Contributors: Liette Vasseur
The following is the first in a series of blogs related to the organic science cluster 4 project: Promoting an Integrative Landscape Approach in Vineyards for Greater Resilience in the Face of Climatic and Environmental Changes. Follow along with updates as the project progresses, and learn more about the research HERE.
If you have taken a plane and looked at the window, you have certainly seen the various blocks of lands with their different functions and ecosystems, such as an agricultural field, a forest or an industrial park. The composition of all the blocks, or ecosystems, is what forms a landscape. Landscape can be quite diverse (especially in regions such as southern Ontario) or quite uniform with the same type of ecosystem, such as in the prairies with field of monocultures of wheat or canola.
What is interesting is that what is happening in one ecosystem can influence what is happening in another ecosystem. In some cases, even small ecosystems, like hedgerows, may have an impact on the adjacent agricultural land by bringing pests or pest enemies. The composition of plants and animals in each ecosystem can vary in terms of diversity and abundance. The patchwork of different types of land cover is called a mosaic.
The landscape approach recognizes the importance of spatial heterogeneity in the environment and the organisms’ responses to that variation. It is looking at a larger scale than just an agricultural field at the time. So, the size, shape, and structure of ecologically distinct block or mosaic are all attributes to be looked at. It is possible to analyze the influence of the landscape on an ecosystem by assessing diversity of different groups of species, plants, animals, fungi or microorganisms. The first element to look at is the landform, which is the geology of the landscape including surface shape, elevation, and slope. Soil abiotic types and conditions as well as the climatic conditions also influence the landscape.
Some elements or ecosystems within a landscape can be unique and include physical and biological factors that make a particular locale different from others in the landscape. Even within a forested landscape, it is possible that some communities are younger than others due to a forest fire or harvesting. Therefore, in this case, the mosaic can be quite diverse. Having a diverse patchwork of communities may also influence the movement or dispersal of species. Awide river will limit the dispersal of plants between each side of the river but not for birds.
In this project, we are examining the role of the various patches around the organic vineyards to determine how they may affect the diversity and abundance of plants and insects (pest and pest enemies). With climate change and the greater movement of species northward, as well as intentional or accidental introduction of new species, understanding how these patches can reduce or promote new invasive species is important to ensure the sustainability of the vineyards.
