Organic and integrated agriculture: the effects on bird communities in orchard farms in northern Italy

摘要: The objective of this study was to compare the effects different farming methods on bird communities. In particular, surveyed frequency and number species, individuals diversity (Shannon index) found in organic (o, non use synthetic pesticides), integrated (i, reduced pesticides basis economic threshold) conventional (c, pesticides) orchards. A simplified version mapping method applied, from May June 1998, 60 fruit farms (15o, 19 i, 26c), over a total 483 ha. Twenty-six species were observed (19o, 17i, 18c). Granivorous most abundant unaffected by pesticide management. Insectivorous less general, but more frequent o i (chi-square test, p<0.05). Bird greater farm management than c (Tukey respectively, p = 0.001 0.004). There non-significant trend for density be higher o/i orchards (ANOVA, F 2.57 = 2.76, p = 0.07). results confirm positive (o) (i) agriculture communities, including some special interest nature conservation. These could attributed mostly pest secondarily aspects environmental differentiation (type orchard, type farm, age height trees, increased presence hedgerows woodlots). Surprisingly no correlation between woodlots (Pearson R = 0.0019).