D.R. Lammertsma

Land-use and land-management change: relationships with earthworm and fungi communities and soil structural properties

BackgroundChange in land use and management can impact massively on soil ecosystems. Ecosystem engineers and other functional biodiversity in soils can be influenced directly by such change and this in turn can affect key soil functions. Here, we employ meta-analysis to provide a quantitative assessment of the effects of changes in land use and land management across a range of successional/extensification transitions (conventional arable → no or reduced tillage → grassland → wooded land) on community metrics for two functionally important soil taxa, earthworms and fungi. An analysis of the relationships between community change and soil structural properties was also included.ResultsMeta-analysis highlighted a consistent trend of increased earthworm and fungal community abundances and complexity following transitions to lower intensity and later successional land uses. The greatest changes were seen for early stage transitions, such as introduction of reduced tillage regimes and conversion to grassland from arable land. Not all changes, however, result in positive effects on the assessed community metrics. For example, whether woodland conversion positively or negatively affects community size and complexity depends on woodland type and, potentially, the changes in soil properties, such as pH, that may occur during conversion. Alterations in soil communities tended to facilitate subsequent changes in soil structure and hydrology. For example, increasing earthworm abundances and functional group composition were shown to be positively correlated with water infiltration rate (dependent on tillage regime and habitat characteristics); while positive changes in fungal biomass measures were positively associated with soil microaggregate stability.ConclusionsThese findings raise the potential to manage landscapes to increase ecosystem service provision from soil biota in relation to regulation of soil structure and water flow.

Effects of soil properties on food web accumulation of heavy metals to the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus).

Effects of soil properties on the accumulation of metals to wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) were evaluated at two sites with different pH and organic matter content of the soil. pH and organic matter content significantly affected accumulation of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in earthworms and vegetation. For Cd, Cu and Zn these effects propagated through the food web to the wood mouse. Soil-to-kidney ratios differed between sites: Cd: 0.15 versus 3.52, Cu: 0.37 versus 1.30 and Zn: 0.33-0.83. This was confirmed in model calculations for Cd and Zn. Results indicate that total soil concentrations may be unsuitable indicators for risks that metals pose to wildlife. Furthermore, environmental managers may, unintentionally, change soil properties while taking specific environmental measures. In this way they may affect risks of metals to wildlife, even without changes in total soil concentrations.

Cadmium Accumulation in Small Mammals: Species Traits, Soil Properties, and Spatial Habitat Use

In this study, the impact of species-specific spatial habitat use, diet preferences, and soil concentrations and properties on the accumulation of cadmium in small mammals was investigated. The results show that for the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus), a mobile species with a large range in diet composition, accumulation of cadmium was not related to local soil concentrations or soil properties, but to diet preferences. For the common vole (Microtus arvalis), a nonmobile, specific feeding species, accumulation of cadmium was related to local soil concentrations or properties. For the bank vole (Myodes glareolus), a species with a smaller home range than the wood mouse but a broader diet spectrum than the common vole, both local soil properties and diet appeared to affect the cadmium accumulation in the kidneys. The results of this field study show that species-specific traits of small mammals are important determinants of accumulation of cadmium on a local scale. For site-specific assessment of risks of contaminants, such information is essential in order to understand exposure dynamics.

Facilitative and competitive interactions between sympatric cattle, red deer and wild boar in Dutch woodland pastures

Use of cattle-grazed and ungrazed woodland pastures by red deerCervus elaphus Linnaeus, 1758 and wild boarSus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758 was investigated monthly by measuring dung-deposition rates. CattleBos taurus grazed pastures year-round, with peak intensities during the growing season (May–September). Red deer and wild boar grazed pastures primarily during autumn and winter (October–April) when cattle occupancy was at a minimum. The lower occupancy of cattle in pastures from November to April was interpreted as the result of competition with red deer. Mean sward height in this period fell below 6.5 cm. In autumn and winter a negative relationship was found for red deer and wild boar occupancy with sward height, which indicated that red deer and wild boar preferred swards previously grazed by cattle. At the start of the growing season, when cattle occupancy in the pastures increased, red deer switched their habitat preference and almost totally disappeared from pastures to use alternative feeding grounds. Interpretation of the results lead to the conclusion that facilitative and competitive interactions occurred between sympatric cattle and red deer in woodland pastures, and to some extent also between cattle and wild boar.

Tiny Forest Zaanstad : citizen science and determining biodiversity in Tiny Forest Zaanstad

of nature to improve the q uality of lif e” . U nder the banner Wageningen U niversity & Research, Wageningen U niversity and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have j oined f orces in contributing to inding solutions to important q uestions in the domain of healthy f ood and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 5,000 employees and 10,000 students, Wageningen U niversity & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The uniq ue Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines. Tiny Forest Zaanstad

Monitoring beschermde natuurwaarden in relatie tot Buitenring Parkstad Limburg : Periode 2013-2016

De provincie Limburg realiseert samen met enkele gemeenten in Zuid-Limburg ‘Buitenring Parkstad Limburg’, van Kerkrade naar Heerlen. De aanleg van de Buitenring zal leiden tot een aanzienlijke verbetering van de aansluitingen op de (inter)nationaal en (inter)regionaal verbindende wegen. In relatie tot de verleende ontheffing Artikel 75c van de Flora- en Faunawet dient provincie Limburg de functionaliteit van de genomen mitigatiemaatregelen voor beschermde natuurwaarden in beeld te brengen. Evenals de verspreiding en populatieontwikkeling van de relevante diersoorten binnen en in de omgeving van het trace. Voor de uitvoering van deze monitoring in de periode 2013-2016 heeft provincie Limburg Wageningen Environmental research (voorheen Alterra) opdracht verstrekt voor de monitoring van planten en de volgende faunasoorten dan wel groepen: das, amfibieen, reptielen, purperstreepparelmoervlinder, iepenpage, vliegend hert en juchtleerkever. De voorliggende rapportage betreft de monitoring van periode 2013-2016.