Description
The review examines how landscape properties like composition, configuration, and heterogeneity affect biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. It highlights the importance of semi-natural habitats and crop diversity for supporting species richness and abundance across taxa. Landcape structure influences key ecosystem services for agriculture, focusing on natural pest control and crop pollination. Authors examine the role of semi-natural habitats, crop mosaic configuration, and farming practices in supporting beneficial insects.
Findings
Landscape heterogeneity acts as an ecological filter for species. Both compositional heterogeneity (crop diversity) and configurational heterogeneity (field size) impact biodiversity. Past landscape properties can have legacy effects on current biodiversity patterns .Semi-natural habitats provide resources for natural enemies and pollinators, but effects on pest control are mixed. Smaller field sizes can enhance natural enemy abundance. Organic farming at the landscape scale generally has neutral to positive effects on pest control.
Stats
Mean field size and crop diversity are important drivers of species diversity for birds, insects, and plants
Past landscape properties from 1-5 decades ago can better explain current species distributions than present landscape features Landscapes with >40% arable crops show positive effects of edge length on pest control
IAA concentration in Beejamrit peaks at 20.33 μg/ml after 4 days of decomposition.