Monitoring arthropod diversity in Douro wine region vineyards and evaluating the impact of the landscape

Abstract

On the second year of the European project LIFE+ “BioDiVine Demonstrating functional biodiversity in viticulture landscapes”, ADVID, in charge for is implementation in Alto Douro Vinhateiro (UNESCO classified area in the Douro Valley, Portugal), make an assessment of the first results collected on the period 2011-2012. In 2011, two types of traps (Combi and Pitfall) have been set up in five main habitats: vineyard, scrubland, urban, olive groves and olive hedgerows. The arthropods caught during seven weeks of assessment (April-June) were sorted out using the Rapid Biodiversity Assessment (RBA) method. Biological indexes were calculated and correlated with landscape characteristics (Shannon’s landscape index) to investigate the way habitats influence arthropods’ biodiversity and, particularly functional groups, namely Coccinellidae and Staphylinidae (Class Insecta, Coleoptera), and Araneae and Opiliones (Class Arachnida). In 2012, the same methodology was used but, this time, with the goal of monitoring the biodiversity in the vineyards, taking into account composition of the surrounding landscape. The results indicates that the landscape of Alto Douro UNESCO classified area are complex, with more than 15% of the area occupied with natural or semi-natural vegetation (scrubland, woodland, riparian vegetation) which can have an impact on biodiversity. Some positive correlations have been established between landscape components and some groups of arthropods.