Tropentag 2022, September 14 - 16, Prague, Germany "Can agroecological farming feed the world? Farmers' and academia's views."

Assessment of phytodiversity in organic agricultural landscape of central Ukraine

¹Inst. for Evolutionary Ecology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Dept. of Dendrology and Park Learning, Ukraine
²Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University, General Ecology and Ecotrophology, Ukraine

Abstract

Biotopes such as ecotones, forest shelter belts (FSBs) and fields are marginal habitats in the agricultural landscape. However, despite their small size, they are repositories of natural vegetation and species-rich animal groups. They are especially important in areas where the intensification of agricultural work reduces the ecological quality of the landscape. They support biodiversity, help maintain the sustainability of surrounding agro-ecosystems and provide them with important ecosystem services (pollinator services, habitat conservation and biodiversity, etc.), as a barrier to pollution and ecological corridors, and support life cycles, food chains and energy transmission in ecosystems, etc.
Our study was conducted on organic agricultural lands (Skvyra, Kyiv region; Ukraine) from 2019 to 2021. Organic crops along the perimeter of the field with an area of 40 hectares are protected by four FSBs of different assessment and sanitary characteristics.
We studied the dynamics of biodiversity in the organic agro-landscape in three types of habitats according to the gradient of anthropogenic impact – segetal (fields, n = 6), ruderal (ecotones, n = 14; on wheat, oats, soybeans, milk thistle crops), FSBs (n = 4). As a result of data analysis, 128 higher plants belonging to three divisions, 4 classes of 45 families, 85 genera were identified in ecotones and fields of organic crops in 3 years. In FSB 92 species, in ecotones 113 species, in fields 52 species were found. Field weeds occur in ecotones – 38 species (29.7%), in the field – 29 species 24.7% of identified species.
For Shannon's indice, biodiversity decreases from FSBs through ecotones to fields, this is explained by the transformative impact of humans in monoculture fields. The high biodiversity rate in ecotones and the highest in FSB indicate the ability of these habitats to perform biodiversity preservation ecosystem services.

Keywords: Biodiversity, ecotones, forest shelter belts, habitats, organic agriculture

Contact Address: Tetiana Grabovska, Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University, General Ecology and Ecotrophology
private address: Agroscope, Department of Agroecology and Environment, Zurich, Switzerland, e-mail: grabovskatatianagmail.com