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Landscape Ecology - Effects of agricultural landscapes on biodiversity, ecosystem services, and yield

Guest Editors

Péter Batáry, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary
András Báldi, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary
Moses Among Cho, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Pretoria, South Africa
Katalin Szitár, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary

Theme & Objectives

Agriculture is the leading cause of farmland biodiversity loss and an associated decline of various ecosystem services. Nevertheless, a wealth of agricultural diversification measures can support and maintain biodiversity, but often at the expense of yield compared to high-input conventional farming. However, some options can meet both requirements, i.e., where there is no or minimal yield loss while maintaining the underlying biodiversity, which needs to be showcased to the farmers. With a focus on sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural practices, including traditional and indigenous ones, this collection aims to bridge the gap between ecological knowledge and practical applications, fostering a deeper understanding of the dynamic interplay between human activities and the natural environment.

We are interested in studies that explore key themes, such as biodiversity dynamics, ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes, crop quality and yield optimization and resilience, land-use planning, and management, as well as encouraging inter- and transdisciplinary perspectives. Each contribution (this opens in a new tab) is expected to provide valuable insights into the broader discourse on landscape dynamics. Understanding landscape-scale ecological processes is crucial as they govern the intricate interactions between different components of agricultural landscapes.

We are also interested in studies that focus on multiscale approaches to capture the complexity of these interactions from local to broader landscape scales. This integrated approach is essential for accurately predicting the effects of environmental changes on agricultural landscapes. By targeting researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and educators in landscape ecology, agriculture, environmental science, and sustainability, the collection strives to advance the understanding of agricultural landscapes and their implications for biodiversity, ecosystem services, and yield. We aim to demonstrate the diversity of farmland biodiversity and management, highlighting perspectives from the global North and South. In doing so, the collection will facilitate the development of evidence-based strategies for sustainable farming practices that balance productivity with environmental conservation.

This collection will address United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2: Zero Hunger (this opens in a new tab) and 15: Life on Land (this opens in a new tab).

Students and Early Career Researchers (this opens in a new tab)1 are encouraged to submit their research to this collection.

Pre-submission enquiries are welcome.

1 Cannot be combined with an APC token.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: January 15, 2025

EXPECTED PUBLICATION: 2025

Open Access Funding Opportunities

Landscape Ecology is an open access journal (this opens in a new tab) in which an article processing charge applies (this opens in a new tab). Please see our Journal Pricing FAQs (this opens in a new tab) for general APC information and our APC Funding & Support Services (this opens in a new tab) for assistance.

Members of the International Association for Landscape Ecology are entitled to a discount off the APC of their accepted paper in Landscape Ecology. Members should send their APC token2 request to the IALE Vice-Secretary General (this opens in a new tab).

2 Cannot be combined with the SERC incentive.

About the Guest Editors

Dr. Péter Batáry (MAE, PhD), Scientific advisor at the HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research focuses on conservation biological-oriented research at the landscape scale, is interested in agroecology, urban ecology, and how environmental interventions can be aligned with production or development. Major fields of his research group (this opens in a new tab) are grassland fragmentation studies, biological effectiveness of agri-environment schemes, pest control and pollination, and meta-analyses. Dr. Batáry is also a former Landscape Ecology editorial board member.

Prof. András Báldi (MAE, MHAS), Professor at the HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research focuses on conserving and sustainable management of farmland biodiversity and ecosystem services, is interested in agroecology, ecological intensification, and how to implement these practices, considering local scale management and its interactions with landscape complexity. Major fields of his research group (this opens in a new tab) are pollination studies, ecosystems mapping and assessment, and the science-policy interface at the European and global levels.

Prof. Moses Azong Cho (PhD), President of the Africa Chapter (this opens in a new tab) (AFRICA-IALE) of the International Association for Landscape Ecology (this opens in a new tab), is a remote sensing scientist with over two decades of expertise who has dedicated his career to unravelling the intricate interdependencies between biodiversity, agriculture, and land use. Currently serving as Chief Researcher (this opens in a new tab) at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Prof. Cho leads the Precision Agriculture Research Group. Simultaneously, he holds the esteemed title of Extraordinary Professor within the Department of Plant and Soil Science at the University of Pretoria. He is also a Landscape Ecology editorial board member.

Dr. Katalin Szitár (PhD), Postdoctoral researcher at the HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research where she studies biodiversity and ecosystem services of urban and rural green infrastructure at various spatial scales, is interested in the restoration ecology and invasion biology of grasslands and farmlands with special attention to plants.

Contact Information

Péter Batáry
HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research
Vácrátót
Hungary
batary.peter@ecolres.hu (this opens in a new tab)
@MTALACE (this opens in a new tab)

András Báldi
HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research
Vácrátót
Hungary
baldi.andras@ecolres.hu (this opens in a new tab)
@AndrasBaldi (this opens in a new tab)

Moses Azong Cho
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
Pretoria
South Africa
mcho@csir.co.za (this opens in a new tab)

Katalin Szitár
HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research
Vácrátót
Hungary
szitar.katalin@ecolres.hu (this opens in a new tab)

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