Summary 1. In many European agricultural landscapes, species richness
is declining considerably. Studies performed at a very large spatial
scale are helpful in understanding the reasons for this decline and
as a basis for guiding policy. In a unique, large-scale study of
25 agricultural landscapes in seven European countries, we investigated
relationships between species richness in several taxa, and the links
between biodiversity and landscape structure and management. 2. We
estimated the total species richness of vascular plants, birds and
five arthropod groups in each 16-km2 landscape, and recorded various
measures of both landscape structure and intensity of agricultural
land use. We studied correlations between taxonomic groups and the
effects of landscape and land-use parameters on the number of species
in different taxonomic groups. Our statistical approach also accounted
for regional variation in species richness unrelated to landscape
or land-use factors. 3. The results reveal strong geographical trends
in species richness in all taxonomic groups. No single species group
emerged as a good predictor of all other species groups. Species
richness of all groups increased with the area of semi-natural habitats
in the landscape. Species richness of birds and vascular plants was
negatively associated with fertilizer use. 4. Synthesis and applications.
We conclude that indicator taxa are unlikely to provide an effective
means of predicting biodiversity at a large spatial scale, especially
where there is large biogeographical variation in species richness.
However, a small list of landscape and land-use parameters can be
used in agricultural landscapes to infer large-scale patterns of
species richness.
Our results suggest that to halt the loss of biodiversity in these
landscapes, it is important to preserve and, if possible, increase
the area of semi-natural habitat.
%0 Journal Article
%1 Billeter2008
%A Billeter, R.
%A Liira, J.
%A Bailey, D.
%A Bugter, R.
%A Arens, P.
%A Augenstein, I.
%A Aviron, S.
%A Baudry, J.
%A Bukacek, R.
%A Burel, F.
%A Cerny, M.
%A Blust, G. De
%A Cock, R. De
%A Diekotter, T.
%A Dietz, H.
%A Dirksen, J.
%A Dormann, C.
%A Durka, W.
%A Frenzel, M.
%A Hamersky, R.
%A Hendrickx, F.
%A Herzog, F.
%A Klotz, S.
%A Koolstra, B.
%A Lausch, A.
%A Coeur, D. Le
%A Maelfait, J. P.
%A Opdam, P.
%A Roubalova, M.
%A Schermann, A.
%A Schermann, N.
%A Schmidt, T.
%A Schweiger, O.
%A Smulders, M.J.M.
%A Speelmans, M.
%A Simova, P.
%A Verboom, J.
%A van Wingerden, W.K.R.E.
%A Zobel, M.
%D 2008
%J Journal of Applied Ecology
%K indicators
%N 1
%P 141-150
%R 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2007.01393.x
%T Indicators for biodiversity in agricultural landscapes: a pan-European
study
%U http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2664.2007.01393.x
%V 45
%X Summary 1. In many European agricultural landscapes, species richness
is declining considerably. Studies performed at a very large spatial
scale are helpful in understanding the reasons for this decline and
as a basis for guiding policy. In a unique, large-scale study of
25 agricultural landscapes in seven European countries, we investigated
relationships between species richness in several taxa, and the links
between biodiversity and landscape structure and management. 2. We
estimated the total species richness of vascular plants, birds and
five arthropod groups in each 16-km2 landscape, and recorded various
measures of both landscape structure and intensity of agricultural
land use. We studied correlations between taxonomic groups and the
effects of landscape and land-use parameters on the number of species
in different taxonomic groups. Our statistical approach also accounted
for regional variation in species richness unrelated to landscape
or land-use factors. 3. The results reveal strong geographical trends
in species richness in all taxonomic groups. No single species group
emerged as a good predictor of all other species groups. Species
richness of all groups increased with the area of semi-natural habitats
in the landscape. Species richness of birds and vascular plants was
negatively associated with fertilizer use. 4. Synthesis and applications.
We conclude that indicator taxa are unlikely to provide an effective
means of predicting biodiversity at a large spatial scale, especially
where there is large biogeographical variation in species richness.
However, a small list of landscape and land-use parameters can be
used in agricultural landscapes to infer large-scale patterns of
species richness.
Our results suggest that to halt the loss of biodiversity in these
landscapes, it is important to preserve and, if possible, increase
the area of semi-natural habitat.
@article{Billeter2008,
abstract = {Summary 1. In many European agricultural landscapes, species richness
is declining considerably. Studies performed at a very large spatial
scale are helpful in understanding the reasons for this decline and
as a basis for guiding policy. In a unique, large-scale study of
25 agricultural landscapes in seven European countries, we investigated
relationships between species richness in several taxa, and the links
between biodiversity and landscape structure and management. 2. We
estimated the total species richness of vascular plants, birds and
five arthropod groups in each 16-km2 landscape, and recorded various
measures of both landscape structure and intensity of agricultural
land use. We studied correlations between taxonomic groups and the
effects of landscape and land-use parameters on the number of species
in different taxonomic groups. Our statistical approach also accounted
for regional variation in species richness unrelated to landscape
or land-use factors. 3. The results reveal strong geographical trends
in species richness in all taxonomic groups. No single species group
emerged as a good predictor of all other species groups. Species
richness of all groups increased with the area of semi-natural habitats
in the landscape. Species richness of birds and vascular plants was
negatively associated with fertilizer use. 4. Synthesis and applications.
We conclude that indicator taxa are unlikely to provide an effective
means of predicting biodiversity at a large spatial scale, especially
where there is large biogeographical variation in species richness.
However, a small list of landscape and land-use parameters can be
used in agricultural landscapes to infer large-scale patterns of
species richness.
Our results suggest that to halt the loss of biodiversity in these
landscapes, it is important to preserve and, if possible, increase
the area of semi-natural habitat.},
added-at = {2008-05-29T15:14:11.000+0200},
author = {Billeter, R. and Liira, J. and Bailey, D. and Bugter, R. and Arens, P. and Augenstein, I. and Aviron, S. and Baudry, J. and Bukacek, R. and Burel, F. and Cerny, M. and Blust, G. De and Cock, R. De and Diekotter, T. and Dietz, H. and Dirksen, J. and Dormann, C. and Durka, W. and Frenzel, M. and Hamersky, R. and Hendrickx, F. and Herzog, F. and Klotz, S. and Koolstra, B. and Lausch, A. and Coeur, D. Le and Maelfait, J. P. and Opdam, P. and Roubalova, M. and Schermann, A. and Schermann, N. and Schmidt, T. and Schweiger, O. and Smulders, M.J.M. and Speelmans, M. and Simova, P. and Verboom, J. and van Wingerden, W.K.R.E. and Zobel, M.},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/20f80416452cfb726662bd033ff88f401/mglemnitz},
doi = {10.1111/j.1365-2664.2007.01393.x},
eprint = {http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-2664.2007.01393.x},
interhash = {27e85cc5c86e0947604b3d5ad0cf9256},
intrahash = {0f80416452cfb726662bd033ff88f401},
journal = {Journal of Applied Ecology},
keywords = {indicators},
number = 1,
owner = {kej},
pages = {141-150},
timestamp = {2008-05-29T15:14:12.000+0200},
title = {Indicators for biodiversity in agricultural landscapes: a pan-European
study},
url = {http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2664.2007.01393.x},
volume = 45,
year = 2008
}