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Georgiadis NM, Dimitropoulos G, Avanidou K, Bebeli P, Bergmeier E, Dervisoglou S, Dimopoulos T, Grigoropoulou D, Hadjigeorgiou I, Kairis O, Kakalis E, Kosmas K, Meyer S, Panitsa M, Perdikis D, Sfakianou D, Tsiopelas N, Kizos T. Farming practices and biodiversity: Evidence from a Mediterranean semi-extensive system on the island of Lemnos (North Aegean, Greece). J Environ Manage 2022; 303:114131. [PMID: 34838379 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.114131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The management of agroecosystems affects biodiversity at all levels from genetic to food-web complexity. Low-input farming systems support higher levels of genetic, species and habitat diversity than high-input, industrial ones. In Greece, as in other Mediterranean countries, the role of traditional farming practices has been underlined in studies concerning conservation in agricultural landscapes. With this study, we aim to provide evidence for the potential of semi-extensive farming for biodiversity conservation at landscape-scale, focusing on Lemnos, a medium-sized island in the North Aegean. Evidence was gathered by species- and community-level local-scale surveys on various trophic levels (vascular plants, arthropods, birds). The surveys took place in 2018 and 2019 in 25 sampling areas comprising 106 plots of 100 m2 (vascular plants, arthropods) and 57 points where bird species were recorded. The plots were classified into three landscape types: mosaic agriculture, mixed rangelands and uniform rangelands. The relevés of Lemnos farmlands were assigned to plant communities of 18 phytosociological alliances, grouped into 12 classes. The most abundant arthropods were Coleoptera, Chilopoda, and Hymenoptera, followed by Opiliones and Isopoda, while 133 different bird species were recorded in total, including the recording for the first time on the island of five species. Farming on Lemnos is rather extensive compared to most agricultural landscapes of Europe. Our approach has demonstrated that, given the geographic characteristics of the area, the measured data reveal very high biodiversity. Our explorative findings suggest that moderate seasonal grazing, the mixed habitat mosaic with ecotones, fallow and stubble fields at the landscape scale, and the small size of fields, the kinds of crop, and farm-scale crop diversification, like mixed cultivation and crop rotation, are key practices supporting this diversity. These explorative findings are considered as a first step providing the baseline for future assessments. A wider effort, for systematic evaluation of the impacts of farming practices to biodiversity, is required, as part of a subsidized agri-environmental scheme and/or through a market-oriented product certification system for the area.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - George Dimitropoulos
- Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Anthropos (MedINA), 10671, Athens, Greece.
| | - Kalliopi Avanidou
- University of the Aegean, Department of Geography, University Hill, Mytilini, 81100, Greece.
| | - Penelope Bebeli
- Agricultural University of Athens, Department of Plant Breeding and Biometry, Iera Odos 75, Athens, 11855, Greece.
| | - Erwin Bergmeier
- University of Goettingen, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute of Plant Sciences, Department Vegetation and Phytodiversity Analysis, Untere Karspüle 1a, 37073, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Sofia Dervisoglou
- Laboratory of Agricultural Zoology and Entomology, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 118 55, Athens, Greece.
| | - Thymios Dimopoulos
- Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Anthropos (MedINA), 10671, Athens, Greece.
| | | | - Ioannis Hadjigeorgiou
- Department of Animal Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, Athens, 11855, Greece.
| | - Orestis Kairis
- Laboratory of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, Athina, 118 55, Greece.
| | - Eletherios Kakalis
- University of Patras, Department of Biology, Division of Plant Biology, GR-26504, Rio, Greece.
| | - Konstantinos Kosmas
- Laboratory of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, Athina, 118 55, Greece.
| | - Stefan Meyer
- University of Goettingen, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute of Plant Sciences, Department Vegetation and Phytodiversity Analysis, Untere Karspüle 1a, 37073, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Maria Panitsa
- University of Patras, Department of Biology, Division of Plant Biology, GR-26504, Rio, Greece.
| | - Dionisios Perdikis
- Laboratory of Agricultural Zoology and Entomology, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 118 55, Athens, Greece.
| | - Danae Sfakianou
- Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Anthropos (MedINA), 81400, Lemnos, Greece.
| | - Nikos Tsiopelas
- Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS), Themistokleous 80, GR 10681, Athens, Greece.
| | - Thanasis Kizos
- University of the Aegean, Department of Geography, University Hill, Mytilini, 81100, Greece.
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Taylor NG, Grillas P, Al Hreisha H, Balkız Ö, Borie M, Boutron O, Catita A, Champagnon J, Cherif S, Çiçek K, Costa LT, Dakki M, Fois M, Galewski T, Galli A, Georgiadis NM, Green AJ, Hermoso V, Kapedani R, Lange MA, Mateljak Z, Osta M, Papastergiadou E, Papazoglou C, Sabater S, Samraoui B, Samraoui F, Bachir AS, Tankovic E, Thévenet M, Troya A, Sutherland WJ. The future for Mediterranean wetlands: 50 key issues and 50 important conservation research questions. Reg Environ Change 2021; 21:33. [PMID: 33776560 PMCID: PMC7982080 DOI: 10.1007/s10113-020-01743-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Wetlands are critically important for biodiversity and human wellbeing, but face a range of challenges. This is especially true in the Mediterranean region, where wetlands support endemic and threatened species and remain integral to human societies, but have been severely degraded in recent decades. Here, in order to raise awareness of future challenges and opportunities for Mediterranean wetlands, and to inform proactive research and management, we identified (a) 50 key issues that might affect Mediterranean wetlands between 2020 and 2050, and (b) 50 important research questions that, if answered, would have the greatest impact on the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands between 2020 and 2050. We gathered ideas through an online survey and review of recent literature. A diverse assessment panel prioritised ideas through an iterative, anonymised, Delphi-like process of scoring, voting and discussion. The prioritised issues included some that are already well known but likely to have a large impact on Mediterranean wetlands in the next 30 years (e.g. the accumulation of dams and reservoirs, plastic pollution and weak governance), and some that are currently overlooked in the context of Mediterranean wetlands (e.g. increasing desalination capacity and development of antimicrobial resistance). Questions largely focused on how best to carry out conservation interventions, or understanding the impacts of threats to inform conservation decision-making. This analysis will support research, policy and practice related to environmental conservation and sustainable development in the Mediterranean, and provides a model for similar analyses elsewhere in the world. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10113-020-01743-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nigel G. Taylor
- Tour du Valat, Research Institute for the Conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands, 13200 Arles, France
| | - Patrick Grillas
- Tour du Valat, Research Institute for the Conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands, 13200 Arles, France
| | | | - Özge Balkız
- Doğa Koruma Merkezi (Nature Conservation Centre), Çiğdem Mah. 1594. Sok. No:3 06530, Çankaya, Ankara Turkey
| | - Maud Borie
- Tour du Valat, Research Institute for the Conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands, 13200 Arles, France
- Department of Geography, King’s College London, London, WC2R 2LS UK
| | - Olivier Boutron
- Tour du Valat, Research Institute for the Conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands, 13200 Arles, France
| | - Ana Catita
- Development and Innovation Network (RCDI), Centro Empresarial de Grândola, Fracção E - Incubadora de Empresas- Estrada da Aldeia do Futuro, 7570-272 Grândola, Portugal
- Associação Portuguesa de Geógrafos, Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Av. Professor Aníbal Bettencourt, n.° 9, 1600-189 Lisboa, Portugal
- Associação Portuguesa para o Desenvolvimento Regional, Universidade dos Açores, Rua Capitão João D’Ávila, 9700-042 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal
| | - Jocelyn Champagnon
- Tour du Valat, Research Institute for the Conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands, 13200 Arles, France
| | - Semia Cherif
- Laboratoire de Recherche des Matériaux et de l’Environnement pour le Développement Durable (LR18ES10), ISSBAT, Université de Tunis El Manar, 9 Avenue Zouheir Essefi, 1006 Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Kerim Çiçek
- Section of Zoology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Luís T. Costa
- MAVA Foundation, Rue Mauverney 28, 1196 Gland, Switzerland
| | - Mohamed Dakki
- Département de Zoologie et Écologie Animale, Institut Scientifique, Université Mohammed V de Rabat, Rabat, Morocco
- Centre d’Etude des Migrations d’Oiseaux (CEMO), Institut Scientifique, Université Mohammed V de Rabat, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Mauro Fois
- Centro Conservazione Biodiversità, Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Viale S. Ignazio da Laconi, 13, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Thomas Galewski
- Tour du Valat, Research Institute for the Conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands, 13200 Arles, France
| | - Alessandro Galli
- Global Footprint Network, Avenue Louis-Casaï, 18, 1209 Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Andy J. Green
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC, Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Virgilio Hermoso
- Centre de Ciència i Tecnologia Forestal de Catalunya (CTFC), Solsona, Spain
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland Australia
| | - Rezart Kapedani
- Regional Environmental Center Albania, Rr. Ismail Qemali, No. 27, Kati/Floor 3, 1000 Tirana, Albania
| | - Manfred A. Lange
- Energy, Environment and Water Research Center, The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Future Earth MENA Regional Center at the Cyprus Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | - Maher Osta
- Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon, Awad Bldg, 6th Floor, Abdel Aziz Street, P.O. Box 11-5665, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Eva Papastergiadou
- Department of Biology, University of Patras, University Campus Rio, Patras, 26500 Greece
| | | | - Sergi Sabater
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain
- Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, Girona, 17003 Spain
| | - Boudjéma Samraoui
- Department of Biology, University Badji Mokhtar Annaba, Annaba, Algeria
- Laboratoire de Conservation des Zones Humides, Université 8 Mai 1945 Guelma, Guelma, Algeria
| | - Farrah Samraoui
- Laboratoire de Conservation des Zones Humides, Université 8 Mai 1945 Guelma, Guelma, Algeria
- Department of Ecology, University 8 Mai 1945 Guelma, Guelma, Algeria
| | - Abdelkrim Si Bachir
- Department of Ecology and Environment, Faculty of Life and Nature Sciences, University of Batna 2, Batna, Algeria
| | - Eva Tankovic
- Mediterranean Small Islands Initiative (PIM), Lycée des Calanques, 89 Traverse Parangon, 13008 Marseille, France
| | - Mathieu Thévenet
- Mediterranean Small Islands Initiative (PIM), Lycée des Calanques, 89 Traverse Parangon, 13008 Marseille, France
| | - Antonio Troya
- IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, C/ Marie Curie 22, Edif. Habitec, Parque Tecnológico de Andalucía, 29590 Campanillas, Málaga, Spain
| | - William J. Sutherland
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ UK
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