Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment最新文献

{"title":"Ground cover promotes enhanced bat activity in high-value insular vineyards","authors":"Luca Cistrone ,&nbsp;Henry Schofield ,&nbsp;Danilo Russo","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109698","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109698","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Vineyards represent a significant portion of global agricultural land. However, their conventional management, which relies on synthetic inputs and intensive cultivation, often reduces habitat complexity, impacting biodiversity and reducing ecosystem services such as pest control. Inter-row grass cover has been proposed as a management strategy to enhance biodiversity, but its effects on insectivorous bats – key providers of pest suppression – remain unexplored. We investigated the influence of inter-row grass cover on bat activity in the vineyards of Pantelleria (Italy), a Mediterranean island where agriculture must balance productivity with environmental sustainability. We conducted acoustic surveys across 18 vineyards, comparing bat activity between grass-covered and cleared inter-rows. We recorded 3240 bat passes from seven species, with <em>Pipistrellus kuhlii</em> being the most frequently detected. Our results indicate that inter-row grass cover significantly increases <em>P. kuhlii</em> activity, likely due to enhanced habitat complexity and prey availability. <em>Plecotus gaisleri</em> activity increased with vineyard area, suggesting better foraging conditions in larger vineyards<em>.</em> Species richness and the remaining bat species were unaffected by inter-row management. Maintaining inter-row grass cover can benefit <em>P. kuhlii</em>, the species most frequently hunting in Pantelleria vineyards, offering a potential win-win strategy for biodiversity and agricultural sustainability. To promote inter-row grass cover while minimising competition affecting vine growth and productivity, we recommend restricting mowing, weed removal, and hoeing to the vine base and planting basin while maintaining grass cover between rows. Rotational mowing, selecting native plants, and preserving hedgerows can enhance bat habitat. Mowing outside peak insect activity and engaging vineyard owners may further support biodiversity and productivity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"389 ","pages":"Article 109698"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143843573","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Land-use effects on aphid-parasitoid-hyperparasitoid food web structure and function","authors":"Zhaoke Dong ,&nbsp;Xiang Zhang ,&nbsp;Qiong Wu ,&nbsp;Vesna Gagic ,&nbsp;Zeljko Tomanovic ,&nbsp;Zhaozhi Lu ,&nbsp;Myron P. Zalucki","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109699","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109699","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the impact of land-use intensity on aphid-parasitoid food web structure and biological control services is crucial for managing landscapes in a way that supports natural pest regulation. However, few studies have directly linked the structure of these food webs to actual pest control outcomes. In this study, we analyzed how the structure of aphid-parasitoid food webs and the ecosystem services they provide varied across a land-use intensity gradient in 24 alfalfa fields during three years in China. Beta diversity result indicates that the regional species pools play a key role in local food web assembly. Species in plain regions (intensive agricultural areas) were subsets of those found in mountainous region (more diverse landscapes), indicating that land-use intensity filtered out species from the broader regional pool rather than creating unique local assemblages. Land-use intensity, particularly mowing and insecticide application, negatively impacted both primary parasitoid and hyperparasitoid richness and abundance. Conversely, noncrop areas positively influenced primary parasitoid richness. Food web structures varied across regions and sampling dates. Hyperparasitism was significantly correlated with food web structural metrics, showing a negative relationship with modularity and a positive relationship with nestedness in primary-hyperparasitoid food webs. It suggests that hyperparasitoids may be more effective in suppressing primary parasitoids and thereby aphid biocontrol in less modular and more interconnected food webs. These findings highlight the importance of food web structure in shaping parasitoid dynamics and emphasize the need for landscape management strategies that promote biodiversity and ecosystem functions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"389 ","pages":"Article 109699"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143842820","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Medium molecular weight carbon fractions of DOM: Driving soil microbial community differentiation and soil organic carbon sequestration","authors":"Jinkang Yang ,&nbsp;Yanan Ren ,&nbsp;Shaomin Huang ,&nbsp;Liping Weng ,&nbsp;Yongtao Li ,&nbsp;Hongen Liu ,&nbsp;Peng Zhao ,&nbsp;Long Wang ,&nbsp;Xiaolei Jie","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109688","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109688","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil dissolved organic matter (DOM) is vital for energy and nutrient dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems and significantly influences soil microbial diversity and community structure. However, the impact of long-term organic substitutes (straw and manure) on the molecular composition of DOM and their relationships with organic carbon composition and microbial community structure remain unexplored, particularly in fluvo-aquic soils. This study conducted a systematic investigation utilizing Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS), biomarker analyses, microbial high-throughput sequencing, and carbon source metabolism assessments over a 33-year localization experiment. Results showed that long-term organic substitution significantly enhanced the abundance of complex organic molecules (CHONs, CHOSs, and CHONSs) while reducing simple compounds (CHOs). Medium molecular weight carbon fractions (amino sugar, carbohydrate, tannin, and condensed aromatic) increased to an average of 31.1–32.5 %, whereas large (lignin; 6.81–8.10 %) and small (unsaturated hydrocarbon, lipid, and peptide; 1.62–13.0 %) molecular weight carbon fractions decreased. Medium molecular weight carbon fractions showed a significant positive correlation with soil organic carbon (SOC) contents (encompassing particulate, mineral-associated, plant-derived, and bacterial necromass carbon), facilitating SOC sequestration. Furthermore, the modularity of microbial communities (fungi and bacteria) and abundance and diversity of carbon source utilization correlated positively with medium molecular weight carbon fractions, thereby enhancing microbial community stability. Fungal communities exhibited greater sensitivity to these carbon fractions than bacterial communities. The result highlights the critical role of medium molecular weight carbon fractions in shaping microbial community structures and enhancing SOC sequestration, providing a scientific basis for optimizing agricultural management practices and promoting sustainable agricultural development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"389 ","pages":"Article 109688"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143842819","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Forage crops boost the productivity and environmental sustainability of dairy farmers in southern Tanzania","authors":"Sylvia S. Nyawira ,&nbsp;Solomon W. Mwendia ,&nbsp;Emmanuel Mwema ,&nbsp;Ricardo Gonzalez-Quintero ,&nbsp;Beatus Nzogela ,&nbsp;Andrew Sila ,&nbsp;Angello Mwilawa ,&nbsp;Jonas Kizima ,&nbsp;Birthe K. Paul ,&nbsp;An Notenbaert","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109649","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109649","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The adoption of cultivated forages is critical for enhancing biomass production, milk yield, and soil health in mixed smallholder dairy farming systems in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. Yet most farmers continue to rely on traditional forage varieties such as Guatemala, Rhodes grass, and Napier grass for fodder. This study combines biophysical data from on-farm forage trials with simple environmental calculations to assess biomass production. Using data from six trials across three districts (Mufindi, Njombe, and Rungwe), we conducted a comprehensive analysis, comparing dry matter and crude protein yields of 14 different forage treatments and quantifying changes in SOC over a three-year period. These empirical data were then incorporated in an ex-ante environmental assessment of typical dairy farming. Key findings highlight significant variability in forages’ performance across districts—Rungwe district, with the highest rainfall, exhibiting the highest dry matter yields. Forage grass-legume intercrops outperformed the pure grasses in crude protein yields. Despite minimal changes in SOC over the three-year monitoring period, Mufindi district showed measurable SOC increases. This can be attributed to the initially low SOC content at the two study sitesand slower decomposition due to the colder temperatures in one of the sites compared to Njombe and Rungwe. The environmental analysis reveals large land, soil, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions footprints associated with current feeding practices across intensive dairy farms. However, replacing crop residues with high-quality forages such as <em>Brachiaria</em> hybrid Cayman and Rhodes grasses could improve milk productivity and result in neutral or positive environmental outcomes. At scale, improved forages increased milk yield by 15 %, reduced water and land footprints by 17 %, and enhanced soil-erosion resistance by 63 %, although GHGs emissions increased by 2 %. Our findings underscore the potential of cultivated forages for enhancing dairy production, improving soil health, and alleviating land- and water-use pressures in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. Future long-term experimental studies, complemented by biophysical modeling, would be valuable in identifying the context-specific forage and management options for the dairy sector’s sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"389 ","pages":"Article 109649"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143833998","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tensions in tillage: Reduction in tillage intensity associates with lower wheat growth and nutritional grain quality despite enhanced soil biological indicators","authors":"Matthias Waibel ,&nbsp;Jennifer Michel ,&nbsp;Maurine Antoine ,&nbsp;Iñaki Balanzategui-Guijarro ,&nbsp;Da Cao ,&nbsp;Pierre Delaplace ,&nbsp;Jacques Le Gouis ,&nbsp;David Alvarez ,&nbsp;Claire Léon ,&nbsp;Sandy Manfroy ,&nbsp;Jordi Moya-Laraño ,&nbsp;Sibille Perrochon ,&nbsp;Sara Sanchez-Moreno ,&nbsp;Inés Santin-Montanya ,&nbsp;José Luis Tenorio ,&nbsp;Cécile Thonar ,&nbsp;Hervé Vanderschuren ,&nbsp;Dominique Van Der Straeten ,&nbsp;Thomas Verlinde ,&nbsp;Markus Weinmann ,&nbsp;Sarah Symanczik","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109675","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109675","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dryland ecosystems are particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of intensive agriculture, with intensive tillage exerting a major impact on soil health and its biotic components. The implementation of less disturbing soil management practices can be essential for preserving the soil environment and maintaining the diverse communities of microorganisms, micro- and mesofauna, which are vital contributors to soil fertility. In this study, we assessed soil chemical properties, soil biodiversity and functionality, and wheat crop growth across a tillage gradient encompassing no-tillage (NT), minimum tillage (MT), and standard tillage (ST). Results showed that reducing tillage intensity increased soil macronutrient levels and the abundance of soil biota. Overall, higher levels of bacterial and fungal marker genes and higher abundance of predatory acari were observed in MT and NT compared to ST. Also, nematode abundance increased by 25 % in MT and 50 % in NT, compared to ST. Similarly, community structure analysis revealed that tillage strongly influenced bacterial, fungal and acari community composition, reflecting a gradient of soil disturbance intensity. Corresponding to the increased abundance of soil biota, reducing tillage intensity increased microbial activity and soil functionality along the disturbance gradient. In addition, evidence of the formation of biocrust as a possible source of carbon input was found. Despite enhanced soil biological indicators in less intensive tillage systems, wheat growth, nitrogen uptake and grain B vitamin contents were higher in ST compared to NT. In addition, we observed a shift in technological grain properties across tillage practices. The higher root:shoot ratio (an indicator of nitrogen deficiency) and median root diameter (hormone-driven lateral expansion) in NT suggest that soil compaction could be a potential cause of reduced wheat performance. These results suggest that despite improved soil biological indicators, other factors such as low rates of N mineralization potential due to drought conditions during the study year and the prevalence of soil compaction may limit wheat performance in NT systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"389 ","pages":"Article 109675"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143834000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of conservation agriculture on carbon dynamics across eroded slopes: A global synthesis","authors":"Liangang Xiao,&nbsp;Kebing Zhao,&nbsp;Yudi Wang,&nbsp;Rongqin Zhao,&nbsp;Zhixiang Xie,&nbsp;Qingfeng Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109696","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109696","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Conservation agriculture represents an essential management for sustainable development of croplands, and a number of syntheses have been published to investigate its benefits in terms of erosion control and carbon sequestration. However, previous studies usually investigated the two benefits separately, and it currently lacks a comprehensive evaluation of how the application of conservation agriculture impacts on the carbon cycling in the background of erosion. In this study, we systematically investigated the erosion processes and carbon dynamics across eroded slopes after adopting various conservation practices based on the data obtained from field experiments across the globe. The results showed that, compared to conventional tillage, adopting conservation agriculture did not significantly reduce runoff on average (-8.8 %), but it led to a significant reduction of sediment loss (-34.2 %). The application of conservation agriculture resulted in a significant increase of soil organic carbon accumulation in the top layer of 10 cm (+27.7 %), and single erosion event was not able to change the soil organic carbon content in the surface 5 cm. The loss of soil organic carbon was significantly reduced (-31.2 %) under conservation measures, but the soil organic carbon concentration in sediment was significantly increased (+15.2 %). The enrichment ratio of soil organic carbon in sediment did not increase significantly compared to that of conventional tillage (+1.4 %). The impact of conservation agriculture on carbon mineralization was minimal in the soil surface (-0.1 %), but it significantly increased the mineralization rate of carbon in runoff and sediment (+63.7 %), indicating a higher mineralization potential of eroded carbon under conservation agriculture. The results further highlighted the critical contribution of straw mulching in erosion control, soil organic carbon loss reduction, and soil organic carbon accumulation, while reduced tillage represents the least effective measure. Overall, this study quantitively summarizes the basic carbon dynamics across eroded slopes under conservation agriculture, and may provide important evidence for comprehensively understanding the mechanisms of how conservation agriculture influences on carbon accumulation, erosion, and mineralization under the background of erosion from a new perspective.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"389 ","pages":"Article 109696"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143833999","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Increasing phosphorus availability reduces grassland soil N2O emission: Plants and microbes move from mutualism to self-reliance","authors":"Jirui Gong ,&nbsp;Shangpeng Zhang ,&nbsp;Ying Li ,&nbsp;Hans Lambers ,&nbsp;Weiyuan Zhang ,&nbsp;Siqi Zhang ,&nbsp;Xuede Dong ,&nbsp;Guisen Yang ,&nbsp;Ruijing Wang ,&nbsp;Chenyi Yan ,&nbsp;Tong Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109695","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109695","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Phosphorus (P) availability directly affects grassland soil physicochemical properties and plant growth, which in turn alters microbially mediated nitrous oxide (N₂O) emission. Linking plant, soil, and microbial processes is helpful to reveal processes that affect the effects of soil P on N₂O emission. Here, we established five P-application treatments (control, with no P addition, and 1–12.5 g P m⁻² yr⁻¹ in treatments P1 to P12.5) to vary soil P availability. We investigated how the nutrient-acquisition strategies of <em>Leymus chinensis</em>, soil physicochemical properties, and microbial metabolic activity responded to P availability and assess effects on N₂O emission. The N₂O flux in the fertilization treatments was significantly lower than in the control but differed among the treatments. Plant biomass and root nonstructural carbohydrates increased significantly in P1 and P2.5, and plants increased root carbon allocation and recruited more microbes and greatly increased the nitrogen mineralization rate. This symbiotic plant–microbe association promoted plant water uptake, and soil drying increases the abundance of <em>amoA</em> functional gene, thereby promoting nitrification and reducing N₂O emission. Plants obtained more nutrients associated with an increase in the number of root tips and carboxylate exudation in P5 and P12.5. This self-reliance strategy increased nutrient competition, and the resulting substantial reduction of microbial biomass decreased the N₂O flux. However, the abundance of the <em>narG</em> <!--> gene and N₂O emission increased slightly in P12.5, whereas the microbial biomass was low but maintained a high carbon-use efficiency, reflecting a self-reliant microbial strategy to acclimate to their environment. Overall, P availability in grassland soils was inversely proportional to N₂O emission, and strongly determined plant–microbe interactions. Our results provide support for managing grass growth and N₂O emission in P-deficient grassland.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"389 ","pages":"Article 109695"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143828670","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Livestock excretion alleviates soil microbial carbon and phosphorus limitations relative to trampling and defoliation in an alpine meadow","authors":"Yuye Shen ,&nbsp;Yunying Fang ,&nbsp;Yvonne Oelmann ,&nbsp;Tony Vancov ,&nbsp;Huai Chen ,&nbsp;Ziyin Du ,&nbsp;Scott X. Chang ,&nbsp;Yanjiang Cai","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109687","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109687","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Livestock grazing significantly influence the carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) dynamics within grassland ecosystems. However, a limited understanding of the specific impacts of individual grazing behaviors—such as trampling, defoliation, and excretion—on the flexibility of C:N:P stoichiometry in soil systems still exists. To clarify this, we conducted field experiments to simulate various yak (<em>Bos grunniens</em>) grazing behaviors, including light and heavy trampling, light and heavy defoliation, and dung and urine deposition. These experiments aimed to assess their effects on the C:N:P stoichiometry of soil-microbe-enzyme in an alpine grassland. Our findings revealed that trampling significantly increased the microbial N:P and C:P ratios, compared to the control. Defoliation significantly raised microbial N:P and enzymatic C:P ratios, while excretion resulted in higher microbial C:N and enzymatic N:P ratios. Specifically, light defoliation led to significantly higher microbial C:N and C:P ratios than heavy defoliation. The imbalance in microbial C:N ratio intensified with greater defoliation intensity. Compared to trampling and defoliation, livestock excretion, especially dung deposition, potentially alleviated microbial C and P limitations by increasing the resource availability of soil microbial growth. Furthermore, microbial C:N:P stoichiometry responded more sensitively to grazing behaviors than soil C:N:P stoichiometry. Overall, our study distinguishes the independent effects of different yak grazing behaviors (trampling, defoliation, and excretion) on the C:N:P stoichiometry of soil-microbe-enzyme in an alpine grassland, and underscores the crucial role of soil microorganisms in moderating changes in C, N, and P cycling under livestock grazing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"389 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143815304","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Interannual variation in soil respiration and its components across cropland, grassland, and pasture in the agro-pastoral ecotone of Northern China","authors":"Deping Wang ,&nbsp;Kun Zhao ,&nbsp;Thomas A. Monaco ,&nbsp;Sanling Jin ,&nbsp;Yuping Rong","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109672","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109672","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Quantitative understanding of the temporal patterns of soil respiration (Rs), its components (i.e., autotrophic respiration (Ra) and heterotrophic respiration (Rh)), and their controlling factors is essential to estimate grassland carbon sequestration under various land use practices. However, the sensitivity and magnitude of seasonal Rs patterns associated with these practices remain poorly understood. We conducted an experiment in the agro-pastoral ecotone of Northern China across three land-use types, including two perennial pastures composed of either <em>Medicago sativa</em> or <em>Bromus inermis</em>, two annual croplands planted with either <em>Avena sativa</em> or <em>Solanum tuberosum</em>, and two natural grasslands that had been either fenced or clipped annually. We measured Rs and its components along with a suite of biotic and abiotic factors over three growing seasons (2021–2023). Mean Rs over the growing seasons for pastures was 224–270 mg m⁻² h⁻¹, which was significantly (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) higher than croplands (188–190 mg m⁻² h⁻¹) and grasslands (192–197 mg m⁻² h⁻¹) in ²022 and 2023. While 53–72 % of the variation in Rs between cropland and pasture was attributable to Ra, Rh and Ra each accounted for 50 % of the variation in Rs between grassland and pasture. For grasslands and croplands, interannual variation in Rs did not exceed 50 mg m⁻² h⁻¹, yet for pastures it ranged from 75–122 mg m⁻² h⁻¹, with 60–80 % of this variation attributed to Rh. This key difference among land-use types was mainly driven by greater belowground biomass and temperature sensitivity of Rh in pastures. These results contribute important knowledge of Rs and its components in the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China and provide insights into how interannual variation in Rs among land-use types may impact the regional carbon balance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"388 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143799432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pollinators utilize both traditional and forb-supplemented set-aside fields in agriculture","authors":"Carly L. McGregor ,&nbsp;Tyler T. Kelly ,&nbsp;Juli Carrillo ,&nbsp;Claire Kremen","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109682","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109682","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Agriculture relies on pollinators, yet paradoxically, agricultural practices can harm them, including through habitat simplification. The diversification of agricultural landscapes may support pollinators by providing varied foraging and habitat resources. Grassland set-asides are often established on farms to restore soils for crop productivity, and may have the co-benefit of providing resources for pollinators. Set-asides may also be supplemented with forbs for enhanced pollinator benefit, but few studies have investigated pollinator use of these fields compared to crop fields, and across set-aside management practices. Here, we use passive traps and net surveys to assess the flower-visiting insect community in three farm field types; traditional (grass-dominant) set-asides, forb-supplemented set-asides, and non-pollinator-dependent crop reference fields, to evaluate the potential for each to provide resources for pollinators. We found higher abundance of putative wild pollinators in forb-supplemented set-asides compared to crop fields, and higher species diversity in traditional set-asides compared to crop fields. Bumble bees were more abundant in both set-aside types compared to crops, while honey bees visited flowers in forb-supplemented sites the most. The diversity of wild pollinators and abundance of bumble bees in traditional set-asides occurred despite their lack of floral supplementation, suggesting that they may support pollinators by providing other resources (i.e., nesting or graminoid nutritional resources). We demonstrate that pollinators utilize both traditional and forb-supplemented grassland set-asides more than non-pollinator-dependent crop fields. Future studies to elucidate specific resource use by pollinators in set-asides across management types are needed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"388 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143799436","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}