Biodiversity and ecosystem service in Transylvania - New approach to sustainable vineyards
Abstract
In the last decades intensification and mechanisation of vineyard management caused a separation of production and conservation areas in the vineyards. However, there is limited field evaluation of its impact on commercial vineyard level. Our study evaluates the (i) effects of two soil management (permanent and alternative vegetation cover and bare soil) in vineyard inter-rows and (ii) effects of surrounding landscape complexity on biota richness (bees, earthworms, plants) and production parameters in sixteen commercial vineyards in Central Romania. Biota richness (bees, earthworms, plants) and abundance are influenced by vineyard management intensity. Biodiversity is higher in low intensity vineyards (alternative or permanent cover crop) than in high intensity (bare soil). In this study, management practices seem to have more influence on vineyard inter-row biodiversity and on quality parameters of grapes than surrounding landscape.