Railway lines affect spatial turnover of pollinator communities in an agricultural landscape

Moroń, Dawid; Skórka, Piotr; Lenda, Magdalena; Celary, Waldemar; Tryjanowski, Piotr

doi:10.1111/ddi.12600

Cited by 18 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…In homogenous intensive agricultural landscapes, such features may be the only locations where species survive (Wynhoff et al 2011). Van Geert et al (2010) and Moroń et al (2017) revealed that such linear habitats may function as biological corridors by facilitating the dispersal of insects and insect-pollinated plants. Railway embankments may increase the alpha diversity and community turnover of invertebrates and plant taxa (Moroń et al 2014, 2017; Vandevelde and Penone 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of railways on bird diversity in farmland

Kajzer‐Bonk

Skórka

Bonk

et al. 2019

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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With a length exceeding 210,000 km in Europe, railways are common linear features dissecting landscapes. However, the impact of railway networks on biodiversity is equivocal. In this study, we investigated the effect of railway embankments on bird diversity components in an agricultural landscape in southern Poland. Forty transects including 20 along railways and 20 as controls in open fields were established. Birds were counted twice in 2009, and environmental characteristics were estimated for each transect. Ordination techniques and generalized additive models were used to compare species composition, richness, abundance, conservation status, population trends and phylogenetic and functional diversity indices between railway and field transects. Species richness and phylogenetic diversity but not abundance nor functional diversity were higher along railway transects than along field transects. Diversity indices near railways, mostly species richness and phylogenetic diversity, were positively associated with bush cover, wet meadow cover, wetland cover and the slope of the railway but negatively associated with dry meadow cover and field cover. Our study shows that railway embankments may be beneficial for bird diversity but probably do not alter the functional properties of bird communities as much as open fields. Proper management of these linear habitats may increase their value for birds and contribute to long-term bird community persistence.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s11356-019-06245-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of railways on bird diversity in farmland

Kajzer‐Bonk

Skórka

Bonk

et al. 2019

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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“…As opposed to reference grasslands, patches located next to roads are connected with other grasslands adjacent to roads via road verges. These marginal habitats may improve species turnover among grasslands located near roads or even be a species pool for butterflies, enhancing patch colonization after some disturbances connected with grassland management ( Tikka, Högmander & Koski, 2001 ; Brunzel, Elligsen & Frankl, 2004 ; Moroń et al, 2017 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Roads affect the spatial structure of butterfly communities in grassland patches

Skórka

Lenda

Moroń

2018

PeerJ

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Roads may have an important negative effect on animal dispersal rate and mortality and thus the functioning of local populations. However, road verges may be surrogate habitats for invertebrates. This creates a conservation dilemma around the impact of roads on invertebrates. Further, the effect of roads on invertebrates is much less understood than that on vertebrates. We studied the effect of roads on butterflies by surveying abundance, species richness and composition, and mortality in ten grassland patches along high-traffic roads (∼50–100 vehicles per hour) and ten reference grassland patches next to unpaved roads with very little traffic (<1 vehicle per day) in southern Poland. Five 200-m transects parallel to the road were established in every grassland patch: at a road verge, 25 m from the verge, in the patch interior, and 25 m from the boundary between the grassland and field and at the grassland-arable field boundary. Moreover, one 200-m transect located on a road was established to collect roadkilled butterflies. The butterfly species richness but not abundance was slightly higher in grassland patches adjacent to roads than in reference grassland patches. Butterfly species composition in grasslands adjacent to roads differed from that in the reference patches. Proximity of a road increased variability in butterfly abundances within grassland patches. Grassland patches bordering roads had higher butterfly abundance and variation in species composition in some parts of the grassland patch than in other parts. These effects were not found in reference grassland patches, where butterfly species and abundance were more homogenously distributed in a patch. Plant species composition did not explain butterfly species. However, variance partitioning revealed that the presence of a road explained the highest proportion of variation in butterfly species composition, followed by plant species richness and abundance in grassland patches. Road mortality was low, and the number of roadkilled butterflies was less than 5% of that of all live butterflies. Nevertheless, the number and species composition of roadkilled butterflies were well explained by the butterfly communities living in road verges but not by total butterfly community structure in grassland patches. This study is the first to show that butterfly assemblages are altered by roads. These results indicate that: (1) grassland patches located near roads are at least as good habitats for butterflies as reference grassland patches are, (2) roads create a gradient of local environmental conditions that increases variation in the abundance of certain species and perhaps increases total species richness in grassland patches located along roads, and (3) the impact of roads on butterflies is at least partially independent of the effect of plants on butterflies. Furthermore, (4) the direct impact of road mortality is probably spatially limited to butterflies living in close proximity to roads.

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“…In homogeneous landscapes, these marginal areas may be a habitat surrogate crucial for the survival of populations of endangered species. Such areas function often as movement and dispersal corridors or stepping stones in inhospitable matrix as pollinators rely on food and nesting sources that have patchy distribution (Kajzer-Bonk et al 2016 ; Moroń et al 2017 ). The positive effect of proximity of other windmills on wild bee diversity index and butterfly abundance indicates that at least for some species windmills may increase population connectivity in a landscape.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such specific conditions may cause the formation of new species assemblages (Lundholm and Richardson 2010 ; Lenda et al 2012 ). There is growing evidence that highly transformed and degraded patches, like quarries, railway embankments, or road verges, can paradoxically become a surrogate habitat for many species including those of high conservation status, when their natural habitats disappear in agricultural landscapes (Beneš et al 2003 ; Heneberg et al 2012 ; Lenda et al 2012 ; Moroń et al 2014 , 2017 ; Berg et al 2016 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The association of windmills with conservation of pollinating insects and wild plants in homogeneous farmland of western Poland

Pustkowiak

Banaszak‐Cibicka

Mielczarek

et al. 2017

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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Loss of suitable seminatural habitats and homogenization of crop types have led to the population decline of pollinating insects in farmland. As these insects support crop production, many practical efforts aim to sustain pollinator diversity which is especially challenging in intensively managed and homogeneous farmland. However, there are ongoing changes of the farmland toward its multifunctionality that includes, for example, wind farm development. Windmills are often built within crops; thus, we examined if the noncropped area around windmills can be valuable habitats for wild plants and pollinating insects: bees, butterflies, and flies. Species richness, abundances, and species diversity index of plants and pollinators around windmills were similar to those found in grassland patches (a typical habitat for these insects) and higher than in the adjacent crops. Pollinator diversity index and species richness at windmills increased with the distance to the nearest grassland patch and windmill. The population sizes of pollinating insects were also positively associated with plant diversity. Particular groups of pollinators showed specific habitat associations: bees occurred mostly at windmills, butterflies were highly associated with grasslands, while flies occurred in a similar number at windmill and on grasslands. Since windmills are frequently built within extensive homogeneous fields, thus, they introduce pollination services into the interior of cropped areas, contrary to field margins, road verges, or seminatural grasslands. Thus, although the development of wind farms has various negative environmental consequences, they can be alleviated by the increase of the local population size and diversity of wild plants and pollinating insects at windmills.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s11356-017-0864-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Railway lines affect spatial turnover of pollinator communities in an agricultural landscape

Cited by 18 publications

References 33 publications

The effect of railways on bird diversity in farmland

The effect of railways on bird diversity in farmland

Roads affect the spatial structure of butterfly communities in grassland patches

The association of windmills with conservation of pollinating insects and wild plants in homogeneous farmland of western Poland

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