Abstract Intensively-managed fruit-tree plantations consisting of low-stem trees have progressively replaced traditional high- and mid-stem orchards in Europe during the intensification of agriculture in the second part of the 20th century. Such perennial agricultural systems often form dense, homogeneous landscapes interspersed with open fields, urban areas and semi-natural structures. This observational study investigated the patterns driving landscape- and field-scale habitat preferences of bird communities in landscape units with varying fractions of intensively-managed fruit-tree plantations. At landscape scale, habitat homogeneity, notably a large proportion of fruit-tree plantations, had negative effects on both overall bird species richness and on the abundance of insectivorous birds. A higher proportion of semi-natural features, such as natural woody structures (hedgerows, isolated trees and forest patches) and marshes, positively affected overall bird species richness and abundance as well as insectivorous bird abundance. At field scale, we detected general, trait- and species-specific preferences for older trees during both winter and spring. In winter, leftover fruit is a crucial resource driving field selection by the avifauna. In spring, bird preferences for low and sparse ground vegetation were best explained by increased food accessibility for terrestrially foraging birds. Overall landscape heterogeneity as well as in situ management practices both matter to enhance bird habitat in fruit-tree plantations. Increasing the proportion of diverse semi-natural structures would promote wintering and breeding bird diversity and abundance. At field scale, conditions for birds can be improved by preserving older fruit-tree plantations and by maintaining patches of bare ground and short vegetation in the plantation inter-tree rows. However, given the current high-intensity management in most fruit-tree plantations in our study area, promoting natural features within the wider landscape matrix might represent a more cost-effective solution to enhance bird biodiversity in this agro-ecosystem.

中文翻译：

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景观异质性和管理实践推动了集约化管理的果树种植园中越冬和繁殖鸟类的栖息地偏好

摘要 在 20 世纪下半叶农业集约化过程中，由低茎果树组成的集约化管理果树人工林逐步取代了欧洲传统的中高茎果园。这种多年生农业系统通常形成密集、均匀的景观，散布着开阔的田野、城市地区和半自然结构。这项观察性研究调查了景观单元中鸟类群落的景观和田间尺度栖息地偏好的模式，这些景观单元具有不同比例的集约化管理的果树种植园。在景观尺度上，栖息地的同质性，尤其是大部分果树种植园，对整体鸟类物种丰富度和食虫鸟类的丰度都有负面影响。更高比例的半自然特征，例如天然木本结构（树篱、孤立的树木和森林斑块）和沼泽地，对整体鸟类物种的丰富度和丰度以及食虫鸟类的丰度产生了积极影响。在田间尺度上，我们在冬季和春季检测到老树的一般、性状和物种特异性偏好。冬季，剩果是鸟类进行田间选择的重要资源。在春季，鸟类对低矮和稀疏地面植被的偏好最好通过陆上觅食鸟类的食物可及性增加来解释。整体景观异质性以及就地管理实践都对改善果树种植园的鸟类栖息地很重要。增加多样化半自然结构的比例将促进越冬和繁殖鸟类的多样性和丰度。在田间尺度上，可以通过保护较老的果树种植园以及在种植园间的树行中保持裸露的地面和矮小的植被来改善鸟类的生存条件。然而，鉴于我们研究区域内大多数果树种植园目前的高强度管理，在更广泛的景观矩阵中促进自然特征可能是一种更具成本效益的解决方案，以增强该农业生态系统中的鸟类生物多样性。