The intensification of olive orchard culture and its potential effects on biodiversity are hot topics. In this study recently published in the Journal of Applied Ecology (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14029), Rui Morgado and colleagues investigated the effects of olive intensification on the wintering bird community. They show that although intensive olive orchards have an overall detrimental effect for the community (similar to what happens during spring - see https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2019.106694), they can also contribute - because of their high productivity - to sustain an important number of wintering frugivorous birds from Central and Northern Europe. The results suggest that the management and conservation of biodiversity in these intensive systems is not straightforward and should integrate not only their environmental impacts and risks but also their opportunities.

Wednesday, 22 September 2021