Grassy strips in their landscape context, their role as new habitat for biodiversity

In the context of rapid and severe biodiversity decline in agroecosystems, the European Union has introduced agri-environmental schemes. However, these schemes require evaluation to estimate their efficiency, for further consolidation and improvement. The establishment of grassy strips along watercourses represents a measure of cross-compliance introduced in France in 2005. In this study, we analyzed the benefits of these new landscape elements for biodiversity, by (i) exploring the plant community composition of grassy strips in relation to their landscape context, (ii) analyzing the faunal communities of three major functional groups (i.e., small mammals, syrphids, and carabid beetles) present in grassy strips of agroecosystems, (iii) comparing the faunal biodiversity to that observed in other habitats of agroecosystems, such as fields and hedgerows, and (iv) investigating the relationships between faunal community indices and grassy strip properties. The results of our study showed that the plant community of grassy strips is mainly influenced by semi-natural habitats that are present within a landscape context, i.e., at a scale >500 m. We found that grassy strips do not necessarily present areas of particularly high animal biodiversity compared to other habitats (i.e., fields and hedgerows). However, the properties of these strips (i.e., length, width and plant biodiversity) influence the structure of faunal communities.Two years after the establishment of grassy strips, their role as ecotones between previous field margins (mostly hedgerows in our study site) is illustrated through the response of the fauna. Hence, grassy strips, being more stable than cultivated fields, contribute to a new refuge within the agroecosystem landscape.

► The establishment of grassy strips is one measure of cross compliance introduced in France in 2005.
► We analysed the benefits of these new landscape elements for biodiversity.
► Grassy strip plant communities are mainly influenced by the landscape context.
► The properties of grassy strips influence fauna biodiversity can be relatively easily managed.
► They offered practical possibilities to enhance the role of grassy strips in maintaining and improving biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.