing. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Collas
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Romain Crastes dit Sourd
- Centre for Decision Research, Management Department Leeds University Business School, University of Leeds Leeds UK
| | - Tom Finch
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Bedfordshire UK
| | - Rhys Green
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Bedfordshire UK
| | - Nick Hanley
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow Glasgow UK
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5
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Angkaew R, Round PD, Ngoprasert D, Powell LA, Limparungpatthanakij W, Gale GA. Collateral damage from agricultural netting to open‐country bird populations in Thailand. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rongrong Angkaew
- Conservation Ecology Program, School of Bioresources and Technology King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi Bangkok Thailand
| | - Philip D. Round
- Animal Systematics and Molecular Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Mahidol University Bangkok Thailand
| | - Dusit Ngoprasert
- Conservation Ecology Program, School of Bioresources and Technology King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi Bangkok Thailand
| | - Larkin A. Powell
- School of Natural Resources University of Nebraska‐Lincoln Lincoln Nebraska USA
| | | | - George A. Gale
- Conservation Ecology Program, School of Bioresources and Technology King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi Bangkok Thailand
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6
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Lisón F, Matus-Olivares C, Troncoso E, Catalán G, Jiménez-Franco MV. Effect of forest landscapes composition and configuration on bird community and its functional traits in a hotspot of biodiversity of Chile. J Nat Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2022.126227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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7
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Ferguson-Gow H, Nicholas O, Outhwaite CL, Green R, Scheelbeek P, Eustachio Colombo P, Wheeler A, Taylor A, Dangour AD, Mace G, Pearson RG. Potential for positive biodiversity outcomes under diet-driven land use change in Great Britain. Wellcome Open Res 2022. [DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.17698.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: A shift toward human diets that include more fruit and vegetables, and less meat is a potential pathway to improve public health and reduce food system-related greenhouse gas emissions. Associated changes in land use could include conversion of grazing land into horticulture, which makes more efficient use of land per unit of dietary energy and frees-up land for other uses. Methods: Here we use Great Britain as a case study to estimate potential impacts on biodiversity from converting grazing land to a mixture of horticulture and natural land covers by fitting species distribution models for over 800 species, including pollinating insects and species of conservation priority. Results: Across several land use scenarios that consider the current ratio of domestic fruit and vegetable production to imports, our statistical models suggest a potential for gains to biodiversity, including a tendency for more species to gain habitable area than to lose habitable area. Moreover, the models suggest that climate change impacts on biodiversity could be mitigated to a degree by land use changes associated with dietary shifts. Conclusions: Our analysis demonstrates that options exist for changing agricultural land uses in a way that can generate win-win-win outcomes for biodiversity, adaptation to climate change and public health.
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8
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Sidemo‐Holm W, Ekroos J, Smith HG. Land sharing versus land sparing—What outcomes are compared between which land uses? CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- William Sidemo‐Holm
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University Lund Sweden
- AgriFood Economics Centre, Lund University Lund Sweden
| | - Johan Ekroos
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University Lund Sweden
| | - Henrik G. Smith
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University Lund Sweden
- Department of Biology Lund University Lund Sweden
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Balmford A. Concentrating vs. spreading our footprint: how to meet humanity's needs at least cost to nature. J Zool (1987) 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Balmford
- Conservation Science Group Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
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10
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Betts MG, Phalan BT, Wolf C, Baker SC, Messier C, Puettmann KJ, Green R, Harris SH, Edwards DP, Lindenmayer DB, Balmford A. Producing wood at least cost to biodiversity: integrating Triad and sharing-sparing approaches to inform forest landscape management. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:1301-1317. [PMID: 33663020 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Forest loss and degradation are the greatest threats to biodiversity worldwide. Rising global wood demand threatens further damage to remaining native forests. Contrasting solutions across a continuum of options have been proposed, yet which of these offers most promise remains unresolved. Expansion of high-yielding tree plantations could free up forest land for conservation provided this is implemented in tandem with stronger policies for conserving native forests. Because plantations and other intensively managed forests often support far less biodiversity than native forests, a second approach argues for widespread adoption of extensive management, or 'ecological forestry', which better simulates natural forest structure and disturbance regimes - albeit with compromised wood yields and hence a need to harvest over a larger area. A third, hybrid suggestion involves 'Triad' zoning where the landscape is divided into three sorts of management (reserve, ecological/extensive management, and intensive plantation). Progress towards resolving which of these approaches holds the most promise has been hampered by the absence of a conceptual framework and of sufficient empirical data formally to identify the most appropriate landscape-scale proportions of reserves, extensive, and intensive management to minimize biodiversity impacts while meeting a given level of demand for wood. In this review, we argue that this central challenge for sustainable forestry is analogous to that facing food-production systems, and that the land sharing-sparing framework devised to establish which approach to farming could meet food demand at least cost to wild species can be readily adapted to assess contrasting forest management regimes. We develop this argument in four ways: (i) we set out the relevance of the sharing-sparing framework for forestry and explore the degree to which concepts from agriculture can translate to a forest management context; (ii) we make design recommendations for empirical research on sustainable forestry to enable application of the sharing-sparing framework; (iii) we present overarching hypotheses which such studies could test; and (iv) we discuss potential pitfalls and opportunities in conceptualizing landscape management through a sharing-sparing lens. The framework we propose will enable forest managers worldwide to assess trade-offs directly between conservation and wood production and to determine the mix of management approaches that best balances these (and other) competing objectives. The results will inform ecologically sustainable forest policy and management, reduce risks of local and global extinctions from forestry, and potentially improve a valuable sector's social license to operate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G Betts
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, U.S.A
| | - Benjamin T Phalan
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, 40170-115, BA, Brazil.,Parque das Aves, Av. das Cataratas, 12450 - Vila Yolanda, Foz do Iguaçu, PR, 85855-750, Brazil
| | - Christopher Wolf
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, U.S.A
| | - Susan C Baker
- School of Natural Sciences and ARC Centre for Forest Value, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
| | - Christian Messier
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Klaus J Puettmann
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, U.S.A
| | - Rhys Green
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, U.K
| | - Scott H Harris
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, U.S.A
| | - David P Edwards
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, U.K
| | - David B Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Andrew Balmford
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, U.K
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11
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Fostering a Wildlife-Friendly Program for Sustainable Coffee Farming: The Case of Small-Holder Farmers in Indonesia. LAND 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/land10020121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
There is an urgent need for a global transition to sustainable and wildlife-friendly farming systems that provide social and economic equity and protect ecosystem services on which agriculture depends. Java is home to 60% of Indonesia’s population and harbors many endemic species; thus, managing agriculture alongside human well-being and biodiversity is vital. Within a community of ~400 coffee farmers in the province of West Java, we assessed the steps to develop a wildlife-friendly program until reaching certification between February 2019 and October 2020. We adopted an adaptive management approach that included developing common objectives through a process of stakeholder consultation and co-learning. We firstly investigated via interviews the expectations and the issues encountered by 25 farmers who converted to organic production in 2016. Their main expectations were an increase in income and an increase in coffee quality, while they had issues mainly in finding high quality fertilizers, reducing pests, and increasing productivity. We used this information to establish a problem-solving plan for the transition to community-wide wildlife-friendly practices. As part of the adaptive evaluation, we assessed the quality of coffee plantations before and after the implementation of coproduced actions. The quality of coffee significantly improved after our interventions to reduce the coffee berry borer, especially in the fields that started as inorganic and converted to organic. We uncovered additional issues to meet the standards for certification, including banning hunting and trapping activities and increasing coffee quality for international export. We describe the coproduced actions (agroforestry, conservation education, local law, organic alternatives) and phases of the program and discuss the potential barriers. We provide novel evidence of adaptive management framework successfully used to implement management actions and reach shared goals.
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12
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Finch T, Day BH, Massimino D, Redhead JW, Field RH, Balmford A, Green RE, Peach WJ. Evaluating spatially explicit sharing‐sparing scenarios for multiple environmental outcomes. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tom Finch
- RSPB Centre for Conservation ScienceRSPBThe Lodge Sandy UK
- Conservation Science Group Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Brett H. Day
- Department of Economics LEEP InstituteUniversity of Exeter Exeter UK
| | | | | | - Rob H. Field
- RSPB Centre for Conservation ScienceRSPBThe Lodge Sandy UK
| | - Andrew Balmford
- Conservation Science Group Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Rhys E. Green
- Conservation Science Group Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Wallingford UK
| | - Will J. Peach
- RSPB Centre for Conservation ScienceRSPBThe Lodge Sandy UK
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13
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Cooke SC, Balmford A, Donald PF, Newson SE, Johnston A. Roads as a contributor to landscape-scale variation in bird communities. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3125. [PMID: 32636366 PMCID: PMC7340783 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16899-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Roads and their traffic can affect wildlife over large areas and, in regions with dense road networks, may influence a high proportion of the ecological landscape. We assess the abundance of 75 bird species in relation to roads across Great Britain. Of these, 77% vary significantly in abundance with increasing road exposure, just over half negatively so. The effect distances of these negative associations average 700 m from a road, covering over 70% of Great Britain and over 40% of the total area of terrestrial protected sites. Species with smaller national populations generally have lower relative abundance with increasing road exposure, whereas the opposite is true for more common species. Smaller-bodied and migratory species are also more negatively associated with road exposure. By creating environmental conditions that benefit generally common species at the expense of others, road networks may echo other anthropogenic disturbances in bringing about large-scale simplification of avian communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia C Cooke
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, UK.
| | - Andrew Balmford
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, UK
| | - Paul F Donald
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, UK
- BirdLife International, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, UK
| | - Stuart E Newson
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU, UK
| | - Alison Johnston
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, UK
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
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14
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Redhead JW, Powney GD, Woodcock BA, Pywell RF. Effects of future agricultural change scenarios on beneficial insects. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2020; 265:110550. [PMID: 32292173 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Insects provide vital ecosystem services to agricultural systems in the form of pollination and natural pest control. However, there are currently widespread declines in the beneficial insects which deliver these services (i.e. pollinators and 'natural enemies' such as predators and parasitoids). Two key drivers of these declines have been the expansion of agricultural land and intensification of agricultural production. With an increasing human population requiring additional sources of food, further changes in agricultural land use appear inevitable. Identifying likely trajectories of change and predicting their impacts on beneficial insects provides a scientific basis for making informed decisions on the policies and practices of sustainable agriculture. We created spatially explicit, exploratory scenarios of potential changes in the extent and intensity of agricultural land use across Great Britain (GB). Scenarios covered 52 possible combinations of change in agricultural land cover (i.e. agricultural expansion or grassland restoration) and intensity (i.e. crop type and diversity). We then used these scenarios to predict impacts on beneficial insect species richness and several metrics of functional diversity at a 10km (hectad) resolution. Predictions were based on species distribution models derived from biological records, comprising data on 116 bee species (pollinators) and 81 predatory beetle species (natural enemies). We identified a wide range of possible consequences for beneficial insect species richness and functional diversity as result of future changes in agricultural extent and intensity. Current policies aimed at restoring semi-natural grassland should result in increases in the richness and functional diversity of both pollinators and natural enemies, even if agricultural practices remain intensive on cropped land (i.e. land-sparing). In contrast, any expansion of arable land is likely to be accompanied by widespread declines in richness of beneficial insects, even if cropping practices become less intensive (i.e. land-sharing), although effects of functional diversity are more mixed.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W Redhead
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Natural Environment Research Council, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK; School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Harborne Building, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 6AS, UK.
| | - Gary D Powney
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Natural Environment Research Council, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Ben A Woodcock
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Natural Environment Research Council, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Richard F Pywell
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Natural Environment Research Council, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
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Jokimäki J, Suhonen J, Benedetti Y, Diaz M, Kaisanlahti-Jokimäki ML, Morelli F, Pérez-Contreras T, Rubio E, Sprau P, Tryjanowski P, Ibánez-Álamo JD. Land-sharing vs. land-sparing urban development modulate predator-prey interactions in Europe. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2020; 30:e02049. [PMID: 31762100 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Urban areas are expanding globally as a consequence of human population increases, with overall negative effects on biodiversity. To prevent the further loss of biodiversity, it is urgent to understand the mechanisms behind this loss to develop evidence-based sustainable solutions to preserve biodiversity in urban landscapes. The two extreme urban development types along a continuum, land-sparing (large, continuous green areas and high-density housing) and land-sharing (small, fragmented green areas and low-density housing) have been the recent focus of debates regarding the pattern of urban development. However, in this context, there is no information on the mechanisms behind the observed biodiversity changes. One of the main mechanisms proposed to explain urban biodiversity loss is the alteration of predator-prey interactions. Using ground-nesting birds as a model system and data from nine European cities, we experimentally tested the effects of these two extreme urban development types on artificial ground nest survival and whether nest survival correlates with the local abundance of ground-nesting birds and their nest predators. Nest survival (n = 554) was lower in land-sharing than in land-sparing urban areas. Nest survival decreased with increasing numbers of local predators (cats and corvids) and with nest visibility. Correspondingly, relative abundance of ground-nesting birds was greater in land-sparing than in land-sharing urban areas, though overall bird species richness was unaffected by the pattern of urban development. We provide the first evidence that predator-prey interactions differ between the two extreme urban development types. Changing interactions may explain the higher proportion of ground-nesting birds in land-sparing areas, and suggest a limitation of the land-sharing model. Nest predator control and the provision of more green-covered urban habitats may also improve conservation of sensitive birds in cities. Our findings provide information on how to further expand our cities without severe loss of urban-sensitive species and give support for land-sparing over land-sharing urban development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jukka Jokimäki
- Nature Inventory and EIA-services, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, P. O. Box 122, FI-96101, Rovaniemi, Finland
| | - Jukka Suhonen
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, FI-20014, Turku, Finland
| | - Yanina Benedetti
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Applied Geoinformatics and Spatial Planning, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, CZ-165 00, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Mario Diaz
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (BGC-MNCN-CSIC), E-28006, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Federico Morelli
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Applied Geoinformatics and Spatial Planning, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, CZ-165 00, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | | | - Enrique Rubio
- Behavioral and Physiological Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Philipp Sprau
- Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Piotr Tryjanowski
- Institute of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, PL-60-625, Poznań, Poland
| | - Juan Diego Ibánez-Álamo
- Department of Zoology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Behavioral and Physiological Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
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16
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Finch T, Green RE, Massimino D, Peach WJ, Balmford A. Optimising nature conservation outcomes for a given region‐wide level of food production. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tom Finch
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science RSPB The Lodge Sandy UK
| | - Rhys E. Green
- Conservation Science Group Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | | | - Will J. Peach
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science RSPB The Lodge Sandy UK
| | - Andrew Balmford
- Conservation Science Group Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
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17
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Ibáñez-Álamo JD, Morelli F, Benedetti Y, Rubio E, Jokimäki J, Pérez-Contreras T, Sprau P, Suhonen J, Tryjanowski P, Kaisanlahti-Jokimäki ML, Møller AP, Díaz M. Biodiversity within the city: Effects of land sharing and land sparing urban development on avian diversity. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 707:135477. [PMID: 31771847 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization, one of the most extreme human-induced environmental changes, is negatively affecting biodiversity worldwide, strongly suggesting that we should reconcile urban development with conservation. Urbanization can follow two extreme types of development within a continuum: land sharing (buildings mixed with dispersed green space) or land sparing (buildings interspersed with green patches that concentrate biodiversity-supporting vegetation). Recent local-scale studies indicate that biodiversity is typically favored by land sparing. We investigated which of these two types of urbanization is associated with a higher taxonomic (i.e. species richness), functional, and phylogenetic diversity of birds. To do so, we collected information on breeding and wintering bird assemblages in 45 land-sharing and 45 land-sparing areas in nine European cities, which provide the first attempt to explore this question using a large geographical scale and temporal replication. We found that land-sharing urban areas were significantly associated with a higher taxonomic and functional diversity of birds during winter, but not during the breeding season (with only a marginally significant effect for functional diversity). We found no association between the type of urban development and phylogenetic diversity. Our findings indicate that not all components of avian diversity are similarly affected by these two means of urban planning and highlight the importance of integrating the temporal perspective into this kind of studies. Our results also offer useful information to the current debate about the trade-off between biodiversity conservation and human well-being in the context of land sharing and sparing urban practices. In addition, we found that certain small-scale urban landscape characteristics (i.e. few impervious surfaces, high water or tree cover) and human practices (i.e. bird feeders or plants with berries) can help maintaining more diverse urban bird assemblages. We provide specific suggestions for both policymakers and citizens that hopefully will help to create more biodiversity-friendly cities in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Federico Morelli
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Applied Geoinformatics and Spatial Planning, Kamýcká 129, CZ-165 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Yanina Benedetti
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Applied Geoinformatics and Spatial Planning, Kamýcká 129, CZ-165 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Enrique Rubio
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Jukka Jokimäki
- Nature Inventory and EIA-Services, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, P. O. Box 122, FI-96101 Rovaniemi, Finland
| | | | - Philipp Sprau
- Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jukka Suhonen
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Piotr Tryjanowski
- Institute of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, PL-60-625 Poznań, Poland
| | | | - Anders Pape Møller
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405 Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Mario Díaz
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (BGC-MNCN-CSIC), E-28006 Madrid, Spain
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