Assessing Ecological Indicators for Remnant Vegetation Strips as Functional Biological Corridors in Chilean Vineyards
Mediterranean central Chile is globally recognized as a hotspot for terrestrial biodiversity due to its high endemism and massive habitat loss. However, within the rural landscape of central Chile, significant extents of natural areas remain, especially on less productive, steep slopes, and vegetati...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/9/447 |
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| author | Javiera Díaz-Forestier Sebastián Abades Nélida Pohl Olga Barbosa Karina Godoy Gabriella L. Svensson María I. Undurraga Camila Bravo Camila García Meredith Root-Bernstein Juan J. Armesto Juan L. Celis-Diez |
| author_facet | Javiera Díaz-Forestier Sebastián Abades Nélida Pohl Olga Barbosa Karina Godoy Gabriella L. Svensson María I. Undurraga Camila Bravo Camila García Meredith Root-Bernstein Juan J. Armesto Juan L. Celis-Diez |
| author_sort | Javiera Díaz-Forestier |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mediterranean central Chile is globally recognized as a hotspot for terrestrial biodiversity due to its high endemism and massive habitat loss. However, within the rural landscape of central Chile, significant extents of natural areas remain, especially on less productive, steep slopes, and vegetation strips extending from the surrounding hills to agricultural areas. Accordingly, vegetation strips or corridors, within lowland farms, constitute key elements to support the conservation of biodiversity in rural landscapes. To assess the ecological performance of corridors in 22 commercials vineyards in central Chile, we characterized them in terms of width-, length-, area-, and perimeter-to-area ratios, as well as the number of connections with natural areas. Based on a set of previously defined ecological indicators (species, functional groups, and structural components), we compared their occurrence in corridors within vineyards and in the surrounding natural areas. We evaluated the effects of corridor attributes on the occurrence of the selected ecological indicators, using a generalized linear mixed model with each vineyard as a random factor. The area, width, and length of vegetation corridors varied widely (1.2–86.3 ha, 10.5–95 m, and 380–5000 m, respectively). We found significant differences in the occurrence of indicators between corridors and natural areas. All sampled ecological indicators in corridors showed a negative relationship with the distance to the nearest natural area. Vegetation strips within vineyards represent important opportunities for biodiversity conservation that significantly enhance habitat quality in the agricultural landscape for biodiversity and habitat connectivity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:45:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3a85ca20710a45ad877860dd81007e81 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:45:17Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj.art-3a85ca20710a45ad877860dd81007e812023-11-22T12:42:36ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182021-09-0113944710.3390/d13090447Assessing Ecological Indicators for Remnant Vegetation Strips as Functional Biological Corridors in Chilean VineyardsJaviera Díaz-Forestier0Sebastián Abades1Nélida Pohl2Olga Barbosa3Karina Godoy4Gabriella L. Svensson5María I. Undurraga6Camila Bravo7Camila García8Meredith Root-Bernstein9Juan J. Armesto10Juan L. Celis-Diez11Centro Regional de Investigación e Innovación para la Sostenibilidad de la Agricultura y los Territorios Rurales_CERES, Quillota 2260000, ChileGEMA Center for Genomics, Ecology & Environment, Facultad de Estudios Interdisciplinarios, Universidad Mayor, Santiago 8580745, ChileInstituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, IEB, Santiago 7800003, ChileInstituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, IEB, Santiago 7800003, ChileInstituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, IEB, Santiago 7800003, ChileGerencia de Áreas Silvestres Protegidas del Estado, Corporación Nacional Forestal, CONAF, Santiago 8330478, ChileInstituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, IEB, Santiago 7800003, ChileDepartamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7800003, ChileEscuela de Agronomía, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Quillota 2260000, ChileInstituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, IEB, Santiago 7800003, ChileInstituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, IEB, Santiago 7800003, ChileEscuela de Agronomía, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Quillota 2260000, ChileMediterranean central Chile is globally recognized as a hotspot for terrestrial biodiversity due to its high endemism and massive habitat loss. However, within the rural landscape of central Chile, significant extents of natural areas remain, especially on less productive, steep slopes, and vegetation strips extending from the surrounding hills to agricultural areas. Accordingly, vegetation strips or corridors, within lowland farms, constitute key elements to support the conservation of biodiversity in rural landscapes. To assess the ecological performance of corridors in 22 commercials vineyards in central Chile, we characterized them in terms of width-, length-, area-, and perimeter-to-area ratios, as well as the number of connections with natural areas. Based on a set of previously defined ecological indicators (species, functional groups, and structural components), we compared their occurrence in corridors within vineyards and in the surrounding natural areas. We evaluated the effects of corridor attributes on the occurrence of the selected ecological indicators, using a generalized linear mixed model with each vineyard as a random factor. The area, width, and length of vegetation corridors varied widely (1.2–86.3 ha, 10.5–95 m, and 380–5000 m, respectively). We found significant differences in the occurrence of indicators between corridors and natural areas. All sampled ecological indicators in corridors showed a negative relationship with the distance to the nearest natural area. Vegetation strips within vineyards represent important opportunities for biodiversity conservation that significantly enhance habitat quality in the agricultural landscape for biodiversity and habitat connectivity.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/9/447land-sharingvinecologyecological intensificationvegetation corridorsagricultural landscapesecological indicators |
| spellingShingle | Javiera Díaz-Forestier Sebastián Abades Nélida Pohl Olga Barbosa Karina Godoy Gabriella L. Svensson María I. Undurraga Camila Bravo Camila García Meredith Root-Bernstein Juan J. Armesto Juan L. Celis-Diez Assessing Ecological Indicators for Remnant Vegetation Strips as Functional Biological Corridors in Chilean Vineyards Diversity land-sharing vinecology ecological intensification vegetation corridors agricultural landscapes ecological indicators |
| title | Assessing Ecological Indicators for Remnant Vegetation Strips as Functional Biological Corridors in Chilean Vineyards |
| title_full | Assessing Ecological Indicators for Remnant Vegetation Strips as Functional Biological Corridors in Chilean Vineyards |
| title_fullStr | Assessing Ecological Indicators for Remnant Vegetation Strips as Functional Biological Corridors in Chilean Vineyards |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing Ecological Indicators for Remnant Vegetation Strips as Functional Biological Corridors in Chilean Vineyards |
| title_short | Assessing Ecological Indicators for Remnant Vegetation Strips as Functional Biological Corridors in Chilean Vineyards |
| title_sort | assessing ecological indicators for remnant vegetation strips as functional biological corridors in chilean vineyards |
| topic | land-sharing vinecology ecological intensification vegetation corridors agricultural landscapes ecological indicators |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/9/447 |
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