Temporal effects of agri-environment schemes on ditch bank plant species

Dijk, William F.A. van; Schaffers, A.P.; Leewis, L.; Berendse, F.; Snoo, G.R. de

doi:10.1016/j.baae.2013.04.001

Cited by 13 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 40 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Plants depend on various dispersal vectors that impact species' response to landscape habitat composition and connectivity. In drained lowlands, the presence of water in ditch networks offers important corridor potential for hydrochorous species (Ozinga et al, 2004;Vogt et al, 2004;Soomers et al, 2010Soomers et al, , 2013Van Dijk et al, 2013), especially as they provide an effective and long-distance dispersal of plant propagules (Nilsson et al, 2010). However, propagules may also be dispersed by other vectors, such as wind or animals (Ozinga et al, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Connectivity and propagule sources composition drive ditch plant metacommunity structure

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Connectivity and propagule sources composition drive ditch plant metacommunity structure

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Despite being the main instrument of wetland loss, canals represent the only temporal continuity of wetland habitat in many drained landscapes (see Manhoudt et al, 2007 for the Netherlands), and are therefore refuges for organisms with high water demand (Chester & Robson, 2013; Harvolk et al, 2014). This paradoxical situation has led to the recognition that conservation value may be assigned to canals in agricultural landscapes, and therefore canals should be considered in conservation planning and agri-environmental schemes (Blomqvist et al, 2009; van Dijk et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Management requirements for biodiversity in canals may be substantially different from those of natural wetlands, posing new challenges for conservation planners. Conventional management prescriptions of agri-environmental schemes have frequently been reported as ineffective (Blomqvist et al, 2009; van Dijk et al, 2013; Shaw et al, 2015). The main constraints for biodiversity in canals appear to be the high nutrient load, pollution with pesticides and herbicides, and the inappropriate intensity of bed management, including dredging and vegetation cutting (Herzon & Helenius, 2008; Blomqvist et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Turning old foes into new allies – harnessing drainage canals for biodiversity conservation in desiccated novel ecosystems

Tölgyesi

Torma

Bátori

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

22 1. Drainage canals are ubiquitous components of agricultural landscapes worldwide. 23 Although canals have greatly contributed to biodiversity loss by desiccating wetlands, they 24 have recently attracted conservation attention due to their potential to function as refugia for 25 native wetland-dependent species in intensively managed landscapes. However, their 26 conservation role in complex landscapes comprising a mosaic of agricultural and desiccated 27 semi-natural habitats, on which canals still pose a heavy burden, is unknown. Improved 28 understanding of drainage canals and related biodiversity in these landscapes could help 29 unlock their potential and support synergistic land management for nature conservation and 30 water management. 31 2. We applied a multitaxon approach, including plants, butterflies, true bugs, spiders and 32 birds, to (1) assess the conservation value of drainage canals in a heavily drained European 33 lowland region, (2) to test landscape-level and local canal parameters for aiding prioritization 34 among canal types, and (3) to propose a reconciliation-based management framework that 35 suits the interest of all stakeholders. 36 3. We found that drainage canals concentrate more species across most taxa than 37 adjacent semi-natural habitats, owing to the micro-environmental heterogeneity and the 38 comparatively low management intensity in the canals. The species-concentrating capacity is 39 particularly high in canals that traverse semi-natural habitats, although agricultural canals also 40 support remarkable species diversity. However, agricultural canals are important dispersal 41 corridors for invasive plants, which may negatively affect native species. Canal size has little 42 effect on biodiversity but habitat stress is an important determinant. The higher the stress (due 43 to sandiness and salinity), the higher is the added value of canals to landscape-wide 44 biodiversity. 45 Synthesis and applications. We provide evidence that drainage canals can harbour 46 surprisingly high levels of biodiversity and should therefore be recognized as important novel 47 ecosystems with high conservation value, even within semi-natural habitats. Canals have 48 previously been considered detrimental to nature conservation due to their association with 49 loss of wetlands. However, by reducing water loss with reversible obstructions, controlling 50 invasive species and applying specific conservation measures, they may be turned into 51 conservation allies without compromising long-term interests of water management and 52 agricultural land use. 53 54

show abstract

“…Four times per year, between early April and the end of July, the area was crossed by foot around the time of sunrise, and all territorial and nesting birds were mapped. After the visits, the total number of Skylark breeding pairs was estimated based on standardised methods (Hustings et al 1989;Van Dijk and Boele 2011).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In arable areas, agri-environment schemes often focus on increasing the area of uncropped land, for example in the form of sown field margins or setaside (Vickery et al 2002;Tscharntke et al 2011). Various species living in agricultural areas depend on the presence of uncropped land, including a range of arthropods (Duelli and Obrist 2003;Tscharntke et al 2005), plants (Hovd and Skogen 2005;Van Dijk et al 2013), and birds (Fuller et al 2004;Henderson et al 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of breeding habitat and field margins on the reproductive performance of Skylarks (Alauda arvensis) on intensive farmland

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Field margin management is a common measure employed in Europe to support farmland bird populations. In this study we found and analysed 237 nests of the Skylark Alauda arvensis in the Netherlands over a period of 6 years to determine the effects of arable field margins and breeding crop on nest-level reproductive success. Additionally, the effect of field margins on predation was investigated and food availability in crops and field margins was compared. Neither clutch size, nest survival nor nestling body weight were improved by field margin availability, irrespective of the breeding crop used. However, the choice of breeding crop had important effects. Nestling weight was significantly lower in cereals than in grassland and lucerne, corresponding with the low prey densities present in cereals. Nest survival was lowest in grassland due to frequent silage cutting. Predation rates were highest in cereals but were not affected by field margin proximity. The highest reproductive success was achieved in lucerne, which was mown twice a year and retained a suitable height for breeding throughout the breeding season. We conclude that field margins are not sufficient to maintain a Skylark population in this intensively farmed area. The presumably more subtle effects of increased food availability cannot compensate for the high nest failure rates resulting from agricultural operations and predation. In this and similar areas, the provisioning of safe nesting habitat throughout the breeding season is essential to improve breeding performance. Our research suggests that this can be achieved by reducing the frequency of silage cutting on grassland and by increasing the surface area of lucerne.

show abstract

Temporal effects of agri-environment schemes on ditch bank plant species

Cited by 13 publications

References 40 publications

Connectivity and propagule sources composition drive ditch plant metacommunity structure

Connectivity and propagule sources composition drive ditch plant metacommunity structure

Turning old foes into new allies – harnessing drainage canals for biodiversity conservation in desiccated novel ecosystems

Effects of breeding habitat and field margins on the reproductive performance of Skylarks (Alauda arvensis) on intensive farmland

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About