Factors affecting biodiversity in agrosylvopastoral ecosystems with in the Mediterranean Basin: A systematic review

Abstract

The biodiversity of Mediterranean agrosylvopastoral ecosystems has been extensively studied, because the Mediterranean Basin is a crossroad of biogeographical influences between cold temperate biota and subtropical species. Here, we systematically reviewed biodiversity studies published on natural and managed agrosylvopastoral ecosystems between 2000 and 2013 to obtain information on animal and plant species richness and diversity and the factors that affect biodiversity. Overall, 774 studies of potential relevance were identified, of which 230 provided information on biological monitoring and 154 met the requirements for the systematic review. Most articles were published in 2004, 2007, and 2011, and most were conducted in Spain. There was sufficient data on species richness to perform a meta-analysis comparing the species richness of 18 different terrestrial ecosystems containing seven taxonomic groups: plants, birds, invertebrates, reptiles, fungi, mammals, and amphibians. Ecosystem type, experimental design, number of study sites, habitat characteristics, and landscape structure were the most frequently mentioned factors affecting biodiversity. Plants were primarily analyzed (42.9% of reviewed studies), with patches and plots being the most common experimental design (64.8%). In comparison, amphibians were the least studied group (1.7%), with transects being the least used experimental design (11.1%). Plants had the highest average species richness (128.25) in managed woodlands, while birds had the lowest (18), with invertebrates generally representing good indicators of biodiversity. Overall, our review indicates that habitat heterogeneity is of importance for safeguarding species adapted to the variety of microhabitats, with it being important to implement traditional cultivation and grazing practices when managing these areas (such as the maintenance of the agro-forestry systems). © 2017 Elsevier Ltd