Browsing by Subject "Agricultural landscape"

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Do biotic and abiotic factors influence the prevalence of a common parasite of the invasive alien ladybird Harmonia axyridis?
(2022) Haelewaters, Danny; Hiller, Thomas; Ceryngier, Piotr; Eschen, René; Gorczak, Michał; Houston, Makenna L.; Kisło, Kamil; Knapp, Michal; Landeka, Nediljko; Pfliegler, Walter P.; Zach, Peter; Aime, M. Catherine; Nedvěd, Oldřich
Hesperomyces virescens (Ascomycota, Laboulbeniales), a fungal ectoparasite, is thus far reported on Harmonia axyridis from five continents: North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. While it is known that He. virescens can cause mortality of Ha. axyridis under laboratory conditions, the role of biotic and abiotic factors in influencing the distribution of He. virescens in the field is unknown. We collected and screened 3,568 adult Ha. axyridis from 23 locations in seven countries in Central Europe between October and November 2018 to test the effect of selected host characters and climate and landscape variables on the infection probability with He. virescens. Mean parasite prevalence of He. virescens on Ha. axyridis was 17.9%, ranging among samples from 0 to 46.4%. Host sex, climate, and landscape composition did not have any significant effect on the infection probability of He. virescens on Ha. axyridis. Two color forms, f. conspicua and f. spectabilis, had a significantly lower parasite prevalence compared to the common Ha. axyridis f. novemdecimsignata.
Pathways for biodiversity enhancement in German agricultural landscapes
(2025) Sponagel, Christian; Thompson, Amibeth; Paetow, Hubertus; Mupepele, Anne‐Christine; Bieling, Claudia; Sommer, Martin; Klein, Alexandra‐Maria; Settele, Josef; Finger, Robert; Huber, Robert; Albert, Christian; Filser, Juliane; Jansen, Florian; Kleemann, Janina; Schreiner, Vera; Lakner, Sebastian; Sponagel, Christian; Department of Farm Management, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany; Thompson, Amibeth; Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Paetow, Hubertus; DLG e.V.—German Agricultural Society, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Mupepele, Anne‐Christine; Department of Biology—Animal Ecology, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Bieling, Claudia; Department of Societal Transition and Agriculture, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany; Sommer, Martin; Deutscher Verband für Landschaftspflege (DVL)—Landcare Germany, Ansbach, Germany; Klein, Alexandra‐Maria; Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Settele, Josef; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Finger, Robert; Agricultural Economics and Policy, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland; Huber, Robert; Agricultural Economics and Policy, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland; Albert, Christian; Institute of Environmental Planning, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Germany; Filser, Juliane; Center for Environmental Research and Sustainable Technology (UFT), University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany; Jansen, Florian; Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany; Kleemann, Janina; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Schreiner, Vera; Department of Sustainable Landscape Development, Institute for Geosciences and Geography, Martin‐Luther University Halle‐Wittenberg, Halle, Germany; Lakner, Sebastian; Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
Conserving biodiversity, especially in agricultural landscapes, is a major societal challenge. Broad scientific evidence exists on the impacts of single drivers on biodiversity, such as the intensification of agriculture. However, halting biodiversity decline requires a systemic understanding of the interactions between multiple drivers, which has hardly been achieved so far. Selecting Germany as a case study, the goal of our analysis is (i) to understand how various socio‐economic drivers of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes interact at the national scale, (ii) to identify plausible pathways that most likely will lead to an improvement of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes and (iii) to discuss guiding principles for policy‐making based on the pathways. We applied the expert‐based Cross‐Impact‐Balance (CIB) methodology to the German agri‐food system (target year 2030). Seven descriptors that represent the most relevant socio‐economic drivers of biodiversity (here, we focus on species richness) in agricultural landscapes in Germany were defined. In three workshops with different groups of experts, we assessed all the interactions and impacts between these descriptors. From the workshops, seven overlapping scenarios were identified and aggregated into four main future pathways for enhancing biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. These pathways are: (1) ‘Innovation and stricter legislation’, (2) ‘Major change in protein production and CAP shift’, (3) ‘Major change in protein production and national legislation’ and (4) ‘Major social changes compensate for a lack of innovation in food production’. Socio‐economic drivers interact to varying degrees. Societal values have a strong active influence on the system, e. g. agricultural policy, whereas the orientation and objectives of agriculture, e. g. focus on public goods, are rather passively determined. Conserving biodiversity thus depends upon the evolution of societal values, European and national nature conservation and agricultural policies, innovations in plant and protein production as well as on global commodity markets. A key message for policymakers is that there are generally different, complementary options for achieving the objective of improving biodiversity. This is important when specific drivers such as the CAP cannot be steered in a particular desired direction.
Strategies to promote sustainable development: The gendered importance of addressing diminishing African Locust Bean (Parkia biglobosa) resources in northern Ghana’s agro-ecological landscape
(2022) Lelea, Margareta Amy; Konlan, Lydia Madintin; Ziblila, Rashida Chantima; Thiele, Lara Elena; Amo-Aidoo, Araba; Kaufmann, Brigitte
As the topic of gender and forests gains international attention through programs related to addressing the Sustainable Development Goals, we focus on a case study of the African Locust Bean (Parkia biglobosa) in the savannah landscape of northern Ghana. Although this tree holds high cultural significance for Dagomba women, it is unfortunately becoming scarcer in our study area near Tamale. We investigate the reasons for this decline in relation to the agricultural, ecological, and cultural landscape and discuss the gendered impacts of these changes. Research in these communities was conducted between 2018 and 2021 as part of a transdisciplinary action research approach to process underutilized species with women’s groups. The research started with a survey that included 27 women’s groups in 13 communities with 524 women participants. Out of a selected number of groups, our research team has worked more intensively with three women’s groups near Nyankpala, which selected for their processing focus the African Locust Bean, locally known as dawadawa. More than 45 group sessions were organized with seven groups in a collaborative learning process in 2019. Additionally, the three groups in Kpachi who chose to process the African Locust Bean sustained facilitation of group activities until the end of 2021. Specifically, on the topic of the decline of this tree, 19 semistructured interviews were conducted in August 2020 with 8 female farmers, 7 male farmers and 4 chiefs in the local governance system. Our results show the cultural significance of the African Locust Bean for women in the Dagomba culture as well as practical uses of all parts of the tree. Specifically, the seeds are used for making a fermented condiment and tea. Although seeds of the African Locust Bean are considered a women’s crop, their access to this tree is mediated by the local chiefs and often male land-users. Most farmers interviewed reported a reduction in trees in their fields. The reasons for the decrease can be summarized in six different categories, (1) aging tree populations, (2) challenge caring for saplings until maturity, (3) agricultural changes with increased mechanization and pesticide use, (4) over-use as a firewood resource, (5) usufruct rights between traditional chiefs, male land-owners, and women who should be granted access to the trees according to Dagomba cultural values, and (6) reduced water availability inhibits seed yield. In conclusion, there is an urgent need for action to protect and restore the African Locust Bean within northern Ghana’s savannah landscape to ensure continued access and benefits of the tree to women in the region.