veining: landscape determinants of biodiversity in European agricultural landscapes

Abstract Many semi-natural landscape elements, the so-called green veining, are disappearing from the intensively used agricultural landscapes of Europe. In order to develop or restore biodiversity in these networks, it is necessary to quantify the relation between biodiversity and amount, spatial arrangement and management intensity of green veining elements. In this review, we investigate whether biodiversity increases with the amount of green veining in an agricultural landscape following the species-area relationship, and whether a certain level of biodiversity can be reached at lower densities of green veining if green veining elements are better connected (higher spatial connectivity) or if they are managed less intensively (lower management intensity). We reviewed studies on aboveground biodiversity in green veining structures in 39 scientific papers on field and experimental studies within Europe. More of these studies focussed on management intensity than on amount or spatial configuration of green veining. Also more studies focussed on the spatial scale of individual landscape elements than on the farm or landscape scale, which may be caused by the large number of studies focussing on plant or invertebrate species. Species living at larger spatial scales, e.g. mammals and birds were not often studied at the level of green veining elements as they also use agricultural fields as part of their habitat. We could not verify the species-area relation for green veining, nor the effect of amount, spatial configuration or management intensity on this relation, because only few studies quantified the found effects and no studies were found on the effect of management intensity or spatial configuration on the species-area curve in green veining. We addressed the most important challenges for future field and model research in order to fill the identified gaps in knowledge

Modelling shifts between mono- and multifunctional farming systems : the importance of social and economic drivers

Context: In Europe, policy measures are starting to emerge that promote multifunctional farming systems and delivery of ecosystem services besides food production. Effectiveness of these policy instruments have to deal with ecological, economic and social complexities and with complexities in individual decisions of local actors leading to system shifts. Objective: The objective of this paper is to discover the most important social and/or economic drivers that cause farm systems to shift between a monofunctional (providing food) and a multifunctional state (providing food and natural pest regulation). Methods: Using a cellular automata model, we simulated decisions of individual farmers to shift between a mono-and multifunctional state through time, based on their behaviour type and on financial and social consequences. Collaboration of multifunctional farmers at a landscape scale is a precondition to provide a reliable level of natural pest regulation. Results: Costs of applying green infrastructure was an important driver for the size and the conversion rate of shifts between mono-and multifunctional farming systems. Shifts towards multifunctional farming were enhanced by a higher motivation of farmers to produce sustainably, while shifts (back) to a monofunctional state was enhanced by a low social cohesion between multifunctional farmers. Conclusions: These results suggest that in order to develop a multifunctional farming system, individual farmers should act counterintuitively to their conventional farming environment. To maintain a multifunctional farming system, social cohesion between multifunctional farmers is most relevant. Financial aspects are important in both shifts

Groenbeheer en plaag(bestrijdende) insecten nabij kassen in de gemeente Westland

In this project the effect of regular maintenance of road-verges and natural maintenance of the “Poelzone” on populations of pestinsects, their natural enemies and host plants has been studied. In the studies locations in the Poelzone the number of hostplants, natural enemies, pest species and neutral herbivores is slightly higher than in the regular managed road verges. The number of pest thrips individuals is lower than the number of neutral thrips species, but total numbers of thrips are higher in the regular managed verges. Pest species and natural enemies have been found on various host plant species, often on similar species. Thrips species and their natural enemies reach their maximum occurrence simultaneously. The studied locations along water banks have similar insect populations but are relatively rich in early flowering species. The studies locations in the Poelzone seem to have a slightly better balance between pest and regulating species compared to locations in regular managed road verges, but differences are small and in both management types pest species have been found. Suggestions for further research have been presented

Data for: Greening the dike revetment with historic sod transplantation technique in a Living Lab.

Data from an in situ experiment on a dike in Living Lab Hedwige Prosperpolder. In the experiment we applied a historic sod transplantation technique. We tested the erosion resistance of the adapted vegetated dike revetment after one growth season. Dataset contains measurements in sods plot S1, S2, S3, S4 and in reference plots R1-R4. In addition, two section were only milled (K1 and F). These sections are not described in the publication, however some data is available and thus included in this dataset. This dataset contains files from the following research steps: 1. Visual observation (vegetation) 2. Soil moisture content & Soil penetration resistance 3. Root indication (doorwortelling) 4. Sod pulling method (grastrek proef) 5. Wave impact test (golfklap proef) & Overflow test (overloop proef) The data is described in the following publication: Greening the dike revetment with historic sod transplantation technique in a Living Lab. Kim van den Hoven; Carla J. Grashof-Bokdam; Pieter A. Slim; Ludolph Wentholt; Patrik Peeters; Davy Depreiter; André R. Koelewijn; Marte M. Stoorvogel; Mario van den Berg; Carolien Kroeze; Jantsje M. van Loon-Steensm

Biodiversity conservation in climate change driven transient communities

Species responding differently to climate change form ‘transient communities’, communities with constantly changing species composition due to colonization and extinction events. Our goal is to disentangle the mechanisms of response to climate change for terrestrial species in these transient communities and explore the consequences for biodiversity conservation. We review spatial escape and local adaptation of species dealing with climate change from evolutionary and ecological perspectives. From these we derive species vulnerability and management options to mitigate effects of climate change. From theperspective of transient communities, conservation management should scale up static single species approaches and focus on community dynamics and species interdependency, while considering species vulnerability and their importance for the community. Spatially explicit and frequent monitoring is vital for assessing the change in communities and distribution of species. We review management options such as: increasing connectivity and landscape resilience, assisted colonization, and species protection priority in the context of transient communities