Small habitats as sources of food for pollinators and frugivores in fragmented landscapes

Lindgren, Jessica ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7219-4359; Kimberley, Adam ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0807-9943; Eriksson, Ove ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7580-5135; Cousins, Sara A.O. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7266-8067. 2025 Small habitats as sources of food for pollinators and frugivores in fragmented landscapes. Landscape Ecology, 40 (6), 104. 15, pp. 10.1007/s10980-025-02119-8

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Abstract/Summary

•Context: Habitat loss and land use homogenization cause a decline in biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Plant community in small landscape features which remain post-land use change (small natural or semi-natural habitats) may overlap with plant community in semi-natural grasslands and buffer species decline in landscapes where little or no grassland remains. •Objectives: We explored if small natural or semi-natural habitats buffer the decline of semi-natural grasslands when it comes to number of plant species with fleshy fruits and a variety of food resources for pollinators, throughout the vegetation season. •Methods: We surveyed plants in grasslands and small habitats in five agricultural landscapes; 13 semi-natural grasslands (area 7016–85547 m2), 50 forest edges (area 145–1850 m2) and 130 midfield islets (area 17–4788 m2). We than explored how the richness of plants and plant traits (fleshy fruits, flower morphology and flowering period) are related to habitat type, landscape and canopy cover in the focal habitats. •Results: Semi-natural grasslands and midfield islets had the highest richness of plant species and flower shapes compared to forest edges. In addition, midfield islets harboured more species with fleshy fruits. When comparing the plant community on midfield islets with the plant community in forest edges, midfield islets and semi-natural grasslands contributed equally with number of blooming plant species during the seasons. Landscapes that were less intensively used (less crop fields) provided food resources for a higher diversity of pollinators compares to less open landscapes, as there was a higher richness of plant species and flower morphologies. Forest edges were not as valuable to pollinators and frugivores as midfield islets. •Conclusions: Small natural or semi-natural habitats can provide food resources to pollinators and frugivores at the landscape scale in fragmented landscapes. More crop field in the landscape had a negative impact on the richness of plants and flower morphologies in the habitats. Forest borders may not be as species rich as midfield islets but are still a part of the green infrastructure in the landscape. Particularly, in intensively managed landscapes, small natural habitats can contribute to landscape plant diversity and have a complementary function to each other, but this does not fully compensate for the loss of semi-natural grasslands.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1007/s10980-025-02119-8
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Biodiversity and Land Use (2025-)
ISSN:	1572-9761
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.
Additional Keywords:	floral traits, forest edge, functional diversity, habitat complementary, midfield islets, small habitat, green infrastructure
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment
Date made live:	23 May 2025 10:48 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/539489

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