Abstract
To counteract ongoing biodiversity declines, many European countries have implemented agri-environment schemes (AES) such as ecological focus areas (EFAs), the efficiency of which is often questioned due to low levels of habitat quality. We established new grasslands (NG) using a more diverse seed mixture specifically adapted to mimic low-intensity meadows occurring in our study region in Lower Austria. We compared abundance, species richness, species assemblages and β diversity of solitary bees, bumblebees, syrphids, butterflies, orthopterans, true bugs and cicadas in currently subsidized legume-grass mixtures targeted at supporting pollinators (SG), old grasslands (OG) and NG over a two-year period. Bees, bumblebees and syrphids clearly profited from NG in terms of abundance and species richness, while SG were significantly less attractive. Butterflies were most abundant in OG and significantly less attracted to both SG and NG. True bugs were particularly attracted to NG and SG. However, we did not find any preference in cicadas. Orthopteran species richness was similar in all three types, but individual numbers were significantly lower in NG than in OG. OG and NG supported highly distinctive species assemblages. For solitary bees, syrphids, true bugs and cicadas distinctiveness of sites (β diversity) was more decisive for overall diversity than local diversity. We urge policy makers to put more effort into the establishment of EFAs by using high quality seed mixtures of regionally adapted species and increased plant diversity. Furthermore, preserving permanent grasslands, which support different sets of insect assemblages, should be focused as well to maximize biological conservation value.
Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record; open copy licensed cc-by. Read at the source ↗
The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
New grasslands supported greater bee, bumblebee and syrphid abundance and species richness than subsidized mixtures.
- Treatment
- NGe0
- Interactor
- Bees, bumblebees and syrphidse0pollinator
- Outcome
- abundance and species richnesse0
- Direction
- profitede0
- Comparator
- SGe0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Bees, bumblebees and syrphids clearly profited from NG in terms of abundance and species richness, while SG were significantly less attractive”
Claim · model-written summary
Butterflies were most abundant in old grasslands and less attracted to both planted mixture types.
- Interactor
- ButterfliesPapilionoideae0pollinator
- Outcome
- Butterflies were most abundante0
- Direction
- most abundante0
- Comparator
- SG and NGe0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Butterflies were most abundant in OG and significantly less attracted to both SG and NG”
Claim · model-written summary
True bugs were particularly attracted to new grasslands and subsidized mixtures.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“True bugs were particularly attracted to NG and SG”
Claim · model-written summary
Cicadas showed no preference among grassland types.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“we did not find any preference in cicadas”
Claim · model-written summary
Orthopteran species richness was similar across the three grassland types.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Orthopteran species richness was similar in all three types”
Claim · model-written summary
Orthopteran individual numbers were lower in new grasslands than old grasslands.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“individual numbers were significantly lower in NG than in OG”
Claim · model-written summary
Old and new grasslands supported distinct insect species assemblages.
- Outcome
- highly distinctive species assemblagese0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“OG and NG supported highly distinctive species assemblages”
Claim · model-written summary
Site distinctiveness contributed more to overall diversity than local diversity for solitary bees, syrphids, true bugs and cicadas.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“For solitary bees, syrphids, true bugs and cicadas distinctiveness of sites (β diversity) was more decisive for overall diversity than local diversity”
Claim · model-written summary
Policy makers should establish ecological focus areas with high-quality mixtures of regionally adapted species and increased plant diversity.
Verbatim
e0“We urge policy makers to put more effort into the establishment of EFAs by using high quality seed mixtures of regionally adapted species and increased plant diversity”
Claim · model-written summary
Permanent grasslands should also be preserved to maximize biological conservation value.
Verbatim
e0“preserving permanent grasslands, which support different sets of insect assemblages, should be focused as well to maximize biological conservation value”