Natural habitats in agricultural landscapes promote agro-ecosystem services but little is known about negative effects (dis-services) derived by natural habitats such as crop seed predation. Birds are important seed predators and use high landscape structures to perch and hide. High trees in agricultural landscapes may therefore drive seed predation. We examined if the presence, the distance and the percentages of high trees (tree height >5 m) and the percentages of natural habitat surrounding sunflower fields, increased seed predation by birds in Israel. At the field scale, we assessed seed predation across a sample grid of an entire field. At the landscape scale, we assessed seed predation at the field margins and interiors of 20 sunflower fields. Seed predation was estimated as the percentage of removed seeds from sunflower heads. Distances of sample points to the closest high tree and percentage of natural habitat and of high trees in a 1 km radius surrounding the fields were measured. We found that seed predation increased with decreasing distance to the closest high tree at the field and landscape scale. At the landscape scale, the percentage of high trees and natural habitat did not increase seed predation. Seed predation in the fields increased by 37%, with a maximum seed predation of 92%, when a high tree was available within 0-50 m to the sunflower fields. If the closest high tree was further away, seed predation was less than 5%. Sunflower seed predation by birds can be reduced, when avoiding sowing sunflowers within a radius of 50 m to high trees. Farmers should plan to grow crops, not sensitive to bird seed predation, closer to trees to eventually benefit from ecosystem services provided by birds, such as predation of pest insects, while avoiding these locations for growing crops sensitive to bird seed predation. Such management recommendations are directing toward sustainable agricultural landscapes.
Summary1. Spillover of beneficial organisms from natural habitats to croplands can improve agro-ecosystem services, but wildlife can also negatively influence agricultural production. When managing agricultural landscapes to conserve biodiversity, we need to understand whether the availability of natural habitats increases ecosystem dis-services such as vertebrate seed predation to avoid risking higher costs than benefits. 2. We studied whether vertebrates and their impact in crop seed predation are related to the percentage of natural (chaparral) and semi-natural habitat (planted forest with native and exotic trees) in an agricultural landscape of Israel. We selected 20 almond and 20 sunflower study sites within a landscape with varying percentages of natural (0-61%) and semi-natural (0-70%) habitats within a 1000 m radius of their surroundings. We observed birds, trapped rodents (in almond), counted seeds and noted feeding marks to obtain seed predation rates, at each site. Within the almond crops, we physically excluded birds, rodents and both to determine their relative and combined influence on seed predation. 3. Neither vertebrate abundance nor species richness was influenced by the percentage of natural habitat. However, bird species richness increased with increasing percentage of semi-natural habitat. 4. Seed predation across both crops was not influenced by natural or semi-natural habitat but increased significantly with increasing abundance and species richness of birds. This was also reflected by the exclusions of birds, vertebrates and both to the almond crop, leading to lowest seed predation when both groups were excluded. 5. Synthesis and applications. Natural or semi-natural habitat did not influence the agro-ecosystem dis-service of seed predation by birds and rodents. Policymakers should consider promoting agri-environment schemes that include the conservation of natural habitats and the management of semi-natural habitats adjacent to cropland to enhance agro-ecosystem services meditated by beneficial organisms such as natural pest enemies and pollinators without fearing increased vertebrate seed predation. In order to provide more detailed management recommendations tackling the reduction of vertebrate dis-services, their feeding behaviour, metabolic needs, behaviour patterns and local abundances should be taken into account.
ÐåзюìåМèрîâая ïîïуляцèя ñòåïнîгî îрла (Aquila nipalensis) èмååò ñòаòуñ угрîжаåмîé è бûñòрî òåряåò ÷èñлåннîñòь ïî âñåму арåалу. Эéлаò, раñïîлîжåннûé â южнîм Иçраèлå -эòî òаê наçûâаåмîå «буòûлî÷нîå гîрлûшêî» на ïуòè âåñåннåé мèграцèè эòîгî âèда èç Àфрèêè. Мû ïрîâåлè ñåрèю ïîлåâûõ èññлåдîâанèé ñ 2015 ïî 2018 гг., âåдя ïîдñ÷ёò ïрîлåòаюùèõ ñòåïнûõ îрлîâ, è ñîбèрая даннûå îб èõ âîçраñòå. Ïîлу÷åннûå даннûå мû ñраâнèлè ñ аналîгè÷нûмè, ñîбраннûмè çа 4 âåñåннèõ ñåçîна â ïрîмåжуòêå мåжду 1977 è 1988 гг. Мû нå âûяâèлè дîñòîâåрнûõ раçлè÷èé мåжду дâумя âûбîрêамè ïî êîлè÷åñòâу ñòåïнûõ îрлîâ, ïрîõîдяùèõ над Эéлаòîм на âåñåннåé мèграцèè. Эòî îçна÷аåò, ÷òî çèмîâêè ñòåïнîгî îрла â Àфрèêå è åгî ïуòè мèграцèè â Àфрèêу è îбраòнî îòнîñèòåльнî бåçîïаñнû. Мû òаêжå îбнаружèлè, ÷òî 75% ïрîлåòаюùèõ îрлîâ -эòî âçрîñлûå îñîбè, è ÷òî èõ îñнîâнîé ïрîлёò ïрèõîдèòñя на òрåòью нåдåлю фåâраля. Эòа èнфîрмацèя ñïîñîбñòâуåò улу÷шåнèю мåр ïî îõранå âèда.
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