Wood-pastures are grazed systems resulting from a long-term use of natural woodlands by humans. These social-ecological systems, covering vast areas of Europe and other temperate regions, have both high biodiversity and economic values, so many are classified as High Nature Value Farmlands. However, in some regions a loss of spatial heterogeneity threatens this natural value. We investigated the potential contribution of tiny shrubby patches to increase spatial heterogeneity and functional diversity in wood-pasture landscapes. Specifically, we compared functional composition (Community Weighted Means) and functional diversity (Functional Dispersion and Functional Evenness) of assemblages of plants, beetles and lichens in those patches (252–3000 m²) and in the wood-pasture matrix. We found that shrubby patches and matrix harbour species assemblages with very distinct functional compositions in all studied taxonomic groups. Evergreen, woody, broad-leafed and fleshy-fruited are better represented in the patches. In beetles, the main differences were a greater prevalence of small-sized and fungivore species in the patches. Shrubby patches also mostly harboured lichens with fruticose- and foliose-broad growth forms, a greater humidity preference, and lower eutrophication tolerance. Moreover, the two indexes used to quantify functional diversity (Functional Dispersion and Functional Evenness) show that, overall, diversity is greater in patches than in the matrix; in patches Functional Dispersion is statistically higher for plants, and Evenness is statistically higher for beetles and lichen. These differences are all consistent with the very distinct ecological conditions in the matrix and patches. The greater overall functional diversity of shrubby patches, and the major differences in functional composition between patches and matrix, observed for all taxa, indicate that these patches greatly enhance the functional diversity of species assemblages in wood-pasture landscapes. Consequently, preserving and promoting tiny shrubby patches is a potentially valuable low-cost management tool to increase biodiversity and improve ecosystem functioning in wood-pasture landscapes.

木草是人类长期使用天然林地而产生的放牧系统。这些社会生态系统覆盖欧洲广大地区和其他温带地区，具有很高的生物多样性和经济价值，因此许多被归类为高自然价值农田。但是，在某些地区，空间异质性的丧失威胁着这种自然价值。我们调查了细小的灌木丛对增加木草景观中空间异质性和功能多样性的潜在贡献。具体来说，我们比较了这些斑块（252–3000 m ²）中植物，甲虫和地衣的组合的功能成分（社区加权平均值）和功能多样性（功能分散度和功能均匀度））和木草矩阵中。我们发现，在所有研究的分类学组中，灌木状斑块和基质包含具有非常不同功能组成的物种物种集合。常绿，木质，阔叶和肉质的果实在斑块中表现得更好。在甲虫中，主要差异是斑块中小型和食肉动物的流行。矮小的斑块还大多含有长果糖和宽叶糖生长形式的地衣，对湿度的偏好更大，对富营养化的耐受性较低。此外，用于量化功能多样性的两个指标（功能分散和功能均匀性）表明，总体而言，补丁的多样性要大于矩阵的多样性；在斑块中，植物的功能分散度在统计学上较高，而甲虫和地衣的均匀度在统计学上较高。这些差异均与基质和斑块中非常不同的生态条件一致。对于所有分类单元而言，灌木状斑块的总体功能多样性更大，并且斑块和基质之间的功能组成存在主要差异，这表明这些斑块极大地增强了木牧景观中物种集合的功能多样性。因此，保护​​和促进微小的灌木丛是一种潜在有价值的低成本管理工具，可以增加生物多样性并改善木草景观中的生态系统功能。表明这些斑块极大地增强了木草景观中物种集合的功能多样性。因此，保护​​和促进微小的灌木丛是一种潜在有价值的低成本管理工具，可以增加生物多样性并改善木草景观中的生态系统功能。表明这些斑块极大地增强了木草景观中物种集合的功能多样性。因此，保护​​和促进微小的灌木丛是一种潜在有价值的低成本管理工具，可以增加生物多样性并改善木草景观中的生态系统功能。