Landscape complexity affects cover and species richness of weeds in Brazilian agricultural environments

Habitat fragmentation results in landscape configuration, which affects the species that inhabit it. As a consequence, natural habitat is replaced by different anthropogenic plantation types (e.g. pasture, agriculture, forestry plantations and urban areas). Anthropogenic plantations are important for biodiversity maintenance because some species or functional groups can use it as a complementary habitat. However, depending on plantation permeability, it can act as a barrier to the movement of organisms between habitat patches, such as forest fragments, reducing functional connectivity for many species. Anthropogenic plantations are becoming the most common land use and cover type in the Anthropocene and biodiversity conservation in fragmented landscapes requires information on how different plantation types affect the capacity of the species to move through the landscape. In this study, we evaluated the influence of the type and structure of plantations on the movement of two forest-dependent understory bird speciesplain antvireo (Dysithamnus mentalis) and flavescent warbler (Myiothlyps flaveola)within a highly fragmented landscape of Atlantic Forest hotspot. Knowing that forestry plantation is assumed to be more permeable to dependent forest bird species than open ones, we selected six study areas containing a forest fragment and surrounding plantation: three with sugarcane plantation and three with Eucalyptus sp. plantation. We used playback calls to stimulate the birds to leave forest fragments and traverse the plantations. Control trials were also carried out inside the forest fragments to compare the distances crossed. We observed that individuals moved longer distances inside forest than between plantation types, which demonstrate that plantations do constrict the movements of both species. The two plantation types equally impeded the movements of the species, suggesting the opposite of the general assumption that forestry plantations are more permeable. Our results indicate that, for generalist species, plantation type does not matter, but its presence negatively impacts movement of these bird species. We highlight that plantations have negative influences on the movements of common bird species, and discuss why this is important when setting conservation priorities.

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“…This can open new avenues to promote biodiversity conservation within agroecosystem‐dominated landscapes (Medeiros et al . ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…An alternative strategy for increasing connectivity is to implement agroforestry systems (Medeiros et al . ), and these are known to favour generalist species and seem to be more advantageous than monoculture (Uezu et al . ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sugarcane and Eucalyptus plantation equally limit the movement of two forest‐dependent understory bird species

2018

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“…Nowadays, this forest type is highly fragmented and covers only 7% of its original area (Ribeiro et al 2009). Abandoned pastures are anthropic grasslands where exotic grasses are very common, supporting high diversity and density of weeds (Medeiros et al 2016). The agricultural matrix is composed of arable crops under no-till farming system, where soybean is cultivated in the summer, wheat in the winter, and corn in both seasons.…”

Section: Study Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The effects of landscape complexity on biodiversity are well known in temperate regions; however, it remains unexplored in agricultural landscapes of the Neotropical region, wherein only a few works can be found for Chile (Grez and Prado 2000;Zaviezo et al 2006), Argentina (Rossetti et al 2014;González et al 2015González et al , 2016aGonzález et al , b, 2017 and Brazil (Medeiros et al 2016). We used flower flies (Syrphidae, Diptera) as a model group to elucidate how landscape complexity modulates the structure of local communities in Brazilian agricultural landscapes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Non-crop habitats modulate alpha and beta diversity of flower flies (Diptera, Syrphidae) in Brazilian agricultural landscapes

et al. 2017

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Non-crop habitats play a key role in maintaining functional diversity and ecosystem services in farmland. However, the interplay between beneficial insects and landscape variables has rarely been investigated in Neotropical agroecosystems. We used flower flies as a model group to investigate the effects of landscape attributes on beneficial insects in agroecosystems across a gradient of landscape complexity. We specifically ask: (i) Do the abundance and species richness of flower flies in cereal crops increase with increasing landscape complexity? (ii) Do the effects of landscape variables on local flower fly communities differ between spatial scales? (iii) How do landscape complexity and local factors (crop size, altitude and insecticide applications) affect beta diversity? We sampled flower flies in 54 edges within 18 wheat crops in Paraná State, southern Brazil. The percentage of non-crop habitats, landscape diversity and edge density were the explanatory variables, Communicated by P. Ponel.

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“…However, intensive use of herbicides in coffee plantations and low light conditions inside forest remnants prevent the occurrence of ruderal plants, which probably depend on landscape diversity and edge density. Medeiros et al (2016) found that species richness and abundance of ruderal plants increased with increasing landscape diversity and edge density in Brazilian agricultural landscapes. Therefore, landscape diversity and edge density probably increase the availability of micro habitats for larval development of predatory species, indicating that larval habitat is a factor structuring flower fly communities (Mueller & Dauber 2016;Lucas et al 2017).…”

Section: Beta Diversitymentioning

confidence: 93%

The effects of landscape structure and crop management on insect community and associated ecosystem services and disservices within coffee plantation

Medeiros¹

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Primeiramente, agradeço minha esposa Mariana, por estar ao meu lado nessa fase da vida e me dar forças principalmente nos momentos difíceis. Muito obrigado pelo amor, carinho, confiança, parceria e compreensão! Aos meus pais, Sonia e José Inácio, e irmão Lucas pelo incentivo, apoio irrestrito e amor incondicional. Aos meus orientadores Prof. Ciro Righi e Prof. Milton C. Ribeiro pela oportunidade, confiança e motivação. Muito obrigado pelo grande aprendizado, além da parceria e amizade ao longo desses anos. Aos parceiros Carlinhos, Felipe Martello, Juliana Silveira, Calebe e Rafael (Urucum) do Departamento de Ecologia da UNESP-RC. Muito obrigado pela parceria, amizade, trabalho duro e aprendizado durante esses anos. Ao parceiro Dr. Yuri Grandinete responsável pela identificação das vespas e aos parceiros Prof. Eduardo Almeida e Prof. Ximo Mengual responsáveis pela identificação de abelhas e sirfídeos, respectivamente. Aos parceiros canadenses Profa. Karen Harper, Prof. Peter Tyedmers, Prof. Chris Cutler e Dr. Paul Manning. Muito obrigado pela oportunidade e aprendizado, sobretudo Profa. Karen, responsável por viabilizar meu intercâmbio no Canadá.

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Landscape complexity affects cover and species richness of weeds in Brazilian agricultural environments

Cited by 18 publications

References 50 publications

Sugarcane and Eucalyptus plantation equally limit the movement of two forest‐dependent understory bird species

Sugarcane and Eucalyptus plantation equally limit the movement of two forest‐dependent understory bird species

Non-crop habitats modulate alpha and beta diversity of flower flies (Diptera, Syrphidae) in Brazilian agricultural landscapes

The effects of landscape structure and crop management on insect community and associated ecosystem services and disservices within coffee plantation

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