Abstract
Agricultural expansion and intensification is a major driver of biodiversity loss. Conventional weed management (e.g. tillage, herbicide) has encouraged the promotion of a few more competitive species over a wide range of arable plants that are now in decline. A reduction in plant diversity would negatively affect the provision of key ecosystem services in agroecosystems. In vineyards, the use of plant covers has emerged as the principal alternative to conventional weed management, providing multiple ecosystem services such as enhance biodiversity, but usually with a decrease in yields in Mediterranean vineyards. This long-term study assessed how weed management (herbicide, mowing, tillage) influenced plant community composition, taxonomic diversity and vineyard yield. Plant surveys and grape yield measurements were carried out from 2015 to 2018 in an experiment established in 2008. Effects on plant community composition were analysed, focusing on two groups: noxious grapevine weeds and terophytic grassland species. In addition, three fundamental components of taxonomic diversity were measured: β-diversity, evenness and species richness. Linear mixed models and generalised linear mixed model were used to examine the response of different variables to weed management. Position (row, inter-row) as well as the indirect effect of adjacent management on the subplots were also included as fixed factors. Furthermore, the percentage of bare soil, related to disturbance degree associated with management, was explored as a potential predictor of taxonomic diversity and vineyard yield. Results indicated that plant community composition was affected by weed management and to a lesser extent by position. Noxious grapevine weeds were more abundant in herbicide-sprayed rows, while terophytic grasslands species showed a higher presence in mown subplots. Weed management had a strong effect on bare soil, which proved to be a good predictor of the variables studied. Indeed, the highest species richness were associated with the lowest percentages of bare soil (mown subplots), while the lowest values were found at high percentages of bare soil (tilled subplots). Herbicide showed intermediate values, with a response dependent on adjacent management. On the other hand, vineyard yields were higher with increased bare soil, although with the consequent loss of species richness. Conversely, mowing in spontaneous plant covers caused a decrease in yield, but still production was within the maximum limit established by the Regulatory Council, while increasing the species richness and a significant presence of therophytic grasslands species. These findings could foster the development of more sustainable management in Mediterranean vineyards.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Weed management affected plant community composition more than subplot position.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“plant community composition was affected by weed management and to a lesser extent by position”
t0“vineyard”
Claim · model-written summary
Noxious grapevine weeds were more abundant in herbicide-sprayed rows.
- Treatment
- herbicide-sprayed rowse0
- Interactor
- Noxious grapevine weedse0weed
- Outcome
- Noxious grapevine weedse0
- Direction
- more abundante0
VitisNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Noxious grapevine weeds were more abundant in herbicide-sprayed rows”
Claim · model-written summary
Therophytic grassland species had higher presence in mown subplots.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“terophytic grasslands species showed a higher presence in mown subplots”
t0“vineyard”
Claim · model-written summary
Weed management strongly affected bare soil.
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Verbatim
e0“Weed management had a strong effect on bare soil”
t0“vineyard”
Claim · model-written summary
Species richness was highest at low bare soil percentages in mown subplots.
Verbatim
e0“the highest species richness were associated with the lowest percentages of bare soil (mown subplots)”
t0“vineyard”
Claim · model-written summary
Species richness was lowest at high bare soil percentages in tilled subplots.
Verbatim
e0“the lowest values were found at high percentages of bare soil (tilled subplots)”
e1“highest species richness”
t0“vineyard”
Claim · model-written summary
Herbicide produced intermediate diversity values dependent on adjacent management.
- Taxon
- vineyardt0
- Treatment
- Herbicidee0
- Outcome
- species richnesse1
- Direction
- intermediatee0
- Qualifier
- dependent on adjacent managemente0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Herbicide showed intermediate values, with a response dependent on adjacent management”
e1“highest species richness”
t0“vineyard”
Claim · model-written summary
Vineyard yields were higher as bare soil increased.
Verbatim
e0“vineyard yields were higher with increased bare soil”
Claim · model-written summary
Mowing spontaneous plant covers reduced vineyard yield.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“mowing in spontaneous plant covers caused a decrease in yield”
t0“vineyard”
Claim · model-written summary
Yield under mowing remained within the regulatory maximum.
Verbatim
e0“production was within the maximum limit established by the Regulatory Council”
t0“vineyard”
Claim · model-written summary
Mowing spontaneous covers increased species richness and the presence of therophytic grassland species.
- Taxon
- vineyardt0
- Treatment
- mowing in spontaneous plant coverse0
- Outcome
- species richness and a significant presence of therophytic grasslands speciese0
- Direction
- increasinge0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“mowing in spontaneous plant covers caused a decrease in yield, but still production was within the maximum limit established by the Regulatory Council, while increasing the species richness and a significant presence of therophytic grasslands species”
t0“vineyard”
The same questions in other papers
herbicide · weed · VitisPositive and negative results
8 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
- positive
5 papers more in this group
See all 9 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.