Habitat identity and landscape configuration significantly shape species communities and affect ecosystem functions. The conservation of natural ecosystems is of particular relevance in regions where landscapes have already been largely transformed into farmland and where habitats suffer under resource exploitation. The spillover of ecosystem functions from natural ecosystems into farmland may positively influence agricultural productivity and human livelihood quality. We measured three proxies of ecosystem functioning: Pollinator diversity (using pan traps), seed dispersal (with a seed removal experiment), and predation (using dummy caterpillars). We assessed these ecosystem functions in three forest types of the East African dry coastal forest (Brachystegia forest, Cynometra forest, and mixed forest), as well as in adjoining farmland and in plantations of exotic trees (Eucalyptus mainly). We measured ecosystem functions at 20 plots for each habitat type, and along gradients ranging from the forest into farmland. We also recorded various environmental parameters for each study plot. We did not find significant differences of ecosystem functions when combining all proxies assessed, neither among the three natural forest types, nor between natural forest and plantations. However, we found trends for single ecosystem functions. We identified highest pollinator diversity along the forest margin and in farmlands. Vegetation cover and blossom density affected the level of predation positively. Based on our findings, we suggest that flowering gardens around housings and woodlots across farmland areas support ecosystem functioning and thus improve human livelihood quality. We conclude that levels of overall ecosystem functions are affected by entire landscapes, and high landscape heterogeneity, as found in our case, might blur potential negative effects and trends arising from habitat destruction and degradation.

中文翻译：

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东非沿海森林景观在自然和人为生态系统中的生态系统功能

生境特征和景观配置显着影响物种群落并影响生态系统功能。在已经将景观大部分转化为农田并且栖息地遭受资源开发的地区，自然生态系统的保护尤为重要。生态系统功能从自然生态系统向农田的溢出可能对农业生产力和人类生计质量产生积极影响。我们测量了生态系统功能的三个代理：传粉媒介多样性（使用诱集器），种子传播（使用种子去除实验）和捕食（使用假毛虫）。我们评估了东非干旱沿海森林的三种森林类型（Brachystegia森林，Cynometra森林和混交林），以及毗邻的农田和外来树木的种植园（桉树）主要）。我们测量了每种生境类型在20个样地上以及沿着从森林到农田的梯度范围内的生态系统功能。我们还记录了每个研究区的各种环境参数。当结合评估的所有代理（三种天然林类型之间以及天然林和人工林之间）时，我们都没有发现生态系统功能的显着差异。但是，我们发现了单一生态系统功能的趋势。我们确定了沿森林边缘和农田的传粉媒介多样性最高。植被覆盖度和开花密度对捕食水平有积极影响。根据我们的发现，我们建议农田周围房屋和林地周围的开花园支持生态系统功能，从而改善人类生计质量。