Synergy between nature reserves and agri-environmental schemes in enhancing ditch bank target species plant diversity

TY - JOUR

T1 - Synergy between nature reserves and agri-environmental schemes in enhancing ditch bank target species plant diversity

AU - Leng, X.

AU - Musters, C. J. M.

AU - de Snoo, G. R.

N1 - ISI Document Delivery No.: 608GU Times Cited: 6 Cited Reference Count: 42 Leng, X. Musters, C. J. M. de Snoo, G. R. Musters, Cornelis/K-7828-2013; de Snoo, geert/M-4315-2013 6 0 19 Elsevier sci ltd Oxford <Go to ISI>://WOS:000278572300017

PY - 2010

Y1 - 2010

N2 - The issue of what conservation strategies to apply in agricultural landscape for the most effective protection of biodiversity has been debated for some years. The creation and maintenance of nature reserves is often hampered by both ecological and economic factors, while the ecological effectiveness of agri-environment schemes (AES) is still being queried. Our study examined how the spatial pattern of nature reserves and AES affects the diversity of 25 target species of conservation interest in ditch banks and how this information might be used to develop a strategy resulting in synergy between protected areas and enhanced matrix quality. We studied target species plant diversity on 92 ditch banks under AES and on 102 banks not under such a regime; all of them running parallel to nature reserves. We compared the results with those obtained from a previous study which focused on ditch banks running transverse. On non-AES ditch banks running parallel to nature reserves, there was a significant decline in species richness with increasing distance from the nature reserve while this was not the case for AES ditch banks. The effect of AES differed between the two directions, with a significant effect beyond 200 m in the parallel direction and within 200 m in the transverse direction. Our results indicate that synergy between nature reserves and AES can enhance plant diversity and, since the AES effect was different in different direction due to wind direction and nitrogen input to adjacent fields, location of AES should be chosen carefully. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

AB - The issue of what conservation strategies to apply in agricultural landscape for the most effective protection of biodiversity has been debated for some years. The creation and maintenance of nature reserves is often hampered by both ecological and economic factors, while the ecological effectiveness of agri-environment schemes (AES) is still being queried. Our study examined how the spatial pattern of nature reserves and AES affects the diversity of 25 target species of conservation interest in ditch banks and how this information might be used to develop a strategy resulting in synergy between protected areas and enhanced matrix quality. We studied target species plant diversity on 92 ditch banks under AES and on 102 banks not under such a regime; all of them running parallel to nature reserves. We compared the results with those obtained from a previous study which focused on ditch banks running transverse. On non-AES ditch banks running parallel to nature reserves, there was a significant decline in species richness with increasing distance from the nature reserve while this was not the case for AES ditch banks. The effect of AES differed between the two directions, with a significant effect beyond 200 m in the parallel direction and within 200 m in the transverse direction. Our results indicate that synergy between nature reserves and AES can enhance plant diversity and, since the AES effect was different in different direction due to wind direction and nitrogen input to adjacent fields, location of AES should be chosen carefully. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

KW - Seed limitation Site limitation Matrix landscape Distance from nature reserves Wind direction habitat heterogeneity agricultural landscapes ecosystem service spatial scale biodiversity netherlands grassland dispersal richness intensification Biodiversity

U2 - 10.1016/j.biocon.2010.03.023

DO - 10.1016/j.biocon.2010.03.023

M3 - Article

SN - 0006-3207

VL - 143

SP - 1470

EP - 1476

JO - Biological Conservation

JF - Biological Conservation

IS - 6

ER -