title: Functional landscape heterogeneity and animal biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.
abstract: Biodiversity in agricultural landscapes can be increased with conversion of some production lands into 'more-natural'- unmanaged or extensively managed - lands. However, it remains unknown to what extent biodiversity can be enhanced by altering landscape pattern without reducing agricultural production. We propose a framework for this problem, considering separately compositional heterogeneity (the number and proportions of different cover types) and configurational heterogeneity (the spatial arrangement of cover types). Cover type classification and mapping is based on species requirements, such as feeding and nesting, resulting in measures of 'functional landscape heterogeneity'. We then identify three important questions: does biodiversity increase with (1) increasing heterogeneity of the more-natural areas, (2) increasing compositional heterogeneity of production cover types and (3) increasing configurational heterogeneity of production cover types? We discuss approaches for addressing these questions. Such studies should have high priority because biodiversity protection globally depends increasingly on maintaining biodiversity in human-dominated landscapes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Geomatics and Landscape Ecology Research Laboratory, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada. lenore_fahrig@carleton.ca
authors.forename: Lenore
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fahrig
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baudry
authors.forename: Lluís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brotons
authors.forename: Françoise G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Burel
authors.forename: Thomas O
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Crist
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Fuller
authors.forename: Clelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sirami
authors.forename: Gavin M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Siriwardena
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D006802:Human Activities; D006801:Humans; D011157:Population Dynamics; D013045:Species Specificity