Floral resource strips enhance parasitoid abundance and diversity in apple orchards and promote agroecological advances in a South African biosphere reserve
Data files
Nov 11, 2025 version files 159.15 KB
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NE.csv
52.04 KB
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par_common_work_env.xlsx
17.13 KB
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par_commspecies_env.xlsx
20.06 KB
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par_fam_pestenemies_Ordination.xlsx
13.59 KB
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par_pestenemies_env.xlsx
16.91 KB
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par_sp_common_work_Ordination..xlsx
15.88 KB
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par_sp_Ordination_commonspecies.xlsx
19.22 KB
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README.md
4.31 KB
Abstract
Agricultural intensification drives insect declines, including those of parasitoids, through landscape simplification and extensive use of synthetic pesticides. Spatially heterogeneous agricultural landscapes are potentially important biodiversity reservoirs where non-crop habitats may support populations providing ecosystem services to farming. However, there is a need to find methods to support this transition to more sustainable farming and support the progressive concept of biosphere reserves. We focus here on the relationship between apple orchards and sclerophyllous natural fynbos vegetation in the megadiverse Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, Cape Floristic Region, South Africa. We established patches of floral resources within apple orchards, which are embedded in landscapes, equivalent to the transition zone of the KBR, with varying proportions of natural habitat in a 500 m radius around orchards. We assessed the role of these enhanced floral resources for supporting parasitoid abundance, species richness, and diversity inside orchards, and compared these metrics to those in ruderal vegetation around orchards and in nearby natural vegetation. Further, we assessed the effect of semi-natural vegetation in the surrounding landscape mosaic on parasitoids in orchards. Floral enhancement improved parasitoid abundance and influenced assemblage composition within apple orchards. However, non-crop ruderal habitat immediately adjacent to orchards supported greater abundance and richness of parasitoid species, while natural fynbos supported even richer parasitoid assemblages. Vegetation within orchards and landscape complexity enhanced parasitoid assemblages inside and surrounding the orchards. Our study shows that increasing floral resources within orchards improves local diversity of parasitoids within agroecosystems in the Biosphere Reserve. In doing so, this improves levels of biodiversity and increases parasitoid richness within the biosphere transition zone, supporting a shift from conventional production to a more biodiversity-friendly agroecological approach.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.dz08kps99
Description of the data and file structure
Associated data files for:
Ratto et al (2025) Floral resource strips enhance parasitoid abundance and diversity in apple orchards and promote agroecological advances in a South African biosphere reserve
Metadata for NE.csv file
Column Entry Value Unit Explanatation Remark
A Sample Numerical pan trap number
B Round Categorical "First round (A), Second round (B)"
C Habitat wrow-noncrop-nat wrow= workrow between tree lines; non-crop= non planted area surroding the orchard; nat = fynbos in the wider surrouding
D Position 1-3-blank "1=close to egde, 3=40m into the orchard" (NA = not applicable as it does not apply to areas outside the orchards, i.e.non-crop and fynbos)
E Flowers Simple-Diverse-Control "Simple = floral treatment plot planted with Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima); Diverse = floral treatment plot planted with a mixture of 11 different flower species, Control = no planting " (NA = not applicable as it does not apply to areas outside the orchards, i.e.non-crop and fynbos)
F Farm Categorical Experimental Farm name
G Orchard Categorical Experimental Orchard code multiple orchards belonged to the same farm
H Landscape Low-Medium-High "% of nartural habitat within 1km of the orchard (low = <20%, Medium = 30-40%, High = >50%)" (NA = not applicable as it does not apply to areas outside the orchards, i.e.non-crop and fynbos)
I Landscape3 Proportion Proportion of natural habitat within 1km of the orchard (NA = not applicable as it does not apply to areas outside the orchards, i.e.non-crop and fynbos)
J FloralArea Numerical m2 total floral area of each planted plot, (NA = not applicable as it does not apply to areas outside the orchards, i.e.non-crop and fynbos)
K SPRich Numerical Species richness
L Ab Numerical species abundance
M Shannon Numerical Shannon index
N Simpson Numerical Simpson index
Ratto et al (2025) Floral resource strips enhance parasitoid abundance and diversity in apple orchards and promote agroecological advances in a South African biosphere reserve
Metadata for par_commspecies_env.xlsx; par_pestenemies_env.xlsx; par_common_work_env.xlsx
Column Entry Value Unit Explanatation Remark
A Sample Numerical pan trap number
B Habitat Categorical "Workrow = data collected from pan traps positioned within the orchards (workrow), Non-crop area = data collected from pan traps positioned in the non-crop vegetation surrounding the orchards"
C Position Categorical "1 = pan trap positioned close to the orchard's edge, 3 = pan trap positioned inside the orchard (circa 40m). This only applies for pan traps within the orchard" (NA = not applicable as it does not apply to areas outside the orchards, i.e.non-crop and fynbos)
J FloralArea Numerical m2 total floral area of each planted plot. (NA = not applicable as it does not apply to areas outside the orchards, i.e.non-crop and fynbos)
D Flower Simple-Diverse-Control "Simple = floral treatment plot planted with Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima); Diverse = floral treatment plot planted with a mixture of 11 different flower species, Control = no planting " (NA = not applicable as it does not apply to areas outside the orchards, i.e.non-crop and fynbos)
E Farm Categorical Experimental Farm name
G Land500 Proportion Proportion of natural habitat within 500m of the orchard (NA = not applicable as it does not apply to areas outside the orchards, i.e.non-crop and fynbos)
H Land500cat Low-Medium-High "% of nartural habitat within 500m of the orchard (low = <20%, Medium = 30-40%, High = >50%)" (NA = not applicable as it does not apply to areas outside the orchards, i.e.non-crop and fynbos)
Ratto et al (2025) Floral resource strips enhance parasitoid abundance and diversity in apple orchards and promote agroecological advances in a South African biosphere reserve
Metadata for par_fam_pestenemies_Ordination.xlsx; par_sp_Ordination_commonspecies.xlsx; par_sp_common_work_Ordination..xlsx
Each column nane represent a unique identified species