Effects of vineyard management, herbaceous cover and vine plant characteristics on bird diversity in a North African agroecosystem

Abstract

AbstractFollowing the demand for organic wines and ecological practices, organic viticulture has increased dramatically in recent decades. The effect of agricultural practices on organic and conventional vines on bird diversity has not been studied in North Africa. In this study, we analysed the impact of the management method, season, herbaceous cover and vine plant size on bird diversity in organic and conventional vineyards. Our findings show that organic agriculture has a positive impact on bird diversity compared with conventional vineyards. Bird diversity changes with the seasons, being higher in winter, autumn and spring than in summer. Compared with conventional vineyards, the diversity of birds was higher on the organic vineyards in autumn, winter and spring. In summer, the differences between organic and traditional agriculture became negligible. Thus, the increased percentage of grass cover had a positive effect on bird diversity. Furthermore, bird diversity decreases with increasing vine plant size. The findings of this research are promising in this regard. We promote continued research into this aspect of using grassland cover and intensity of tillage as a tool to conserve wildlife and support indigenous species.