0000000000178975
AUTHOR
Alain Jacot
Habitat area and local habitat conditions outweigh fragmentation effects on insect communities in vineyards
Fragmentation of habitat, for example by intensive agricultural practices, can be detrimental to local biodiversity. However, it often remains unclear whether such biodiversity declines are caused by loss of habitat area or increased fragmentation, and how habitat quality factors into it. In our study system, vegetated vineyards are typically small, and isolated from one another, potentially limiting the distribution and dispersal of organisms. In a full-factorial experiment of a priori selected vegetated vineyard patches of differing size and fragmentation, we aimed to disentangle the effects of habitat area (area of vegetated vineyards), habitat fragmentation (number of vegetated vineyard…
Effects of habitat quality and fragmentation on Woodlarks (Lullula arborea) and their invertebrate prey in intensively managed vineyards
Vineyards in Switzerland are among the most intensively managed perennial crop systems. The vast majority of all parcels are treated with herbicides and do not have any ground vegetation cover, whereas only a small proportion of vineyards is managed extensively, allowing ground vegetation to grow. These contrasting management types lead to a fragmented and almost binary system of few vegetated parcels embedded within herbicide-treated ones. The Woodlark (Lullula arborea) is an endangered insectivorous bird species, which has its Swiss stronghold in this intensively managed agroecosystem. In a first study we assessed Woodlarks' habitat preferences during territory settlement and linked the b…
Effects of habitat fragmentation on bumblebee foraging trip duration and colony fitness
Agricultural intensification with the associated habitat loss and fragmentation are among the most important drivers for the dramatic loss of wild pollinators. In this study, conducted in intensively managed vineyards in southern Switzerland, we tested the interdependent effects of habitat amount (surface of vegetated vineyards per landscape) and fragmentation (number of vegetated vineyards per landscape) on fitness-relevant traits in bumblebee Bombus terrestris terrestris colonies. Individual bumblebee foraging trips were measured with RFID (radio frequency identification) technology while colony fitness was assessed by quantifying nest parameters related to colony size. Vegetation cover i…