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Landscape makers and landscape takers: links between farming systems and landscape patterns along an intensification gradient

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Abstract

Context

Agricultural intensification is a leading cause of landscape homogenization, with negative consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem services. Conserving or promoting heterogeneity requires a detailed understanding of how farm management affects, and is affected by, landscape characteristics.

Objectives

We assessed relationships between farming systems and landscape characteristics, hypothesising that less-intensive systems act as landscape takers, by adapting management to landscape constraints, whereas more intensive systems act as landscape makers, by changing the landscape to suit farming needs.

Methods

We mapped dominant farming systems in a region of southern Portugal: traditional cereal-grazed fallow rotations; specialization on annual crops; and specialization on either cattle or sheep. We estimated landscape metrics in 241 1-km2 buffers representing the farming systems, and analysed variation among and within systems using multivariate statistics and beta diversity metrics.

Results

Landscape composition varied among systems, with dominance by either annual crops (Crop system) or pastures (Sheep), or a mixture between the two (Traditional and Cattle). There was a marked regional gradient of local landscape heterogeneity, but this contributed little to variation among systems. Landscape beta diversity declined from the Sheep to the Crop system, and it was inversely related to agriculture intensity.

Conclusions

Less intensive farming systems appeared compatible with a range of landscape characteristics (landscape takers), and may thus be particularly suited to agri-environmental management. More intensive systems appeared less flexible in terms of landscape characteristics (landscape makers), likely promoting regional homogenization. Farming systems may provide a useful standpoint to address the design of agri-environment schemes.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through projects PTDC/AGR-AAM/102300/2008 (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-008701) and PTDC/BIA-BIC/2203/2012 (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-028289) under FEDER funds through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness Factors—COMPETE and by National Funds through FCT—Foundation for Science and Technology, and grants to PFR (SFRH/BD/87530/2012), JS (SFRH/BD/63566/2009) and LR (SFRH/BPD/93079/2013). Program CIÊNCIA 2007 provided support to PB and FM. Agricultural statistics were provided by the Instituto de Financiamento da Agricultura e Pescas—IFAP I.P., Portuguese Ministry of Agriculture. We thank the Editor and three anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions that helped improve the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CEF – Forest Research Centre, Higher Institute of Agronomy, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017, Lisbon, Portugal

    Paulo F. Ribeiro & José L. Santos

  2. EDP Biodiversity Chair, CIBIO/InBIO – Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal

    Joana Santana, Luís Reino & Pedro Beja

  3. Geomatics Lab, Geography Department, Humboldt – Berlin University, Rudower Chaussee 16, 12489, Berlin, Germany

    Pedro J. Leitão

  4. REN Biodiversity Chair, CIBIO/InBIO - Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal

    Francisco Moreira

  5. CEABN/InBIO – Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, School of Agronomy, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017, Lisbon, Portugal

    Francisco Moreira

Authors
  1. Paulo F. Ribeiro
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  2. José L. Santos
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Correspondence to Paulo F. Ribeiro.

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Ribeiro, P.F., Santos, J.L., Santana, J. et al. Landscape makers and landscape takers: links between farming systems and landscape patterns along an intensification gradient. Landscape Ecol 31, 791–803 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-015-0287-0

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