Fallow lands as a tool for farmland biodiversity conservation

Agri-environmental schemes (AES) have been designed to counteract the dramatic decline in farmland biodiversity across Europe driven by agricultural intensification. This study aimed to shed light on these aspects for the specific case of fallow fields located in a semi-arid region of the north-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Knowledge of the vegetation assembly response (in terms of functionality) to the different agricultural management and landscape conditions improves understanding of their effect on higher trophic levels, and may potentially contribute to enhancing their viability. In this study, different management practices were experimentally tested to show their effects on the habitat suitability of two groups of species which represent farmland biodiversity and ecosystem services: steppe bird species insect pollinators, respectively. Moreover, the surrender habitat assemblage was also taken into account. This study aims to improve current conservation measures by providing valuable information about the different aptitudes of management strategies, according to the preferences of the target species studied.El diseño de las medidas agroambientales tiene como principal objetivo frenar la importante pérdida de biodiversidad asociada a la intensificación agrícola que ha tenido lugar en Europa. Este estudio tiene como objetivo contribuir a incrementar dicho conocimiento para el caso específico de los barbechos en las zonas semi-áridas del noreste de la Península Ibérica. Conocer las respuestas de la comunidad vegetal –en cuanto a variaciones en sus características funcionales- a diferentes manejos agrícolas y condiciones del paisaje permite una mejor comprensión de sus efectos sobre niveles tróficos superiores, pudiendo contribuir a mejorar su viabilidad. En el presente estudio fueron evaluadas de forma experimental diferentes prácticas agrícolas con el objetivo de determinar la idoneidad del hábitat de dos grupos de especies representantes de la biodiversidad en zonas agrícolas –aves esteparias- y servicios ecosistémicos –polinizadores-. Además la configuración paisajística de los alrededores también fue tenida en cuenta. Este estudio proporciona información valiosa sobre la adecuación de los diferentes manejos agrícolas en barbechos de acuerdo a las preferencias de las especies de interés para la conservación y así contribuir en la mejora y efectividad de las medidas aplicadas en la actualidad.El disseny de mesures agroambientals en espais agrícoles té com a principal objectiu frenar l'important pèrdua de biodiversitat associada a la intensificació de l'agricultura que ha tingut lloc a Europa en els darrers decennis. El treball que aquí es presenta té com a objectiu aportar nou coneixement en aquest àmbit, en concret sobre la gestió dels guarets en les zones semi-àrides del nord-est de la Península Ibèrica. Així, el coneixement de la resposta de la comunitat vegetal -pel que fa a variacions en les seves característiques funcionals- a diferents manejos agrícoles i a condicions del paisatge, ha de permetre una millor comprensió dels seus efectes sobre nivells tròfics superiors i contribuir a millorar la seva viabilitat. En aquest sentit, en el present estudi han estat avaluades, de forma experimental, diferents pràctiques agrícoles amb l'objectiu de determinar la idoneïtat de l'hàbitat per a dos grups d'organismes: d’una banda les aus estepàries, com a representants de la biodiversitat en aquestes zones agrícoles, i d’una altra, els pol•linitzadors, indicadors de l’eficiència dels serveis ecosistèmics. En aquest context, la configuració paisatgística de l’entorn ha estat també tinguda en compte. Aquest estudi proporciona informació acurada sobre l'adequació dels diferents manejos agrícoles als requisits i preferències de les espècies d'interès per a la seva conservació en aquests espais, i alhora aporta propostes de millora per assolir una major efectivitat de les mesures agroambientals fins ara implementades

Microbial Activity in Subterranean Ecosystems: Recent Advances

Of the several critical challenges present in environmental microbiology today, one is the assessment of the contribution of microorganisms in the carbon cycle in the Earth-climate system. Karstic subterranean ecosystems have been overlooked until recently. Covering up to 25% of the land surface and acting as a rapid CH4 sink and alternately as a CO2 source or sink, karstic subterranean ecosystems play a decisive role in the carbon cycle in terms of their contribution to the global balance of greenhouse gases. Recent data indicate that microbiota must play a significant ecological role in the biogeochemical processes that control the composition of the subterranean atmosphere, as well as in the availability of nutrients for the ecosystem. Nevertheless, there are still essential gaps in our knowledge concerning the budgets of greenhouse gases at the ecosystem scale and the possible feedback mechanisms between environmental-microclimatic conditions and the rates and type of activity of microbial communities in subterranean ecosystems. Another challenge is searching for bioactive compounds (antibiotics) used for treating human diseases. At present, there is a global health emergency and a strong need for novel biomolecules. In recent decades, great research efforts have been made to extract antibiotics from marine organisms. More recently, caves have been receiving considerable attention in search of novel antibiotics. Cave methanotrophic and heterotrophic bacteria are producers of bioactive compounds and may be potential sources of metabolites with antibacterial, antifungal or anticancer activities of interest in pharmacological and medical research, as well as enzymes with a further biotechnological use. Here we also show that bacteria isolated from mines, a still unexplored niche for scientists in search of novel compounds, can be a source of novel secondary metabolites.Financial support was obtained through project 0483_PROBIOMA_5_E, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund within the framework of the Interreg V-A Spain-Portugal program (POCTEP) 2014–2020. This work was also supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through projects CGL2016-75590-P and PID2019-110603RB-I00, AEI/FEDER, UE

Increasing crop heterogeneity enhances multitrophic diversity across agricultural regions

International audienceAgricultural landscape homogenization has detrimental effects on biodiversity and key ecosystem services. Increasing agricultural landscape heterogeneity by increasing seminatural cover can help to mitigate biodiversity loss. However, the amount of seminatural cover is generally low and difficult to increase in many intensively managed agricultural landscapes. We hypothesized that increasing the heterogeneity of the crop mosaic itself (hereafter “crop heterogeneity”) can also have positive effects on biodiversity. In 8 contrasting regions of Europe and North America, we selected 435 landscapes along independent gradients of crop diversity and mean field size. Within each landscape, we selected 3 sampling sites in 1, 2, or 3 crop types. We sampled 7 taxa (plants, bees, butterflies, hoverflies, carabids, spiders, and birds) and calculated a synthetic index of multitrophic diversity at the landscape level. Increasing crop heterogeneity was more beneficial for multitrophic diversity than increasing seminatural cover. For instance, the effect of decreasing mean field size from 5 to 2.8 ha was as strong as the effect of increasing seminatural cover from 0.5 to 11%. Decreasing mean field size benefited multitrophic diversity even in the absence of seminatural vegetation between fields. Increasing the number of crop types sampled had a positive effect on landscape-level multitrophic diversity. However, the effect of increasing crop diversity in the landscape surrounding fields sampled depended on the amount of seminatural cover. Our study provides large-scale, multitrophic, cross-regional evidence that increasing crop heterogeneity can be an effective way to increase biodiversity in agricultural landscapes without taking land out of agricultural production

Fallow lands as a tool for farmland biodiversity conservation

Agri-environmental schemes (AES) have been designed to counteract the dramatic decline in farmland biodiversity across Europe driven by agricultural intensification. This study aimed to shed light on these aspects for the specific case of fallow fields located in a semi-arid region of the north-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Knowledge of the vegetation assembly response (in terms of functionality) to the different agricultural management and landscape conditions improves understanding of their effect on higher trophic levels, and may potentially contribute to enhancing their viability. In this study, different management practices were experimentally tested to show their effects on the habitat suitability of two groups of species which represent farmland biodiversity and ecosystem services: steppe bird species insect pollinators, respectively. Moreover, the surrender habitat assemblage was also taken into account. This study aims to improve current conservation measures by providing valuable information about the different aptitudes of management strategies, according to the preferences of the target species studied.El diseño de las medidas agroambientales tiene como principal objetivo frenar la importante pérdida de biodiversidad asociada a la intensificación agrícola que ha tenido lugar en Europa. Este estudio tiene como objetivo contribuir a incrementar dicho conocimiento para el caso específico de los barbechos en las zonas semi-áridas del noreste de la Península Ibérica. Conocer las respuestas de la comunidad vegetal –en cuanto a variaciones en sus características funcionales- a diferentes manejos agrícolas y condiciones del paisaje permite una mejor comprensión de sus efectos sobre niveles tróficos superiores, pudiendo contribuir a mejorar su viabilidad. En el presente estudio fueron evaluadas de forma experimental diferentes prácticas agrícolas con el objetivo de determinar la idoneidad del hábitat de dos grupos de especies representantes de la biodiversidad en zonas agrícolas –aves esteparias- y servicios ecosistémicos –polinizadores-. Además la configuración paisajística de los alrededores también fue tenida en cuenta. Este estudio proporciona información valiosa sobre la adecuación de los diferentes manejos agrícolas en barbechos de acuerdo a las preferencias de las especies de interés para la conservación y así contribuir en la mejora y efectividad de las medidas aplicadas en la actualidad.El disseny de mesures agroambientals en espais agrícoles té com a principal objectiu frenar l'important pèrdua de biodiversitat associada a la intensificació de l'agricultura que ha tingut lloc a Europa en els darrers decennis. El treball que aquí es presenta té com a objectiu aportar nou coneixement en aquest àmbit, en concret sobre la gestió dels guarets en les zones semi-àrides del nord-est de la Península Ibèrica. Així, el coneixement de la resposta de la comunitat vegetal -pel que fa a variacions en les seves característiques funcionals- a diferents manejos agrícoles i a condicions del paisatge, ha de permetre una millor comprensió dels seus efectes sobre nivells tròfics superiors i contribuir a millorar la seva viabilitat. En aquest sentit, en el present estudi han estat avaluades, de forma experimental, diferents pràctiques agrícoles amb l'objectiu de determinar la idoneïtat de l'hàbitat per a dos grups d'organismes: d’una banda les aus estepàries, com a representants de la biodiversitat en aquestes zones agrícoles, i d’una altra, els pol•linitzadors, indicadors de l’eficiència dels serveis ecosistèmics. En aquest context, la configuració paisatgística de l’entorn ha estat també tinguda en compte. Aquest estudi proporciona informació acurada sobre l'adequació dels diferents manejos agrícoles als requisits i preferències de les espècies d'interès per a la seva conservació en aquests espais, i alhora aporta propostes de millora per assolir una major efectivitat de les mesures agroambientals fins ara implementades

Fallow management for steppe bird conservation: the impact of cultural practices on vegetation structure and food resources

The potential of fallow lands to favor farmland bird conservation is widely recognized. Since fallows provide key resources for birds within the agricultural matrix, such as nesting sites, shelter and forage, complete understanding of the effect of field-management strategies on vegetation structure and food is essential to fulfill bird requirements and improve habitat management. In this study we experimentally compare the most common field practices (ploughing, shredding, herbicide application and cover cropping) on fallow lands by assessing the resources they provide for birds in terms of vegetation structure and food resources (leaf and seed availability), as well as the economic costs of their implementation. Fallow management treatments are ranked for six target species in a lowland area of the north-eastern Iberian Peninsula, according to the available information on their requirements. The different agronomic practices offer various quantities and types of resources, highlighting the importance of fallow management in bird conservation. Shredding and early herbicide application (February) are estimated to be good practices for Little Bustard (Tetrax tetrax) and Calandra Lark (Melanocorypha calandra), providing both favorable habitat and foraging conditions, while being economical. Meanwhile, superficial tillage in spring is found to be optimum for the rest of the species tested, despite being among the poorest food providers. Alternating patches of the best treatments would improve the effectiveness of agri-environmental schemes by maximizing the harboring habitat for the endangered species

Using the response-effect trait framework to quantify the value of fallow patches in agricultural landscapes to pollinators

Questions: What is the role of managed fallow habitats in providing resources for pollination services in agricultural landscapes? How is resource provision affected by fallow management and landscape structure? Can the resulting variation in the value of fallows to pollinators be explained using the response-and-effect trait framework? Location: Four semi-arid Mediterranean agricultural regions (NE Iberian Peninsula). Methods: Landscape complexity, fallow field age and management practices were identified as the explanatory factors that interact which each other and affect the provision of resource for pollination communities. A trait-based approach was taken to model the system. Plant traits were selected on the basis of their response to abiotic factors (response traits) and those that influence the interaction with pollinators (effect traits). Plant community characterization was calculated based on both taxonomic and functional indices. The linkages between the selected plant traits on contrasting fallows were analyzed using community-weighted mean Redundancy Analysis (CWM-RDA). Results: The presence of semi-natural areas in the landscape was shown to enhance the value of fallows for pollinators, providing a source of diverse flower forms. In contrast, we found that field edges act as a relatively poor reservoir for flowering plant species in these areas. Land-use practices promoting mid-successional plant communities that support the coexistence of diverse life forms with overlapping flowering periods and a range of flower morphologies had the greatest potential to support a diverse pollinator community. Conclusions: An early-herbicide application (February) combined with shredding were identified as the best fallow-practices for enhancing resources for pollinators. The construction of our framework will help policy makers to identify management recommendations that will result in the most beneficial plant communities for pollinators in fallows

Data used to perform path analysis

Presence/absence data of the studied species in different fallow fields, associated to the variables collected in the field and obtained from digital maps. All variables are standardized