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Agriculture
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Biodiversity in Fruit Orchards
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Biodiversity in Fruit Orchards

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Ecosystem, Environment and Climate Change in Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2022) | Viewed by 9478

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Claus P. W. Zebitz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Phytomedicine, University of Hohenheim, Otto-Sander-Str. 5, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany
Interests: insect–plant interactions; parasitoids; habitat management; biocontrol

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Four years ago, Hallmann et al. reported an alarming 75% decline of insect biomass in Germany. The intensification of agriculture is considered to be one of the most important driving forces of biodiversity loss, and they claimed “an urgent need to uncover the causes of this decline” (sic). However, it is not only necessary to shed light on the reasons for biodiversity loss due to agricultural intensification; agricultural production can also contribute to biodiversity conservation.

Fruit production as a perennial culture allows different long-term approaches to create habitats that are suitable to not only enhance the abundance of beneficial insects, but also biodiversity in general. Besides the increase in the number of species and their abundance (the effects that are the easiest to assess and observe), species interactions and ecosystem services are more demanding to determine. Despite the social desire, the efforts of farmers to contribute to biodiversity conservation and increase must be feasible and not collide with the activities absolute necessary to maintain and run a farm successfully.

We feel that the time has come to publish a wide-ranging overview of original research and review articles on conservation and increased biodiversity in orchards from the academic point of view as well as from practitioners’ perspectives.

Prof. Dr. Claus P. W. Zebitz
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable fruit production
  • cropping system
  • habitat structure
  • species richness
  • biodiversity conservation
  • companion plants
  • ecological upgrading
  • ecosystem services
  • functional agrobiodiversity
  • outcome assessment

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2127 KiB  
Article
Stable Isotope Analysis Supports Omnivory in Bank Voles in Apple Orchards
by Linas Balčiauskas, Vitalijus Stirkė, Andrius Garbaras, Raminta Skipitytė and Laima Balčiauskienė
Agriculture 2022, 12(9), 1308; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agriculture12091308 - 25 Aug 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1265
Abstract
With only periodic and incomplete studies of its diet over time, all with differing methods and conclusions, the degree of omnivory in the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) is not fully clear. We assessed the trophic niche of the species using isotopic [...] Read more.
With only periodic and incomplete studies of its diet over time, all with differing methods and conclusions, the degree of omnivory in the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) is not fully clear. We assessed the trophic niche of the species using isotopic (δ15N and δ13C) compositions from hair samples and analysed how C. glareolus shares trophic space with herbivores, granivores and insectivores living syntopically. According to the numbers trapped, C. glareolus was the fourth most numerous species in the apple orchards that we investigated, accounting for 14.4% of all trapped small mammals with a relative abundance of 1.12 individuals per 100 trap nights. The average values of both δ15N and δ13C in the hair of C. glareolus differed from the other trophic groups, with the average of δ15N in orchards and neighbouring habitats (6.55–6.95‰) being closest to that of insectivores. Intraspecific trophic niche differences (depending on age, gender and reproductive status) were not expressed, while correlations between body mass, body condition index and both δ15N and δ13C values were not consistent. In comparison to analysed basal resources, isotopic signatures in the hair were closest to the values in invertebrates and apple seeds. The degree of omnivory in C. glareolus was not the same in different habitats. This may be an indication of ecological plasticity within the species, allowing its inclusion/success in multi-species small mammal communities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity in Fruit Orchards)
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16 pages, 770 KiB  
Article
Co-Flowering Species Richness Increases Pollinator Visitation to Apple Flowers
by Amy-Marie Gilpin, Conrad Kobel, Laura E. Brettell, Corey O’Brien, James M. Cook and Sally A. Power
Agriculture 2022, 12(8), 1246; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agriculture12081246 - 17 Aug 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1825
Abstract
Co-flowering plants can experience an array of interactions, ranging from facilitation to competition, the direction and strength of which are often dependent on the relative abundance and diversity of the plant species involved and the foraging behavior of their pollinators. Understanding interactions between [...] Read more.
Co-flowering plants can experience an array of interactions, ranging from facilitation to competition, the direction and strength of which are often dependent on the relative abundance and diversity of the plant species involved and the foraging behavior of their pollinators. Understanding interactions between plant–pollinator networks and how they change over time is particularly important within agricultural systems, such as apples, that flower en masse and that also contain non-crop co-flowering species both within the farm and the surrounding landscape. We determined the degree of overlap between pollinator networks on two varieties of apple (Granny Smith and Pink Lady) and co-flowering plant species within orchards and the wider vegetation matrix in two apple-growing regions (Orange and Bilpin) in Australia. We surveyed plant–pollinator interactions at key stages of the cropping cycle: before mass flowering; during king, peak and late blooms; and, finally, once apple flowering had finished. Overall, we found considerable overlap in the flower visitor assemblage on apples and co-flowering species within the orchard. The introduced honeybee (Apis mellifera) was the most frequent flower visitor to all three vegetation types at all times in Orange. However, in Bilpin, both a native stingless bee (Tetragonula carbonaria) and A. mellifera were highly frequent visitors, both on- and off-crop. Numerous native bees, flies and Lepidoptera also commonly visited apple and co-flowering species within orchards in both locations. We found that native-bee and honeybee visitation to apple flowers was positively correlated with co-flowering species richness (within the orchard and the wider matrix); however, visitation by native bees decreased as the area of co-flowering species in the surrounding landscape increased. Our study highlights the importance of maintaining diverse co-flowering plant communities within the local landscape to increase and support a wide variety of pollinators in horticultural production systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity in Fruit Orchards)
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12 pages, 1035 KiB  
Article
Spatiotemporal Variation of Small Mammal Communities in Commercial Orchards across the Small Country
by Vitalijus Stirkė, Linas Balčiauskas and Laima Balčiauskienė
Agriculture 2022, 12(5), 632; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agriculture12050632 - 28 Apr 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1430
Abstract
The diversity of small mammal communities is a measure of the sustainability of habitats, especially agricultural ones. Based on 2018–2020 data from 18 sites in Lithuania, we analysed factors related to diversity of such a community, specifically the relative abundances and proportions of [...] Read more.
The diversity of small mammal communities is a measure of the sustainability of habitats, especially agricultural ones. Based on 2018–2020 data from 18 sites in Lithuania, we analysed factors related to diversity of such a community, specifically the relative abundances and proportions of common vole, striped field mouse, yellow-necked mouse, and bank vole. We assessed the influence of location (central, northern, eastern, southern, and western parts of the country), habitat type (orchards, berry plantations, control habitats), the year and season. The model explained 14.8–33.4% of the listed parameters with p < 0.005 or higher, with the exception of the dominance index and the proportion of the common vole. Time factor (year and season, p < 0.001) and site location (p < 0.05) had the highest influences, while that of habitat type was less significant. The results of this and the former research suggest that commercial orchards play a role in maintaining the diversity and abundance of small mammal communities in the agrolandscapes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity in Fruit Orchards)
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15 pages, 1903 KiB  
Article
Multiple Factors at Regional, Landscape, and Local Scales Determine Spider Assemblage Composition in Pomegranate Orchards
by Ibrahim N. A. Salman, Yael Lubin and Efrat Gavish-Regev
Agriculture 2022, 12(4), 512; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agriculture12040512 - 04 Apr 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1803
Abstract
Orchards may support high spider diversity relative to annual crops due to their structural complexity and relative stability. Multiple environmental conditions at the landscape, regional, and local scales may influence the assemblage composition of spiders in orchards. We asked which environmental variables best [...] Read more.
Orchards may support high spider diversity relative to annual crops due to their structural complexity and relative stability. Multiple environmental conditions at the landscape, regional, and local scales may influence the assemblage composition of spiders in orchards. We asked which environmental variables best explains spider assemblage composition and the similarity of the assemblages of pomegranate orchards located along a latitudinal gradient in Israel? Spiders were sampled from twelve pomegranate orchards along a climatic gradient from north to south. Orchards located at higher latitudes had richer assemblages than orchards located at lower latitudes. The assemblage composition was influenced at the large scale by latitude and annual crop cover in the surrounding landscape but not by local factors. By contrast, functional groups based on foraging strategies were affected by local scale factors, such as vegetation within the orchards. This study demonstrates the importance of considering environmental variables at different scales to understand the factors affecting the assemblage composition of naturally occurring predators in the orchard. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity in Fruit Orchards)
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16 pages, 3128 KiB  
Article
Disentangling the Benefits of Organic Farming for Beetle Communities (Insecta: Coleoptera) in Traditional Fruit Orchards
by Natalia Rosas-Ramos, Josep D. Asís, Estefanía Tobajas, Víctor de Paz and Laura Baños-Picón
Agriculture 2022, 12(2), 243; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agriculture12020243 - 08 Feb 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1688
Abstract
The conversion of traditional land-use systems into more intensive agriculture forms plays a main role in biodiversity loss. Within this framework, organic management has received widespread attention since it is assumed to enhance multiple taxa, including different groups of insects and plants. However, [...] Read more.
The conversion of traditional land-use systems into more intensive agriculture forms plays a main role in biodiversity loss. Within this framework, organic management has received widespread attention since it is assumed to enhance multiple taxa, including different groups of insects and plants. However, its contribution to the promotion of organism diversity is still controversial. We developed a study in traditional cherry orchards from the Jerte Valley (western Spain) to examine how coleopteran and plant assemblages are driven by farming system (organic vs. conventional), topographic features, and seasonality. The coleopteran community was examined on the basis of its taxonomic and trophic guild response. Organic orchards supported a higher number of beetle families and a greater plant species richness. Additionally, beetle and plant communities were highly correlated; conventional orchards were more homogeneous in terms of both plant and beetle composition, while organic orchards were more heterogeneous, their composition being also shaped by the hillside aspect. From a more functional approach, the different coleopteran trophic guilds exhibited varying responses to the factors analyzed. The benefits of organic farming were notable even when working in traditional systems: highly valuable habitats for overall biodiversity. Therefore, we highlight the potential of organic orchards for conservation purposes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity in Fruit Orchards)
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