Integrating habitat diversity into species conservation in the Mediterranean mosaic landscape

Vimal, Ruppert; Fonderflick, Jocelyn; Thompson, John D.; Pluvinet, Pascal; Debussche, Max; Cheylan, Marc; Géniez, Philippe; Mathevet, Raphaël; Acquarone, Antonin; Lepart, Jacques

doi:10.1016/j.baae.2017.07.001

Cited by 8 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…To this aim, we made use of an extensive volunteer-based database of 18 164 individual records which spans all the reptile assemblage of southern France (Geniez and Cheylan 2012). This region is structured by a gradient from urban and agricultural plains in coastal lowlands to inland broadleaved forests resulting from the abandonment of former pastures and cultures during the first half of the 20th century (Sirami et al 2010, Vimal et al 2017. We specifically asked the following questions: 1) how are reptile species' distributions organized along gradients from abandoned land to densely urbanized and cultivated landscapes?…”

Section: Opportunistic Records Reveal Mediterranean Reptiles' Scale-dmentioning

confidence: 99%

Opportunistic records reveal Mediterranean reptiles’ scale‐dependent responses to anthropogenic land use

et al. 2018

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Although classified among the greatest threats to the world's biodiversity, the effects of land use and their scale dependency are left unexplored in many taxonomic groups. Reptiles are among the most data-deficient vertebrates in this respect, although their ecological traits make them highly sensitive to habitat modifications. We tested whether land use gradients shape the distributions of Mediterranean reptiles at regional and local scales, and whether species' ecological traits and phylogeny explain these patterns. Reptiles are generally rare and hard to survey through standardized protocols. We overcame these obstacles by modeling an original data set of 18164 opportunistic occurrence records for 14 reptile species with spatially-explicit point process models incorporating known sources of sampling heterogeneity and spatially autocorrelated error. At a regional scale, reptiles favored open habitats and tended to avoid urban areas. At a local scale, the persistence of open habitats did better than forest resulting from land abandonment in maintaining reptiles within a heavily anthropogenic matrix. Contrary to our expectations, the absence of any clear trait or phylogenetic signals suggests that these responses are mediated by a complex interplay between species' ecology and regional biogeographic history. These results demonstrate that reptile responses to land use are scale-dependent and locally exacerbated when anthropogenic pressure is high. We further show that land abandonment is insufficient to preserve reptiles in the face of anthropogenic pressures unless patches of suitable habitat are effectively maintained. Eventually, our study further illustrates the effectiveness of volunteer-based opportunistic sampling in testing hypotheses on the determinants of rare species' distributions.

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Section: Opportunistic Records Reveal Mediterranean Reptiles' Scale-dmentioning

confidence: 99%

Opportunistic records reveal Mediterranean reptiles’ scale‐dependent responses to anthropogenic land use

et al. 2018

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“…The EU's Common Agricultural Policy, launched in 1962, includes the possibility for farmers to be refunded for the low livestock grazing in those areas identified as priorities for biodiversity conservation, especially in the Alps (measures 10.1.9 “Eco‐sustainable management of pastures” included in the Rural Development Program of Piedmont Region). A proactive management that favors the maintenance of a mosaic of different habitats, such as forests, ecotones, and clearings, would support high diversity (Vimal et al, 2017). This identified low‐intense management may benefit other species linked to clearings and forest margins, such as the congeneric species Z. cassandra (Cini et al, 2021), P. mnemosyne (Cini et al, 2020), H. lucina , and some saproxylic beetles.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New approach for butterfly conservation through local field‐based vegetational and entomological data

et al. 2022

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In mountain ecosystems, it is crucial to identify conservation strategies to avoid local extinctions mainly due to agropastoral abandonment. For this purpose, identifying appropriate system indicators is required, for example, butterflies, which respond precisely and quickly to environmental changes. Zerynthia polyxena is an ecotonal species of butterfly, and thus, through its conservation it could be possible to protect clearing and ecotonal species. To develop conservation measures, we set up a hierarchical investigation that characterizes the ecological preferences of the adult and larval Z. polyxena, and host plant—Aristolochia pallida—by collecting data on the butterfly abundance (adult and larvae), tree cover, and litter plant features and by phytosociological surveys. Adult preferences change along an altitudinal gradient; the highest butterfly presence is at sites with medium elevation (1100 m above sea level [asl]) with high presence of forest, but even sites at low elevation (975 m asl), a high presence of forest favors butterfly abundance. Larvae prefer partially shaded ecotone plots with abundant host plants and low management intensity (corresponding to abundant litter) and with heterogeneous tree cover. High tree cover (70%) at low altitude and low tree cover (<20%) at high altitude favor larval presence. Larvae prefer plants with large leaves. Host plants were more abundant at low elevation where tree cover was low (<20%). We found that the optimal ecological niches of host plant and larvae have a spatial mismatch. By analyzing vegetation dynamics and butterfly monitoring during one field season, we are able to describe current and past (about 10–50 years ago) management pressures, in order to identify butterfly ecological preferences in relation to local features and therefore to suggest local conservation actions that might support Z. polyxena, as well as other butterflies and insects. Specifically, management measures should prevent afforestation (e.g., through irregular mowing) and favor the presence of small clearings and of ecotonal habitats in relation to elevation. Our study suggests that a new multifunctional approach that combines local entomological and vegetational surveys could be applied to define species optimal habitat features and, thus, to address appropriate conservation measures.

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“…Agriculture intensification and homogeneous agricultural landscapes are known to affect biodiversity negatively [ 9 , 10 , 11 ]. In the Mediterranean area, agriculture is fragmented into small patches, forming a mosaic landscape [ 12 , 13 ]. The mosaic landscape is defined as structurally complex spaces of variable scale that accommodate different interacting land-cover types of both natural and anthropogenic origin [ 14 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Beehive Proximity, Human Activity and Agricultural Intensity on Diptera Diversity in a Mediterranean Mosaic of Agroecosystems, with a Focus on Pest Species

Sladonja

Gajger

Uzelac

et al. 2023

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Diptera, with their participation in pollination, significantly contribute to the maintenance of plant diversity, and they also have great potential for assessing habitat health and preserving it. A decline in their abundance and diversity has been recorded worldwide as a consequence of biotic, abiotic, and anthropic alterations. In addition to pollinators, these orders include agricultural and forestry pests, which are a threat to both cultivated and wild plants that are very important to the economy. Many pests have escaped from their native areas, and it is important to monitor their spread to implement sustainable means of control. Our study provides baseline information on Diptera and Vespidae diversity in the Mediterranean mosaic of agroecosystems, giving information on the importance of human influence on insect diversity. We carried out an insect inventory in Istria, Croatia, using a set of traps placed in the proximity of beehives. This study was also important in determining the presence of pests and newly introduced species. A total of 94 species from 24 families were recorded—7 important agricultural pests of Diptera and 17 new records for Croatia. The correlation between species diversity and environmental and anthropogenic factors leads to the conclusion that total insect species richness, pest species richness, and the first findings depend on human activities. The number of honeybee colonies negatively correlated with species richness, while anthropic influence positively affected total and pest species richness.

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Integrating habitat diversity into species conservation in the Mediterranean mosaic landscape

Cited by 8 publications

References 15 publications

Opportunistic records reveal Mediterranean reptiles’ scale‐dependent responses to anthropogenic land use

Opportunistic records reveal Mediterranean reptiles’ scale‐dependent responses to anthropogenic land use

New approach for butterfly conservation through local field‐based vegetational and entomological data

The Impact of Beehive Proximity, Human Activity and Agricultural Intensity on Diptera Diversity in a Mediterranean Mosaic of Agroecosystems, with a Focus on Pest Species

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