About this Research Topic
This Research Topic focuses on the provisioning of biodiversity, ecosystem functions and ecosystem services (ES) from fragmented landscapes, and how landscape structure may modify these outcomes, including the potential for landscape multi-functionality. Although the focus is on agricultural landscapes, other ecosystems and drivers of fragmentation are relevant, e.g. aquatic systems within an agro- or forest production ecosystem, or agro- and forest ecosystems fragmented by urbanization. A series of sub-themes within this broad topic are considered. They are meant to follow a common thread and elucidate the topic from several angles; from how fragmentation and structure of ecosystems affects the provisioning of biodiversity and ES, to how (production) landscapes can be managed to increase biodiversity, ecosystem functions and services.
The following sub-themes are proposed:
• The nature of fragmentation of natural habitats by agriculture, forestry or urbanization, and its effects on landscapes
• How habitat fragmentation and landscape configuration in production landscapes affect biodiversity and provisioning of ecosystem functions and services
• The provisioning of biodiversity and ecosystem services by production landscapes
• Landscape governance for biodiversity conservation and multi-functionality in production landscapes, including natural and/or social science perspectives
• High Nature Value farming areas, as defined by the EU
The aim is to highlight research that improves our understanding of landscape-scale habitat fragmentation as a driving force of biodiversity loss and changes to ecosystem functioning and present the best practices and governance of these landscapes to halt these losses. We intend to cover a variety of landscape types and taxa and obtain a wide geographic representation of both biomes and authors.
We welcome contributions in the format of an original research paper, reviews or other types of articles.
Keywords: Agricultural management, biological communities, ecosystem functions, ecosystem services, production ecosystems, species conservation
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
