TY - GEN A1 - Müller, Jörg A1 - Brandl, Roland A1 - Cadotte, Marc W. A1 - Heibl, Christoph A1 - Bässler, Claus A1 - Weiß, Ingmar A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - A replicated study on the response of spider assemblages to regional and local processes T2 - Ecological Monographs N2 - Understanding species richness variation among local communities is one of the central topics in ecology, but the complex interplay of regional processes, environmental filtering, and local processes hampers generalization on the importance of different processes. Here, we aim to unravel drivers of spider community assembly in temperate forests by analyzing two independent data sets covering gradients in elevation and forest succession. We test the following four hypotheses: (H1) spider assemblages within a region are limited by dispersal, (H2) local environment has a dominant influence on species composition and (H3) resources, and (H4) biotic interactions both affect species richness patterns. In a comprehensive approach, we studied species richness, abundance, taxonomic composition, and trait-phylogenetic dissimilarity of assemblages. The decrease in taxonomic similarity with increasing spatial distance was very weak, failing to support H1. Functional clustering of species in general and with canopy openness strongly supported H2. Moreover, this hypothesis was supported by a positive correlation between environmental and taxonomic similarity and by an increase in abundance with canopy openness. Resource determination of species richness (H3) could be confirmed only by the decrease of species richness with canopy cover. Finally, decreasing species richness with functional clustering indicating effects of biotic interactions (H4) could only be found in one analysis and only in one data set. In conclusion, our findings indicate that spider assemblages within a region are mainly determined by local environmental conditions, while resource availability, biotic interactions and dispersal play a minor role. Our approach shows that both the analysis of different aspects of species diversity and replication of community studies are necessary to identify the complex interplay of processes forming local assemblages. Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/ecm.1511 SN - 1557-7015 VL - 92 IS - 3 SP - 1 EP - 19 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Arvidsson, Fredrik A1 - Montes, Melanie S. A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - Microhabitat conditions affect web-building spider communities and their prey independent of effects of short-term wildlife fencing on forest vegetation T2 - Journal of Arachnology N2 - Spiders play a key role in forest food webs, where they regulate decomposer populations and may act as predators of pests and disease vectors. Spider community composition is determined in part by vegetation structure. Therefore, the exclusion of large mammals, such as deer and wild boar, through wildlife fencing may affect the composition of spider communities and their prey in forest ecosystems. Web-building spiders and their prey were hand-collected in plots that had been fenced for three years, as well as adjacent unfenced plots in a mixed temperate forest in north-eastern Germany. Additionally, spiders in the leaf litter were sampled in fenced and unfenced subareas by sieving litter. Wildlife fencing did not significantly affect spider densities or community composition per microhabitat. However, fencing affected the cover of different microhabitats significantly as there was a higher density of larger trees and higher leaflitter cover in fenced plots while there was a higher percentage of bare ground and deadwood in unfenced plots. Spider communities and their prey composition differed significantly between microhabitats (deciduous trees, coniferous trees, dead wood, understory vegetation, leaf litter) independent of fencing. Thysanoptera prey was mainly caught by spiders on coniferous trees and in the understory vegetation. Heteroptera prey were captured most frequently in the understory vegetation while Hymenoptera (excl. Formicidae) prey were mostly caught on deciduous trees. Several spider species showed a preference between deciduous and coniferous trees in the mixed forest. Wildlife fencing alters the vegetation structure of mixed forests and has indirect effects on spider communities and their role in forest food webs due to alteration of microhabitat availability. Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1636/JoA-S-21-046 SN - 1937-2396 VL - 50 IS - 3 SP - 308 EP - 313 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Fotang, Chefor A1 - Dutton, Paul A1 - Bröring, Udo A1 - Roos, Christian A1 - Willie, Jacob A1 - Angwafo, Tsi Evaristus A1 - Chuo, Mvo Denis A1 - Kamgang, Serge Alexis A1 - Enoguanbhor, Evidence Chinedu A1 - Schierack, Peter A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - Tool use by Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees for driver ant predation in Kom-Wum Forest Reserve, North-West Region Cameroon T2 - Folia Primatologica N2 - Chimpanzees feed on driver ants (Dorylus sp.) using different tools and predation techniques that vary among populations and can be affected by availability of ant species as well as ecological and social-learning factors. At the Kom-Wum Forest Reserve (KWFR) in Cameroon, we investigated tool use behavior in Nigerian-Cameroon chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes ellioti), examining the characteristics of tools used in driver ant predation, looking for possible seasonal patterns and comparing our results to those from other study sites. We recovered 83 tools along line transects and recces (reconnaissance) during two seasons. We found that chimpanzees used tools with blunting and dirty ends (possible digging and probing tools) and tools without (dipping tools), in driver ant predation. Tools with dirty ends tended to be thicker (N = 52), and thinner tools were less likely to have dirt (N = 31). Tools recovered in the wet season (N = 62), were significantly shorter and thicker than those recovered in the dry season (N = 21). Furthermore, driver ant tools recovered at KWFR are on average the longest yet recorded insect dipping tools for chimpanzees comparable to those used in North Uele. We found no evidence of nut-cracking, tool use for honey bee nor termite consumption and did not observe the potential prey remains in chimpanzee faeces despite their presence in the reserve. Our results suggest that seasonality significantly contributes to a divergence in the form of tools selected for driver ant predation. KW - ant dip KW - driver ants KW - insectivory KW - tool use Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1163/14219980-bja10006 SN - 1421-9980 SN - 0015-5713 VL - 94 IS - 1 SP - 73 EP - 85 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Fotang, Chefor A1 - Bröring, Udo A1 - Roos, Christian A1 - Dutton, Paul A1 - Tédonzong, Luc R. D. A1 - Willie, Jacob A1 - Angwafo, Tsi Evaristus A1 - Yuh, Yisa Ginath A1 - Schierack, Peter A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - Mapping suitable habitat for Nigeria–Cameroon chimpanzees in Kom-Wum Forest Reserve, North-Western Cameroon T2 - Primates N2 - Great apes lose suitable habitats required for their reproduction and survival due to human activities across their distribution range in Africa. Little is known about habitat suitability of the Nigeria–Cameroon chimpanzee [Pan troglodytes ellioti (Matschie, 1914)], particularly for populations inhabiting forest reserves in North-West Cameroon. To address this knowledge gap, we employed a common species distribution model (MaxEnt) to map and predict suitable habitats for the Nigeria–Cameroon chimpanzee in Kom-Wum Forest Reserve, North-West Cameroon, based on environmental factors that potentially affect habitat suitability. We related these environmental factors to a dataset of chimpanzee occurrence points recorded during line transect and reconnaissance (recce) surveys in the forest reserve and surrounding forests. Up to 91% of the study area is unsuitable for chimpanzees. Suitable habitats only represented 9% of the study area, with a high proportion of highly suitable habitats located outside the forest reserve. Elevation, secondary forests density, distance to villages and primary forests density were the most important predictors of habitat suitability for the Nigeria–Cameroon chimpanzee. The probability of chimpanzee occurrence increased with elevation, secondary forest density and distance from villages and roads. Our study provides evidence that suitable chimpanzee habitat in the reserve is degraded, suggesting that efforts to maintain protected areas are insufficient. The reserve management plan needs to be improved to conserve the remaining suitable habitat and to avoid local extinction of this endangered subspecies. KW - Environmental factors KW - Habitat requirements KW - Human impact KW - Protected area KW - Maximum entropy KW - Pan troglodytes ellioti Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-023-01054-z SN - 1610-7365 IS - 25 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Tluste, Claudia A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - The Roman snail (Gastropoda: Helicidae) is not a generalist herbivore, but shows food preferences for Urtica dioica and plant litter T2 - Journal of Natural History Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2023.2203335 SN - 1464-5262 VL - 57 IS - 13-16 SP - 758 EP - 770 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Ulrich, Werner A1 - Batáry, Péter A1 - Baudry, Julia A1 - Beaumelle, Léa A1 - Bucher, Roman A1 - Čerevková, Andrea A1 - Garcia de la Riva, Enrique A1 - Felipe-Lucia, Maria R. A1 - Gallé, Robert A1 - Kesse-Guyot, Emmanuelle A1 - Rembiałkowska, Ewa A1 - Rusch, Adrien A1 - Stanley, Dara A. A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - From biodiversity to health: Quantifying the impact of diverse ecosystems on human well-being T2 - People and Nature Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10421 SN - 2575-8314 VL - 5 IS - 1 SP - 69 EP - 83 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Damptey, Frederick Gyasi A1 - Djoudi, El Aziz A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - Effects of post-mining forest restoration and alternative land uses on ground-dwelling arthropods in Ghana T2 - Community Ecology Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s42974-023-00144-8 SN - 1588-2756 VL - 24 SP - 215 EP - 228 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Khum, Warbota A1 - Košulič, Ondřej A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus A1 - Michalko, Radek T1 - The invasive pathogenic fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus alters predator–herbivore–ash food webs. T2 - Biological Invasions Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-022-02900-9 SN - 1573-1464 SN - 1387-3547 IS - 25 SP - 125 EP - 131 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Garcia de la Riva, Enrique A1 - Ulrich, Werner A1 - Batáry, Péter A1 - Baudry, Julia A1 - Beaumelle, Léa A1 - Bucher, Roman A1 - Čerevková, Andrea A1 - Felipe-Lucia, Maria R. A1 - Gallé, Robert A1 - Kesse-Guyot, Emmanuelle A1 - Rembiałkowska, Ewa A1 - Rusch, Adrien A1 - Seufert, Verena A1 - Stanley, Dara A. A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - From functional diversity to human well-being: A conceptual framework for agroecosystem sustainability T2 - Agricultural Systems Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2023.103659 SN - 1873-2267 SN - 0308-521X VL - 208 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Gavín‐Centol, María Pilar A1 - Serrano-Carnero, Diego A1 - Montserrat, Marta A1 - Meyer, Svenja A1 - Scheu, Stefan A1 - Kundel, Dominika A1 - Fliessbach, Andreas A1 - Truu, Jaak A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus A1 - Sánchez-Moreno, Sara A1 - Moya-Laraño, Jordi T1 - Severe drought and conventional farming affect detritivore feeding activity and its vertical distribution T2 - Basic and Applied Ecology N2 - Soil invertebrates are key to decomposition, a central ecosystem process related to soil health. In many temperate areas climate change will decrease soil water content, which strongly modulates biological activity. However, data are lacking on how shifts in rainfall patterns affect soil biota and the ecosystem processes they provide. Here, we used the bait-lamina test to experimentally assess how a severe drought event influenced detritivore feeding activity, during a wheat growing season, in soils under long-term organic or conventional farming. Additionally, biotic and abiotic soil parameters were measured. Feeding activity was reduced under extreme drought and conventional management, although no climate-management synergies were found. Vertical migrations of Collembola and Oribatida partially explained the unexpectedly higher bait consumption at shallower depths in response to drought. Exploratory mixed-effects longitudinal random forests (a novel machine learning technique) were used to explore whether the relative abundances of meso‑, microfauna and microbes of the decomposer food web, or abiotic soil parameters, affected the feeding activity of detritivores. The model including meso‑ and microfauna selected four Nematoda taxa and explained higher variance than the model with only microbiota, indicating that detritivore feeding is closely associated with nematodes but not with microbes. Additionally, the model combining fauna and microbiota explained less variance than the faunal model, suggesting that microbe-fauna synergies barely affected detritivore feeding. Moreover, soil water and mineral nitrogen contents were found to strongly determine detritivore feeding, in a positive and negative way, respectively. Hence, our results suggest that severe drought and conventional farming impair the feeding activity of soil detritivores and thus, probably, decomposition and nutrient mineralization in soils. Furthermore, machine learning algorithms arise as a powerful technique to explore the identity of potential key drivers relating biodiversity to ecosystem functioning. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2023.03.006 SN - 1439-1791 VL - 69 SP - 49 EP - 59 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Tölgyesi, Csaba A1 - Bátori, Zoltán A1 - Pascarella, John A1 - Erdős, László A1 - Török, Péter A1 - Batáry, Péter A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus A1 - Scherer, Laura A1 - Michalko, Radek A1 - Košulič, Ondřej A1 - Zaller, Johann G. A1 - Gallé, Robert T1 - Ecovoltaics: Framework and future research directions to reconcile land-based solar power development with ecosystem conservation T2 - Biological Conservation N2 - Renewable energy production is gaining momentum globally as a way to combat climate change without drastically reducing human energy consumption. Solar energy offers the fastest developing solution. However, ground-mounted solar panels have a high land requirement, which leads to conflicts with other land use types, particularly agriculture and biodiversity conservation. The dual land use of agrivoltaics, i.e., continuing agricultural production under and between solar panels, may alleviate farmers' concerns, but less effort has been made to reconcile solar development with biodiversity conservation. Here we provide a framework for creating a win-win situation for this growing challenge using recent literature on solar park habitats complemented with ecological theories. We also highlight important knowledge gaps that future research should address. Our framework uses a unique land-sharing approach and is based on five pillars that cover key aspects of solar park planning and maintenance: (1) eco-smart siting in the landscape, which considers ecological interactions with the landscape matrix and trade-offs between multiple small vs. fewer large solar parks; (2) eco-smart park layout to address the ecological aspects of the spatial configuration of solar park infrastructure; (3) creation of diverse, novel grassland ecosystems with high ecosystem service provisioning capacity using a trait-based ecosystem design approach; (4) management of the novel ecosystem throughout the lifespan of the solar parks; and (5) ensuring stakeholder engagement to integrate this in a viable business model with high community acceptance. With this framework, we open the way for a new multifunctional land use type: the ecovoltaic park. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2023.110242 SN - 0006-3207 VL - 285 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Boetzl, Fabian A1 - Sponsler, Douglas A1 - Albrecht, Matthias A1 - Batáry, Péter A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus A1 - Knapp, Michal A1 - Krauss, Jochen A1 - Maas, Bea A1 - Martin, Emily A. A1 - Sirami, Clélia A1 - Sutter, Louis A1 - Bertrand, Colette A1 - Baillod, Aliette A1 - Bota, Gerard A1 - Bretagnolle, Vincent A1 - Brotons, Lluís A1 - Frank, Thomas A1 - Fusser, Moritz A1 - Giralt, David A1 - González, Ezequiel A1 - Hof, Anouschka A1 - Luka, Henryk A1 - Marrec, Ronan A1 - Nash, Michael A1 - Ng, Katherina A1 - Plantegenest, Manuel A1 - Poulin, Brigitte A1 - Siriwardena, Gavin A1 - Zubair-Anjum, Muhammad A1 - Entling, Martin A1 - Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf A1 - Schirmel, Jens T1 - Distance functions of carabids in crop fields depend on functional traits, crop type and adjacent habitat: a synthesis T2 - Proceedings Royal Society. Series B, Biological sciences Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.2383 SN - 1471-2954 VL - Vol. 291 SP - 1 EP - 10 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus A1 - Bird, Tharina A1 - Alfeus, Martha A1 - Arvidsson, Fredrik A1 - Buxton, Mmabaledi A1 - Djoudi, El Aziz A1 - Fabiano, Ezequiel Chimbioputo A1 - Kasinda, Eva A1 - Machekano, Honest A1 - Mpofu, Precious A1 - Nghipunya, Esther N. A1 - Segaiso, Bame Alice A1 - Nyamukondiwa, Casper T1 - Smallholder agriculture in African dryland agroecosystems has limited impact on trophic group composition, but affects arthropod provision of ecosystem services T2 - Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment N2 - Agricultural intensification is a major driver of biodiversity loss, but the majority of studies highlighting these threats come from industrialised agriculture in temperate countries of the global North. However, more than 30% of global food production is produced by smallholder farmers, particularly in Africa. We know very little about the impact of these farming practices on arthropod communities and associated ecosystems in dryland agroecosystems. We investigated the trophic group composition of arthropod communities (detritivorous, herbivorous, predatory & mixed feeders) and levels of associated ecosystem functions in replicated maize fields, paired adjacent natural bushveld habitats and the edge habitats between them in north-eastern Namibia and central-eastern Botswana during the dry and wet seasons. Predator activity densities differed significantly between habitats depending on the season, with higher numbers in natural habitats in the wet season but lower numbers in the dry season compared to maize fields. In general, edge habitats had higher numbers of predators than the other habitats. Predator attack rates on artificial caterpillars in both seasons and dung removal in the wet season were higher in habitats with natural vegetation (natural and edge). However, dung removal in the dry season and herbivory in the wet season were highest in the maize fields, the latter due to high level of fall armyworm infestation. Wet season multifunctionality was higher in natural habitats in Botswana, and to a lesser extent in Namibia, than in maize fields. Smallholder agriculture is not detrimental to decomposers, herbivores and mixed feeders compared to adjacent natural habitats, but may be detrimental to the provision of some ecosystem services. These results highlight the challenge of sustainably managing dryland agricultural land that is marginal for crop production, while providing smallholders with an optimal environment to benefit from the ecosystem services associated with arthropod communities. New conservation agriculture practices need to support the production of higher and more stable yields over time, while maintaining the limited impact of smallholder agriculture on biotic communities. KW - Artificial caterpillars; Biological control; Dung removal; Herbivory; Multifunctionality; Seed predation Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167880923005194 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2023.108860 SN - 0167-8809 VL - 363 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Bucher, Roman A1 - Batary, Peter A1 - Baudry, Julia A1 - Beaumelle, Lea A1 - Cerevkova, Andrea A1 - Garcia de la Riva, Enrique A1 - Djoudi, El Aziz A1 - Dirilgen, Tara A1 - Galle, Robert A1 - Kesse-Guyot, Emmanuelle A1 - O´Reilly, Alison A1 - Rembialkowska, Ewa A1 - Rusch, Adrien A1 - Smith, Henrik G. A1 - Stanley, Dara A. A1 - Roberts, Stuart P.M. A1 - Ulrich, Werner A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - Land-use impacts on crop yield : direct and indirect roles of arthropods and associated ecosystem services in European farmland T2 - Landscape ecology N2 - Context Land-use intensification to increase yields is often detrimental to biodiversity undermining the provision of ecosystem services. However, it is questionable if ecosystem service providers contribute to ecological intensification by achieving the same or higher yields than conventional high-intensity agriculture. Objectives In this study, we aimed to disentangle the effects of local and landscape-scale land-use intensification on arthropod communities and their contribution to ecosystem services and crop yield. A set of meta-analytic structural equation models allowed us to assess direct and indirect relationships in the cascade from land use to yield. Methods We selected 37 datasets containing information on land use, community composition, levels of pollination and natural pest control services, and crop yield. We quantified functional diversity of communities by collecting trait information for three exemplary groups of service-providers: bees, ground beetles, and spiders. Results Local land-use intensification reduced the abundance of all arthropod groups. Spiders were the only group whose species richness was negatively related to a higher percentage of arable land in the landscape. High abundance of bees related positively to oilseed rape pollination and crop yields. In the models for the two predator groups, crop yield was strongly determined by land use, independent of the pest control services provided by natural enemies. Conclusions Our results suggest a potential for ecological intensification mediated by land-use change in crops where pollination benefits yield, but suggest more nuanced effects for pest control. Our study also calls for experiments on multiple taxonomic groups and ecosystem services that apply comparable methods at similar scales. Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-025-02117-w SN - 1572-9761 VL - 40 IS - 97 SP - 1 EP - 19 PB - Springer Science + Business Media B.V ER - TY - GEN A1 - Kinga, Harriet A1 - Damptey, Frederick Gyasi A1 - Harms, Danilo A1 - Jocqué, Rudy A1 - Henrard, Arnaud A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - Active restoration of post-mining forest benefits the activity density, but not the diversity of spider communities across the seasons in Ghana T2 - African invertebrates N2 - Forest restoration often involves monitoring programmes to determine whether biodiversity levels and ecosystem services have changed over time. This study investigated changes in ground-hunting spider communities (families Ctenidae, Lycosidae and Zodariidae) in an actively restored forest, an unrestored gravel mine, and two alternative land-use types (agroforestry system and an arable field) to assess whether a two-decade post-mine restoration programme has been successful in restoring biodiversity to levels of a reference natural forest. The overall activity density of ground-hunting spiders (based on both juveniles and adult specimens) was highest in the natural and the restored forest in the dry season and lowest in the arable field and agroforestry system in the wet season. The inverse Simpson index was highest at the gravel site in the wet season, followed by natural forest in both seasons and lower values in the restored forest. The community composition of spiders differed significantly between land-use types (open versus forest habitats) and the interaction between land use and season also differed significantly. The species Pardosa injucunda and Trochosa gentilis dominated the communities in the restored forest, but Africactenus monitor dominated the natural forest and Hogna gratiosa dominated communities in the gravel site. Surprisingly, active forest restoration promoted the activity density of ground-hunting spiders displaced by mining activities to levels even higher than in the reference natural forest after two decades. However, the community composition of the restored forest was more similar to the agroforestry system than to the natural forest. These results highlight the benefits of restoring former mining sites but also show the trade-offs in terms of restoration goals, as natural forest biodiversity of spiders was not achieved after 20 years. KW - Mining KW - Deforestation KW - Community composition KW - Agroforestry system KW - Biodiversity conservation KW - Araneae Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3897/AfrInvertebr.66.138662 SN - 2305-2562 IS - 66 SP - 1 EP - 18 PB - Pensoft CY - Sofia ER - TY - GEN A1 - Bapfubusa Niyibizi, Ingrid Aline A1 - Addison, Pia A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - Effect of pest control strategies on arthropod pests of apple in Europe : a meta‐analysis. T2 - Journal of applied entomology N2 - Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) is a major fruit crop in Europe. More than 200 phytophagous arthropod species thrive in European apple orchards, several of which are economically important pests. Due to the pest pressure on apple production, consumer demand for residue-free products and current policies to make food production in the European Union more sustainable, pest management has become an important issue in meeting the high cosmetic standards expected for apples on the fresh fruit market. The aim of this study was to determine the most effective management strategy to reduce the abundance of arthropod pests of apples in Europe. We conducted a Europe-wide meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of integrated pest management (IPM) and organic management in reducing the abundance of arthropod pests. We also examined the differences between synthetic and organic pesticides in terms of pest reduction as a core element of the difference between IPM and organic apple production systems in Europe. We found an overall nonsignificant effect of IPM compared to organic management. However, when comparing synthetic pesticides with organic pesticides, we found that synthetic pesticides were significantly more effective. On the other hand, organic pesticides showed a significant positive effect in controlling pest populations when compared to an absence of treatment. This analysis highlights the effectiveness of synthetic pesticides over organic pesticides, while accounting for the inherent heterogeneity within each group, and suggests that factors beyond insecticide use play an important role in pest reduction in organic and IPM apple production systems in Europe. KW - Apple pests KW - Apple production KW - IPM in Europe KW - Synthetic pesticides KW - Pest management KW - Organic agriculture Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/jen.13416 SN - 1439-0418 VL - 2025 SP - 1 EP - 31 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken, New Jersey ER - TY - GEN A1 - Bode Agunbiade, Michael A1 - Mawdo, Jallow A1 - Camara, Fagimba A1 - Fotang, Chefor A1 - Tangwa, Elvis A1 - Amos Oladosu, Olayinka A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - Mapping suitable habitat for hooded vultures necrosyrtes monachus in one of the last West African strongholds for the species, The Gambia. T2 - The Ostrich : journal of African ornithology N2 - Hooded Vultures Necrosyrtes monachus are Critically Endangered, with numbers decreasing due to illegal poisoning, hunting for belief-based use and food, and habitat loss. In The Gambia, human activities currently benefit commensalism between humans and Hooded Vultures, as these birds primarily feed on carcasses and organic waste found around human settlements. This study aimed to identify suitable habitats for Hooded Vultures in The Gambia and assess the importance of environmental variables for habitat suitability. We surveyed 791 km of roads by car in 2017 and 2021 for signs of vulture occurrence (n = 179). Occurrence data were combined with 15 environmental variables using the Maximum Entropy species distribution model (MaxEnt) to predict suitable habitats. We found that 43.7% of the country is unsuitable as habitat for Hooded Vultures, 27.1% is of low suitability, 17.6% is of moderate suitability, and 11.6% is of high suitability. Highly suitable vulture habitats were identified in the western region and the greater Banjul area. The likelihood of vulture occurrence increased with the density of built-up areas and proximity to roads but decreased with the density of water bodies. Vulture habitats are limited across the country and are constrained to certain climatic conditions in areas of intense human settlement, such as arid and semi-arid regions with low rainfall and high temperatures. Although the commensal relationship with humans brings benefits to the vultures, it also exposes them to human-caused threats that can reduce their survival. Our results suggest that urban planning, waste management, and climate impacts should be considered in their long-term conservation planning. KW - MaxEnt KW - West Africa KW - Vulture conservation KW - Species distribution model Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2025.2474919 SN - 1727-947X VL - 96 IS - 1 SP - 24 EP - 35 PB - NISC CY - Grahamstown ER - TY - GEN A1 - Melcher, Anja Carina A1 - Krehenwinkel, Henrik A1 - Harms, Danilo A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - Estimating required sample sizes for gut content metabarcoding studies of dietary diversity in spiders T2 - Journal of applied entomology N2 - Spiders are dominant predators in terrestrial ecosystems, regulating invertebrate biomass, diversity and abundance through predation. However, analysing predation patterns in the field is challenging, especially as spiders are extra-intestinal liquid feeders and often active at night. Gut content metabarcoding (GCM) provides a cost-effective method to study the prey composition of spiders. In this study, we determine the minimum sample size of spider specimens required to obtain representative estimates of local prey composition. Six common spider species were studied using GCM, and we show that the number of analysed individuals per spider species influenced the sampling completeness for prey at different taxonomic levels. To achieve 90% sampling completeness at the prey species level, between 50 and over 150 individuals per spider species had to be analysed, which is challenging for ecological multi-site studies. Hence, we argue for consideration of coarser taxonomic levels, such as family or order, which often provide sufficient ecological information to understand predator–prey interactions. At these levels, sampling completeness can be achieved with much smaller sample sizes of four to eight individuals per species, making ecological GCM studies more cost-effective. These results highlight the benefits of considering the taxonomic resolution in metabarcoding studies to address ecological research questions. We further provide information that will facilitate future investigations of predator–prey dynamics, not just in spiders but also in other extra-intestinal liquid feeders like, for example, ground beetles. KW - Araneae KW - Dietary specialisation KW - Taxonomic resolution KW - Predation dynamics KW - Sampling completeness KW - Predator-prey interaction Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/jen.13433 SN - 1439-0418 VL - 149 IS - 7 SP - 1034 EP - 1039 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Oxford ER - TY - GEN A1 - Agunbiade, Michael Bode A1 - Menares, Esteban A1 - Fotang, Chefor A1 - Jallow, Mawdo A1 - Camara, Fagimba A1 - Enoguanbhor, Evidence Chinedu A1 - Shittu, Wakil Adebola A1 - Ogada, Darcy A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - Amount of organic waste affects the composition and interactions of vertebrate scavengers at Gambian slaughterhouses T2 - African journal of ecology N2 - Slaughterhouses in The Gambia serve as critical feeding sites for diverse vertebrate scavenger communities, including hooded vultures, domestic dogs, pigs and avian species such as pied crows, black kites and cattle egrets. This study investigated how the quantity and type of organic waste influence the composition and competitive interactions of scavengers across five slaughterhouses. Using multivariate statistical models, we found that waste quantity was the strongest predictor of scavenger community composition, explaining 32.7% of the variation, with hooded vultures being most abundant at high‐waste sites. Specific waste types influenced feeding behaviour, suggesting niche differentiation among species; for instance, cattle egrets focused on blood and insects, while vultures dominated meat‐based resources. Competitive interactions varied by species, with domestic dogs frequently displacing vultures without physical conflict, whereas hooded vultures dominated interactions against other birds. Activity patterns revealed temporal separation, with vultures and dogs active primarily in the morning, and other avian scavengers more active in the afternoon, reducing interspecific competition. The study highlights the essential role of hooded vultures in waste management and disease mitigation but also emphasises how poor fencing facilitates mammalian access, intensifying competition and potentially threatening obligate scavengers. Improving fencing, controlling feeding, and incorporating targeted waste management strategies are recommended to support scavenger conservation and enhance ecosystem services in urbanised environments. KW - Conservation strategies KW - Hooded vultures KW - Organic waste removal KW - Scavenger communities KW - Waste management Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70045 SN - 0141-6707 SN - 1365-2028 VL - 63 IS - 4 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - Wiley CY - Oxford ER - TY - GEN A1 - Menares-Barraza, Esteban A1 - Markova-Nenova, Nonka A1 - Sturm, Astrid A1 - Wätzold, Frank A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - Cost-effective conservation of multiple goals in grasslands : synergies and trade-offs T2 - Biological conservation N2 - Permanent grasslands in Europe are essential for biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services, but are increasingly threatened by land-use intensification. In the past, grassland conservation has mainly focused on “traditional” conservation goals such as species richness and endangered species, but has rarely considered alternative goals that address trophic interactions, ecosystem services, or ecosystem resilience. Using data from the research platform Biodiversity Exploratories, we adapted an existing optimization procedure to optimize single and joint conservation goals for butterfly and plant communities in grasslands in two regions in Germany. For all grassland sites, we assessed the costs associated with each management measure and the ecological state measured by multiple attributes. For each region, we ran three optimizations: one ecological (budget-unconstrained), and two cost-effectiveness optimizations with a low and a medium budget (budget-constrained). We compared selected grassland management measures, their costs, and ecological effects for different goals between optimizations and between different goals within the same optimization. Cost-effectiveness optimization can achieve high levels of conservation goals with low budgets, reaching up to 80% of the maximum achievable in the ecological optimizations while requiring only 30% of the budget. Trade-offs with other goals were inevitable but were minimized by jointly optimizing over multiple goals. Optimization results and trade-offs varied between regions, highlighting the need to design and implement region-specific management measures. Our study shows that promoting multiple conservation goals simultaneously across taxonomic boundaries is an ecologically and economically viable option. Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111401 SN - 0006-3207 VL - 311 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - Elsevier BV CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - GEN A1 - Lehmkuhl, Frank A1 - Gerwin, Werner A1 - Raab, Thomas A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus A1 - Hinz, Christoph A1 - Letmathe, Peter A1 - Leuchner, Michael A1 - Roß-Nickoll, Martina A1 - Rüde, Thomas R. A1 - Trachte, Katja A1 - Wätzold, Frank T1 - Perspectives for the lignite post-mining landscapes of the lignite mining landscapes under changing environmental conditions - what can we learn from a comparison between the Rhenish and the Lusatian regions in Germany? : EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria & Online | 14–19 April 2024 N2 - The German government's decision to phase out lignite mining by 2038 or earlier, as recently 2030 has been agreed for the Rhineland, will trigger a number of transition processes in Germany's remaining lignite mining areas. The two largest lignite mining areas are located in geographically different regions: Rhineland in the west and Lusatia in the east. As the socio-economic and environmental conditions in these two mining areas are set to change dramatically, the German government has adopted extensive economic support measures. However, the environmental changes will also lead to changes in the ecosystem functions and services provided by the future post-mining landscapes. Gerwin et al. (2023) compare the two main lignite producing regions of Germany in terms of their natural and cultural environments. The economic situation and its history are reflected and differences are outlined. Part of the differences in cultural development can be explained by the natural conditions, especially the edaphic factors and the climatic situation. Because of the specific geological settings, tailored mining technologies were developed and used in the two regions, with different effects on the resulting post-mining landscapes. We conclude that the landscapes of Lusatia and the Rhineland have been radically restructured by the long and varied history of lignite mining. Both regions will change significantly as the mining industry continues to decline and is expected to cease altogether within the next decade. These changes in the post-mining landscapes and the ecosystem services will provide both challenges and opportunities. The preconditions for positive socio-economic development and for sustainable land use concepts that also consider ecological aspects are different for the two regions. The exchange of knowledge and experience between the two mining regions is crucial to the success of this major transformation process, despite, or perhaps because of, these differences. Gerwin, W., Raab, T., Birkhofer, K., Hinz, C., Letmathe, P., Leuchner, M., Roß-Nickoll, M., Rüde, T., Trachte, K., Wätzold, F., Lehmkuhl, F. (2023): Perspectives of lignite post-mining landscapes under changing environmental conditions: what can we learn from a comparison between the Rhenish and Lusatian region in Germany? Environmental Sciences Europe 35:36. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-023-00738-z Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-2791 PB - Copernicus GmbH ER - TY - GEN A1 - Heinken, Thilo A1 - Blumröder, Jeanette S. A1 - Adhikari, Yojana A1 - Balthasar, Cathrina A1 - Binder, Anja A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus A1 - Bischoff, Antje A1 - Brosinsky, Arlena A1 - Bubner, Ben A1 - Clerc, Danica A1 - Djoudi, El Aziz A1 - Dobkowitz, Sophia A1 - Francke, Till A1 - Gerwin, Werner A1 - Hartong, Heinrich A1 - Hess, Carsten A1 - Jarling, René A1 - Jouy, Florent A1 - Leinen, Loretta A1 - Meißner, Andreas A1 - Raab, Thomas A1 - Repmann, Frank A1 - Rönnefarth, Susanne A1 - Schaaf, Wolfgang A1 - Schirrmacher, Marina A1 - Schmehl, Marie-Therese A1 - Schmitt, Thomas A1 - Schröder, Jens A1 - Schüle, Maren A1 - Sturm, Knut A1 - Welle, Torsten A1 - Ibisch, Pierre L. T1 - PYROPHOB – A post-fire ecosystem research project to inform management for resilient forest development BT - PYROPHOB – Ein Ökosystemforschungsprojekt auf Waldbrandflächen als Grundlage für das Management einer resilienten Waldentwicklung T2 - Tuexenia N2 - PYROPHOB (fire-resistant) is the name of an interdisciplinary research project that is running for five years from 2020 to 2025. In this project, eight institutions are investigating the ecological effects of wildfires and subsequent forest management strategies in pine forests (plantations) in Brandenburg (NE Germany), with the aim of formulating practical recommendations for managing fire-prone forests and the effective restoration of post-fire forest areas. We provide a brief overview of what is known about the effects of wildfire on abiotic and biotic parameters in temperate pine forests, as well as the effects of silvicultural treatments. To date, we know little about how different components of biodiversity are linked in post-fire forest ecosystems and how management affects their functioning. By describing the project, we illustrate the requirements for the implementation of such an applied research project. We emphasize the importance of the study design for dealing with interdisciplinary questions and for the quantitative synthesis of research results. The project comprises a set of standardised field plots in two wildfire areas covering different post-fire management options. Fifteen study sites were established, including two reference sites in unburned pine stands, each with ten study plots as replicates. In situ nitrogen mineralisation, litter decomposition tests and soil biological activity are used for soil biological characterisation. Microclimate data is measured continuously. Standing and lying dead wood and tree regeneration are recorded as key indicators of the success of forestry treatments. Further methods com-prise terrestrial laser scanning, remote sensing techniques as well as surveys of vegetation and above and below ground biomass. Identification of fruiting body-forming fungi, phytoparasites and ectomycorrhizal fungi is supported by marker gene sequencing. Faunistic indicators comprise predatory soil arthropods (pairs of emergence tents and soil traps), saproxylic beetles (flight traps and funnel traps), moths (automated window traps), mammals (camera traps), and breeding birds (visual and acoustic observation). We discuss the strengths and limitations of the project design. We are able to systematically capture short-term temporal shifts in parameters and trends in post-fire ecosystem development. Research in a real landscape with ongoing environmental changes and interventions pres-ents challenges for experimental design, data analysis and interpretation. The drivers of ecosystem development are rarely completely independent or perfectly balanced, and lack of replication is ine-vitable. The two fires did not occur in the same year and season, resulting in different initial conditions for the colonisation of the burned areas. Finally, a large part of one study area was again affected by a fire in 2022, which destroyed direct comparability with the other sites. Despite these obstacles the project has started to generate valuable results to address management and conservation challenges. Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.14471/2024.44.004 SN - 0722-494X SN - 2748-3452 VL - 44 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Cardoso, Pedro A1 - Pekar, Stano A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - Ecosystem services provided by spiders T2 - Biological reviews N2 - Spiders, ubiquitous and abundant predators in terrestrial ecosystems, often bear the weight of an unjust negative perception. However, these remarkable creatures stand as unsung heroes within our ecosystems, wielding significant influence by contributing a multitude of ecosystem services critical to both the planet's future and human well-being. Here, we delve into the diverse spectrum of ecosystem services offered by spiders and their potential to inspire or directly provide nature-based solutions. Provisioning services include the versatile uses of silk-like materials, inspiration for biomimetic technology, medicines derived from venom, bio-insecticides that offer eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic chemicals, food sources for various communities worldwide, and even becoming unconventional yet increasingly valued pets. Regulating services provided by spiders extend to vital roles in pest suppression across diverse agricultural settings, mitigating diseases by curbing insectmediated pathogen dispersal, and controlling invasive species. Supporting services offered by spiders are equally extensive, involving nutrient cycling through the breakdown of organic matter, acting as food sources, or creating habitats for other organisms. Beyond their tangible contributions, spiders hold a significant cultural and spiritual heritage globally and are integral to many traditional medicine practices. They inspire contemporary culture, provide educational value, offer models for scientific discovery, contribute to mental health improvement, evoke a sense of place, and are commonly employed for monitoring biodiversity and ecosystem health. To pave the way for future research, we present a roadmap for exploring ecosystem services by spiders. While many of these services are wellestablished and studied from various perspectives, others harbour untapped potential. Leveraging what nature inherently provides, these nature-based solutions offer avenues to address challenges such as biodiversity erosion and societal needs. By restoring, preserving, or mimicking natural processes of spiders, we can enhance or provide essential ecosystem services, harnessing the full potential of spiders and the intricate web of benefits they bring to our world. Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.70044 SP - 1 EP - 20 PB - Wiley CY - Weinheim ER - TY - GEN A1 - Alfeus, Martha A1 - Irish, John A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - Recognition and completeness metrics from iNaturalist and GBIF can inform future citizen science and research projects : a case study on arthropods in Namibia T2 - Biodiversity and conservation N2 - Arthropods are the most diverse animal phylum and play crucial roles in ecosystem functioning through their contributions to ecosystem processes. Accurate knowledge about their distribution and diversity is essential for effective ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation. Public biodiversity databases and citizen science records could contribute to our understanding of arthropod diversity. To test this assumption, we extracted arthropod observations in Namibia from iNaturalist (iNat) and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and compared these data to the records in the Namibian Biodiversity Database (NBD). We assessed the proportion of observations identified to species level in each arthropod order in iNat and GBIF (“recognition” metric) and compared the number of species from the two biodiversity networks (iNat and GBIF) to the known species richness in each arthropod order in NBD (“completeness” metric). Only 54.4% of iNat and 63.1% of GBIF arthropod observations in Namibia are recorded at species level. Scorpions (Scorpiones) and dragonflies (Odonata) are the most recognised orders in both GBIF and iNat, with high completeness rates (> 60%). However, overall recognition and completeness for all arthropod orders were generally below 50% in both databases. The high recognition and completeness for certain orders could be attributed to species traits that make them recognizable (e.g. large body size, colouration), a low species richness and the taxonomic familiarity of the public. While global biodiversity networks provide valuable data, science-based databases like NBD remain essential for comprehensive biodiversity understanding. Global biodiversity networks provide insights into public perception and the suitability of taxonomic groups for citizen-involved biodiversity projects. KW - Biodiversity KW - Conservation KW - Insects KW - Invertebrates KW - Namibian Biodiversity Database (NBD) Y1 - 2024 UR - https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10531-024-02981-z.pdf UR - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10531-024-02981-z U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-024-02981-z SN - 1572-9710 VL - 34 SP - 467 EP - 480 PB - Springer Netherlands CY - Dordrecht ER - TY - GEN A1 - Melcher, Anja Carina A1 - Weber, Sven A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus A1 - Harms, Danilo A1 - Krehenwinkel, Henrik T1 - To pool or not to pool : pooled metabarcoding does not affect estimates of prey diversity in spider gut content analysis T2 - Ecological Entomology N2 - 1. Gut content metabarcoding has provided important insights into the food web ecology of spiders, the most dominant terrestrial arthropod predators. In small invertebrates, like spiders, gut content analysis is often performed on whole body DNA extracts of individual predators, from which prey sequences are selectively enriched and sequenced. 2. Since many spider species are generalist predators, large numbers of samples comprising individual spider specimens must be analysed to recover an exhaustive image of a spider species' prey spectrum, which is costly and time-consuming. 3. Pooled processing of bulk samples of multiple specimens has been suggested to reduce the necessary workload and cost while still recovering a representative estimate of the prey diversity. However, it is still unclear if pooling approaches lead to bias in recovering the prey spectrum and if the results are comparable with data from individually processed spiders. 4. Here, we test the effects of metabarcoding pooled spider gut content on the recovered taxonomic diversity and composition of prey. Using a newly adapted primer pair, which efficiently enriches COI barcode sequences of diverse arthropod prey groups while suppressing spider amplification, we test if pooling leads to reduced taxonomic diversity or skewed estimates of prey composition. 5. Our results show that pooling and individual processing recover highly correlated taxonomic diversity and composition of prey. The only exception are very rare prey items which were less well recovered by pooling. Our results support pooling as a cost-effective and time-efficient approach to recover the diet of generalist predators for population-level studies of spider trophic interactions. KW - Araneae KW - gut content analysis KW - metabarcoding KW - pooling KW - predator–prey interaction KW - primer Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/een.13382 SN - 0307-6946 SN - 1365-2311 VL - 49 IS - 6 SP - 768 EP - 778 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Kober, Klarissa A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus A1 - Glemnitz, Michael T1 - High soil moisture promotes the emergence of ground beetles and spiders from soils in wheat fields T2 - Basic and Applied Ecology N2 - Promoting arthropods in agricultural landscapes can contribute substantially to stop their decline and enhance pest control. Higher soil moisture and the presence of field margins can increase the abundance of arthropods in agricultural landscapes and influence their distribution within crop fields. However, little is known about the influence of soil moisture and distance from field margins on the overwintering of arthropods in arable fields. We investigated the influence of soil moisture and distance from a field margin on the numbers of arthropods, ground beetles and spiders emerging from soil in winter wheat fields. We established transects in winter wheat fields away from two different types of field margins: (i) around small standing water bodies (kettle holes) to capture a wide range of soil moisture values and (ii) other semi-natural landscape elements. At three distances (1 m, 20 m, 50 m), we sampled arthropods with emergence traps and measured soil moisture between March and June. We found that soil moisture had a positive effect on the emergence numbers of arthropods in general and ground beetles and spiders in particular. Distance from field margins generally had negative effects on the emergence numbers of ground beetles, but positive effects on the emergence numbers of spiders. Emergence numbers and soil moisture content did not differ significantly between the two types of field margins. The high emergence numbers inside the fields indicate that arable fields are important overwintering habitats for beneficial arthropods. Proper management of arable soils to promote soil water holding capacity and soil moisture content may have the added benefit of promoting the production of beneficial natural enemies from local soils. KW - Araneae KW - Carabidae KW - Crop edge KW - Distance gradient KW - Field boundaries KW - Generalist predators KW - Ponds KW - Potholes KW - Soil properties Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2024.09.001 SN - 1439-1791 IS - 80 SP - 72 EP - 80 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Menares, Esteban A1 - Saíz, Hugo A1 - Schenk, Noëlle V. A1 - Garcia de la Riva, Enrique A1 - Krauss, Jochen A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - Co-occurrence patterns do not predict mutualistic interactions between plant and butterfly species T2 - Ecology and Evolution N2 - Biotic interactions are crucial for determining the structure and dynamics of communities; however, direct measurement of these interactions can be challenging in terms of time and resources, especially when numerous species are involved. Inferring species interactions from species co-occurrence patterns is increasingly being used; however, recent studies have highlighted some limitations. To our knowledge, no attempt has been made to test the accuracy of the existing methods for detecting mutualistic interactions in terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, we compiled two literature-based, long-term datasets of interactions between butterflies and herbaceous plant species in two regions of Germany and compared them with observational abundance and presence/absence data collected within a year in the same regions. We tested how well the species associations generated by three different co-occurrence analysis methods matched those of empirically measured mutualistic associations using sensitivity and specificity analyses and compared the strength of associations. We also checked whether flower abundance data (instead of plant abundance data) increased the accuracy of the co-occurrence models and validated our results using empirical flower visitation data. The results revealed that, although all methods exhibited low sensitivity, our implementation of the Relative Interaction Intensity index with pairwise null models performed the best, followed by the probabilistic method and Spearman's rank correlation method. However, empirical data showed a significant number of interactions that were not detected using co-occurrence methods. Incorporating flower abundance data did not improve sensitivity but enhanced specificity in one region. Further analysis demonstrated incongruence between the predicted co-occurrence associations and actual interaction strengths, with many pairs exhibiting high interaction strength but low co-occurrence or vice versa. These findings underscore the complexity of ecological dynamics and highlight the limitations of current co-occurrence methods for accurately capturing species interactions. KW - Biodiversity Exploratories KW - co- occurrence analysis | KW - flower visitations KW - mutualistic interactions KW - resence/absence data KW - species associations Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70498 SN - 2045-7758 VL - 14 IS - 11 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Bucher, Roman A1 - Batary, Péter A1 - Baudry, Julia A1 - Beaumelle, Léa A1 - Čerevková, Andrea A1 - Garcia de la Riva, Enrique A1 - Dirilgen, Tara A1 - Gallé, Robert A1 - Kesse-Guyot, Emmanuelle A1 - Rembiałkowska, Ewa A1 - Rusch, Adrien A1 - Stanley, Dara A. A1 - Ulrich, Werner A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - Functional diversity of ground beetles improved aphid control but did not increase crop yields on European farms T2 - Ecological Applications N2 - Land-use intensification is often associated with a decline in functional diversity, potentially undermining the provision of ecosystem services. However, how changes in traits affect ecosystem processes remains poorly understood. Variation in trait values among species in a community may drive ecosystem processes. Alternatively, the mass ratio hypothesis proposes that trait values of the dominant species in a local community are related to ecosystem processes. Using data from 159 farms in six European countries, we quantified the impact of local and landscape-level land-use intensity on ground beetles as pest control agents. We then assessed the extent to which functional diversity and community-weighted mean trait values relate to pest control and cereal yield. In addition, we assessed how the responses to land use and the effects of different species on pest control and yield varied with their traits to compare the relative impact of the traits studied. Functional diversity of ground beetles improved aphid removal, but did not translate into higher crop yields. Pest control of aphids was enhanced by a higher proportion of smaller, mobile ground beetles with a preference for the vegetation layer. Smaller, predatory ground beetles in communities improved crop yield. The magnitude of responses to land-use intensification and the effects on pest control and yield were more strongly influenced by body size than other traits. Our study provides evidence that reduced management intensity can improve pest control by supporting small-sized, macropterous ground beetles. In contrast to the claims of ecological intensification, our joint analysis of the direct effects of land use on yield and indirect effects via functional diversity of ground beetles and pest control suggests that ecosystem services by ground beetles cannot compensate for the yield gap due to a reduction in land-use intensity. KW - predation KW - ecological intensification KW - landscape composition KW - land-use intensity KW - pest control KW - traits Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.3035 SN - 1051-0761 SN - 1939-5582 VL - 2024 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Feng, Lanya A1 - Arvidsson, Fredrik A1 - Djoudi, El Aziz A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - Terrestrial generalist predators have larger isotopic niches but rely less on aquatic prey at a natural compared to a post-mining lakeshore T2 - Food webs N2 - The flooded pits from former opencast mining (post-mining lakes) are young aquatic ecosystems often with low primary productivity due to the high acidity. The limited availability of nutrients and simplified aquatic food webs in these artificial lakes may affect the matter fluxes towards food webs in adjacent terrestrial habitats. To understand the impact of emerging prey from a post-mining lake on terrestrial food webs and associated arthropod communities, we compared the emergence and activity of arthropods as well as the isotopic niches of generalist predators and their potential prey between lakeshores of a post-mining and a natural lake. We used aquatic and terrestrial emergence tents to sample potential prey that emerged locally (Collembola and Diptera) and pitfall traps to sample terrestrial arthropod predators (Carabidae and Araneae) from lakeshores. Community and stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) analyses were performed to compare diversity and isotopic niches of generalist arthropod predators between the natural and post-mining lakeshores. The number of emerging aquatic and terrestrial prey did not differ significantly between lakes, but the δ15N values of aquatic emerging dipterans differed between the two lakes. Predator community diversity did not differ significantly between lakeshores, but generalist predator species from the natural lakeshore generally had larger isotopic niche sizes than the same species at the post-mining lakeshore indicating a more diverse diet. Additional estimates of diet composition suggest that predators at the natural lakeshore utilized aquatic prey to a lesser degree than at the post-mining lake, but still had a more diverse diet. KW - Carabids KW - Food web KW - Post-mining lake KW - Spiders KW - Stable isotopes KW - Subsidies Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fooweb.2024.e00368 SN - 2352-2496 VL - 41 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - GEN A1 - Gavín-Centol, María Pilar A1 - Serrano-Carnero, Diego A1 - Montserrat, Marta A1 - Balanzategui, Iñaki A1 - Scheu, Stefan A1 - Truu, Jaak A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus A1 - Sánchez-Moreno, Sara A1 - Moya-Laraño, Jordi T1 - Drought impairs detritivore feeding activity more strongly in northern than in southern European latitudes T2 - Soil biology and biochemistry N2 - Soil detritivores play key roles in decomposition processes closely related to ecosystem services. Drought and soil organic carbon depletion due to agricultural management are detrimental to soil biodiversity, but their interactive effects on soil biota and associated processes have not been thoroughly investigated. In 2018, we used rain-out shelters to experimentally induce drought in wheat fields of contrasting levels of organic carbon in Sweden, Germany and Spain. That year Europe experienced a climatic dipole, with exceptionally severe droughts in northern latitudes. We assessed the feeding activity of soil detritivores by bait-lamina tests, and measured several abiotic and biotic soil parameters. In the peak of the dipole drought (summer) southern fields had the driest soils. Nonetheless, detritivore feeding activity responded to the experimental drought by shifting to deeper soil layers there. Low soil organic carbon (SOC) levels exacerbated the latter effect. However, in this same period, feeding activity in northern and central Europe was two orders of magnitude lower than in the south, and failed to respond to either the experimental treatment and/or SOC levels. Using mixed-effects longitudinal random forests, we detected various candidate drivers of detritivore feeding activity: soil moisture, phosphorus content, bacteria and nematodes. Different bacterial taxa were associated to detritivory in each country, but their potential influence was pervasive. Thus, our results suggest that drought had adverse effects on detritivore feeding, which were exacerbated northwards due to the climatic dipole. Increased SOC levels mitigated drought effects only in southern soils. Regional adaptation of soil biota to aridity could explain the response of detritivores in southern Europe to drought. Machine learning algorithms arise as useful tools for exploring potential drivers relating biodiversity to soil processes. Overall, future research on the effects of drought on soil biodiversity and processes will be key for tackling climate change impacts in terrestrial ecosystems. KW - Agroecosystems KW - Ecosystem functioning KW - Climatic dipole KW - Soil biota KW - Invertebrate detritivores KW - Bait-lamina test Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109594 SN - 0038-0717 VL - 199 SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - Elsevier BV CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - GEN A1 - Michalko, Radek A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus A1 - Traugott, Michael A1 - Jonsson, Mattias T1 - Negative intraguild interactions drive niche variation in arthropod predators T2 - Entomologia generalis N2 - The niche variation hypothesis states that the population niche width expands with increasing interindividual differences in prey utilization (i.e., individual dietary specialization). The main ecological drivers forming this relationship include a) ecological opportunity, b) food limitation and exploitative competition, and c) intraguild interference. Only a limited number of empirical studies have tested the impact of these drivers on the niche variation–width relationship and focused only on vertebrates. Using molecular gut content analysis, we investigated how prey diversity (proxy for ecological opportunity), prey abundance (proxy for exploitative competition / food-limitation), and activity density of guild members (proxy for intraguild interference) affect the short-term individual dietary specialization and consequently the population niche width in local communities of 13 species of predatory beetles and spiders. The study took place in 10 spring barley fields in Sweden in 2011. We found that the niche variation and consequently the average population niche width of the spe- cies in the predator community decreased with prey abundance but increased with activity density of guild members. The results indicate that intraguild interference and exploitative competition / food limitation increased dietary variation. The increased diet variation led to the observed population diet expansion. Our results support the niche variation hypothesis and, in contrast to the traditional view, show that negative intraguild interactions may act as a diversifying force. KW - Araneae KW - Carabidae KW - Coccinellidae KW - Ecological opportunity KW - Individual specialization Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1127/entomologia/2024/2282 SN - 2363-7102 VL - 44 IS - 3 SP - 525 EP - 534 PB - Schweizerbart CY - Stuttgart ER - TY - GEN A1 - Schnerch, Benjamin A1 - Bucher, Roman A1 - Djoudi, El Aziz A1 - Hossain, Mohammad A1 - Bapfubusa Niyibizi, Ingrid Aline A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - Growth stage, management and habitat influence the taxonomic and functional composition of arthropod communities in apple orchards T2 - Agriculture, ecosystems & environment N2 - Apples are the most cultivated fruits in temperate regions, and their production relies on heavy use of synthetic pesticides, causing major environmental problems and the loss of biodiversity. Pests in tree canopies are commonly controlled by the use of synthetic pesticides, but habitat manipulations in orchard alleys are an alternative practice to promote natural pest control services. Integrated pest management (IPM) and organic production methods are considered to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly than conventional production, but the knowledge of the differences between arthropod communities in IPM and organic apple orchards differ from each other is limited. Therefore, we sampled alley and canopy arthropod communities in eight orchards under IPM and eight organic apple orchards, respectively, during three sampling dates in the apple growing season. Our results show that seasonal effects predominantly shape the taxonomic composition and abundance of arthropod community, especially within canopy habitats, while management effects are context-dependent for several taxonomic groups. The species composition of spider communities in canopy habitats differed significantly between management systems depending on dates, with some common species being more abundant in IPM than in organic orchards later in the season. The functional diversity of spider communities was significantly lower in the orchard alleys than in tree canopies, and increased in alley, but decreased in canopy habitats over time. Communities in IPM orchards had a higher proportion of spiders with ballooning ability, indicating that aerial dispersal is more common for spiders in IPM compared to organic orchards. The results of this study highlight the context dependency of management effects on the taxonomic and functional composition of arthropod communities, as these are likely to be most pronounced at certain times of the growing season and in certain habitats. Functional diversity and trait composition were more sensitive to management differences than taxonomic composition. Our results therefore emphasise the need to consider both taxonomic and functional metrics, and to incorporate seasonal and habitat considerations, when assessing the effects of sustainable management practices on arthropod communities in the future KW - Community composition KW - Insects KW - Integrated pest management (IPM) KW - Organic farming KW - Spiders KW - Functional traits KW - Araneae Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2025.109901 VL - 394 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - Elsevier BV CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - GEN A1 - Bapfubusa Niyibizi, Ingrid Aline A1 - Schnerch, Benjamin A1 - Djoudi, El Aziz A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - Aphid proliferation in orchard alleys and canopy predator aggregation in eastern German apple orchards T2 - Agricultural and forest entomology N2 - 1. European apple (Malus domestica) orchards face persistent threats from aphid infestations, which can severely compromise fruit yields. 2. In this study, we compared aphid communities in two microhabitats (tree canopy and orchard alley) in commercial apple orchards under organic and integrated pest management (IPM), in relation to aphidophagous predator abundance at three stages of the growing season: early fruit development, fruit maturity and post-harvest. 3. We sampled eight organic and eight IPM apple orchards in eastern Germany using standardised canopy beating of apple trees and suction sampling in the orchard alleys. 4. Our results indicate no significant differences in aphid infestation between organic and IPM orchards, regardless of the sampled microhabitat. However, aphid communities in the tree canopy of organic orchards exhibited greater evenness across species than those of IPM orchards. Eriosoma lanigerum consistently dominated canopy aphid communities across both management systems, highlighting the need for targeted management practices for this pest. Additionally, aphidophagous predator abundance in the tree canopy increased over time and showed a positive association with aphid abundance. Aphid community structure varied significantly across sampling periods and microhabitats. Differences between organic and IPM orchards were observed during the early fruit development phase in orchard alleys, with higher levels of infestation in organic orchards. Aphid taxa such as Macrosiphum euphorbiae, Dysaphis spp., Aphis spiraecola and Rhopalosiphum insertum contributed to these differences. 5. Our findings provide a better understanding of the temporal dynamics of aphid communities in apple orchards in eastern Germany, highlighting the importance of microhabitats and host plant phenology. KW - Aphidoidea KW - Agricultural pest KW - IPM KW - Organic KW - Phenology KW - Species composition Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/afe.12699 SN - 1461-9563 VL - 27 IS - 4 SP - 742 EP - 754 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken, NJ ER - TY - GEN A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus A1 - Ekroos, Johan A1 - Mader, Viktoria A1 - Tschumi, Matthias A1 - Wu, Ai-ping A1 - Smith, Henrik G. T1 - Taxonomy, habitat and conservation status explain the diet composition of insectivorous birds in Europe T2 - Biological conservation N2 - Populations of European birds and insects are declining, with consequences for trophic interactions. Insectivorous birds are particularly vulnerable to losses of arthropods, yet the factors shaping their diet composition remain insufficiently understood. We conducted a quantitative review of the arthropod diets of 94 European insectivorous bird species and assessed how diet richness and composition relate to taxonomy, developmental stage, climate, conservation status, habitat, migration status, sampling intensity, and methodological approach. Taxonomy, habitat and conservation status (both population trend over time and current status) were the primary predictors of diet richness and composition. Species of population concern in Europe relied more on Coleoptera and Orthoptera prey, while species with declining population trends and species in agricultural, artificial and semi-natural habitats showed strong dependence on Coleoptera prey. Species in forests and of global population concern had a higher percentage of Arachnida prey, while birds in inland water habitats relied on Diptera prey. Anthropogenic activities such as the use of insecticides and changes in land use in agricultural and forest habitats negatively impact the abundance and diversity of arthropods, including Coleoptera and Arachnida. These declines will cascade up the food chain, ultimately diminishing both common and threatened bird species by limiting their prey. Species of global conservation concern may be particularly at risk, as they exhibit the lowest prey taxonomic richness. It is therefore crucial that future legislation and policy interventions consider these indirect impacts on bird diets, as these vulnerable species are at high risk of further losses in arthropod prey. KW - Foraging KW - Arthropod KW - Biodiversity loss KW - Prey KW - Insect Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111566 SN - 0006-3207 VL - 313 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Elsevier BV CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - GEN A1 - Arvidsson, Fredrik A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - The value of public databases for our knowledge of national spider biodiversity compared to a long-term scientific monitoring project. T2 - Insect conservation and diversity N2 - Citizen science can be a valuable tool for monitoring changes in biodiversity, especially for less frequently studied taxonomic groups such as spiders. These collaborative projects between scientists and private citizens can provide a cost‐effective means of collecting large data sets, while also raising awareness of environmental and sustainability issues. A comparison of two public databases ( iNaturalist and the Swedish biodiversity database Artportalen ) with a national scientific study using malaise traps (Swedish Malaise Trap Project, SMTP) sheds light on their individual and combined contribution to our understanding of spider biodiversity and geographical distribution in Sweden. iNaturalist is an important global platform for mobilising public participation in biodiversity research. While widely used internationally, its coverage in Sweden is relatively limited and tends to over‐represent species that are easy to spot and often observed in densely populated areas. Artportalen includes a large body of observations contributed through citizen science. It offers wide species coverage, supported by higher expert input. Nevertheless, it exhibits sampling bias towards species that are diurnal and common in more populated areas. Projects based on large‐scale sampling schemes such as SMTP therefore make essential contributions to our understanding of the occurrence of species, especially for rare and uncommon species or species with cryptic life histories. Records are, however, limited in distribution to the pre‐defined sample locations. Given the more resource‐intensive nature of traditional scientific surveys, a combined approach that integrates citizen science data with scientific sampling offers the most robust and comprehensive means of assessing biodiversity. KW - Araneae KW - Artportalen KW - Citizen science KW - Completeness KW - iNaturalist KW - Malaise trap KW - Recognition KW - SMTP KW - Species distribution KW - Schweden Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/icad.70024 SN - 1752-4598 VL - 19 IS - 1 SP - 228 EP - 239 PB - Wiley ER - TY - GEN A1 - Alfeus, Martha A1 - Hering, Robert A1 - Djoudi, El Aziz A1 - Angombe, Simon A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - Encroaching shrub species alter arthropod community composition and trophic structure in southern African rangeland ecosystems T2 - Agriculture, ecosystems & environment N2 - Bush encroachment is rapidly transforming savannah and grassland ecosystems in southern Africa, altering vegetation structure and ecosystem functioning, while reducing rangeland productivity. Despite these shifts, its effects on local biodiversity, particularly arthropod communities remain understudied. This study evaluated the arthropod communities within areas dominated by three major encroaching shrub species in southern Africa: Dichrostachys cinerea, Senegalia mellifera and Terminalia sericea. Arthropods were sampled in northcentral Namibia using pitfall traps (ground-dwelling), pan traps (flying), and shrub beating (canopy-dwelling) during both wet and dry seasons. Arthropod community composition differed significantly among encroaching species, primarily driven by canopy-dwelling arthropods. Senegalia mellifera supported distinct communities distinguished by the exclusive presence of woodlice (Isopoda), while, D. cinerea and T. sericea plots hosted distinct taxa, including Caelifera, Mantodea and Strepsiptera. Also the trophic composition differed among shrubs, with omnivores dominating S. mellifera and phytophagous arthropods dominating D. cinerea plots. Formicidae and Collembola were numerically dominant across all plots. Brachycera, Curculionidae and Collembola were highly sensitive to local environmental variation, indicating their potential as bio-indicators for monitoring shrub encroachment and effectiveness of management interventions. Overall arthropod abundance positively correlated with ground cover, while taxonomic diversity showed a negative relationship. Therefore, conservation efforts in bush encroached areas should promote vegetation management strategies that enhance structural heterogeneity to support greater arthropod diversity. Our findings provide a key baseline on how encroaching shrub species affect arthropods, highlighting the need to consider invertebrate biodiversity in de-bushing efforts in southern Africa, which have traditionally focused on rangeland productivity over ecological impacts. KW - Biodiversity KW - Bush encroachment KW - Rangeland ecosystems KW - Insect communities Y1 - 2026 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2025.110016 SN - 1873-2305 VL - 396 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Elsevier BV CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - GEN A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus A1 - Wätzold, Frank A1 - Remelgado, Ruben A1 - Addison, Pia A1 - Aigbedion-Atalor, Pascal A1 - Cord, Anna F. A1 - Ekesi, Sunday A1 - Mutamiswa, Reyard A1 - Rwomushana, Ivan T1 - A framework for multidimensional management of invasive alien insect pests in sub-Saharan Africa T2 - Journal of applied entomology N2 - Invasive alien insect pests pose a significant threat to achieving sustainable food systems in sub-Saharan Africa, where reliance on synthetic pesticides has led to unsustainable practices due to high costs and health and environmental risks. This article presents a multidimensional framework for managing invasive alien insect pests in sub-Saharan Africa, specifically directed at researchers, policymakers, non-governmental organisations and other institutions responsible for invasive pest management as well as extension services for farmers. Invasive pests, such as the Oriental fruit fly and the fall armyworm, and a highly damaging native species for comparison are central to the framework. The framework considers the environmental, socio-economic, and regulatory dimensions of pest management decisions. It reviews different control strategies used against invasive alien pests, highlighting their limitations and environmental impacts. By considering farmer characteristics, institutional support, market demands, and regulatory policies, the article emphasises the need for integrated pest management approaches. The aim is to contribute to the development of sustainable, effective pest management strategies that will ensure long-term agricultural productivity and food security in sub-Saharan Africa. KW - Agriculture KW - Biological control KW - Ecosystem health KW - Food security KW - Socio-economy Y1 - 2026 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/jen.70060 SN - 0931-2048 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - GEN A1 - Djoudi, El Aziz A1 - Amossé, Ewen A1 - Aviron, Stéphanie A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus A1 - Libereau, Benjamin A1 - Plantegenest, Manuel A1 - Pétillon, Julien T1 - Multi‑trophic arthropod communities modulated by local farming system and landscape heterogeneity T2 - Landscape ecology N2 - Context Organic farming is increasingly used worldwide in recent decades, but the role of this farming system in shaping the trophic structure of arthropod communities remains poorly understood, especially at different spatial scales. Therefore, the contribution of landscape heterogeneity in shaping arthropod’s trophic guilds remain understudied. Objectives In this study, we assessed how the evenness, the abundance and the taxonomic richness of arthropod trophic groups were shaped by the local farming system, landscape heterogeneity (including the percentage of semi-natural habitats and organic fields), and their interaction. Methods Arthropod’s trophic guilds (ground and vegetation-dwelling) were sampled in 20 spatial independent pairs of conventional (CF) and organic (OF) fields located in Brittany (Western France) by using pitfall traps and sweep nets replicated in time and space. Results A total of 95,822 arthropods belonging to 197 taxonomic groups were sampled. Farming system has a strong overall positive effect on the community structure of both ground- and vegetation-dwelling arthropods. Landscape heterogeneity, alone and in interaction with farming systems, affected positively the diversity and abundance of most trophic groups for both ground- and vegetation-dwelling arthropods. Organic farming therefore affected the trophic composition of arthropod communities not only locally, but also at the landscape scale. Conclusions Our study highlights the strong positive effect of farming system and the landscape heterogeneity on arthropod communities and more importantly the interconnection between different spatial scales in this process. Taking these aspects into account is therefore crucial in understanding arthropod community dynamics in agroecosystems. KW - Trophic guilds KW - Winter wheat KW - Western France KW - Pitfall trap KW - Sweep net Y1 - 2026 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-026-02298-y SN - 1572-9761 VL - 41 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Springer Nature CY - Dordrecht ER -