Forest cover enhances pest control by birds and bats independently of vineyard management intensity

作者：Dávid Korányi, Sándor Zsebők, Andràs Báldí, Mattia Brambilla, Máté Varga, Péter Batáry · 发表于：Journal of Applied Ecology · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1111/1365-2664.70094 · 被引用次数：10 · 研究领域：Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies、Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies、Entomological Studies and Ecology

Abstract Agricultural intensification substantially threatens farmland communities and associated ecosystem services. More specifically, landscape simplification and agrochemical use can significantly alter the activity of natural enemies, contributing to hampered pest suppression. At the same time, the effects of these factors on vertebrate predators and their contribution to pest control are relatively understudied, especially in European permanent crops. Using exclosures in Hungarian vineyards, we investigated the effect of birds and bats on arthropods affecting ecosystem functions and crop yield considering the local management (organic vs. integrated pest management [IPM]) and contrasting landscape heterogeneity of the plantations. We also collected abundance data of the European grapevine moth ( Lobesia botrana ) and canopy‐dwelling herbivorous and predatory arthropods and quantified fruit and leaf damage and sentinel prey predation associated with these groups. As opposed to summer bat activity, forested and connected landscapes promoted high insectivorous bird abundance and bat activity in spring and contributed to lower fruit damage caused by L. botrana . Vineyard management showed no effect on birds and bats. In contrast, canopy‐dwelling arthropod density was higher in organic than in IPM vineyards, resulting in higher leaf herbivory and the occurrence of caterpillar predation there. Bird and bat exclusion increased leaf herbivory and fruit damage, leading to higher...