桂北喀斯特峰丛洼地植物群落特征及其与土壤的耦合关系

基于喀斯特峰丛洼地草丛、灌丛、次生林、原生林4个生态系统24个样地(20 m × 20 m)的系统取样调查, 研究了喀斯特峰丛洼地不同生态系统群落的结构组成与生物多样性特征, 选取代表植物群落和土壤性质的35个指标, 对不同生态系统及整个喀斯特脆弱生态系统植物群落与土壤主要养分、土壤矿质养分和土壤微生物间的相互关系进行了主成分分析与典范相关分析。结果表明: 沿草丛、灌丛、次生林、原生林的顺向演替发展, 重要值(importance value, IV)>10.00的科、属、种及物种多样性最大值出现在次生林, 群落结构最佳值出现在顶级群落原生林; 喀斯特峰丛洼地景观异质性高, 各生态系统影响因子不同, 土壤微生物在喀斯特脆弱生态系统处于主导地位, 其次为灌丛; 不同集团因子的典范相关分析表明, 植物多样性指标与土壤氮素、Al₂O₃、Fe₂O₃、土壤微生物生物量碳(C_mic)、真菌和细菌关系密切。因此, 在喀斯特脆弱生态系统恢复与重建过程中, 应针对不同生态系统制定相应的培育管理措施。     

Size and heterogeneity rather than landscape context determine plant species richness in semi‐natural grasslands

Question: Is plant diversity in fragmented semi‐natural grasslands related to present and historical landscape context? Location: Southern Sweden. Methods: Plant diversity was described at 30 semi‐natural grassland sites in terms of total and specialist plant species richness at the site and species density at different scales (0.5–10 m²). These measures are commonly used to assess conservation value of semi‐natural grasslands. Landscape context was measured as contemporary connectivity to other semi‐natural grasslands, historical connectivity 50 years ago, amount of linear elements potentially suitable for dispersal (road verges, power line clearings), and amount of forest (inverse of the openness of the landscape). Results: The diversity measures were generally correlated with each other, implying that species richness in a subset of the grassland can predict the total richness. Plant species density at three scales (0.5 m², 10 m² and total) was related to the landscape context using an information theoretic approach. Results showed that total species richness increased with increased size of grasslands, contrary to earlier diversity studies in semi‐natural grasslands. Larger grasslands were more heterogeneous than smaller grasslands, and this is a likely reason for the species‐area relationship. Heterogeneity was also of high importance at the smaller scales (0.5 m², 10 m²). With increased amount of forest, total species richness increased but species density on 10 m² decreased. There was no influence of connectivity in either the contemporary or the historical landscape, contrary to previous studies. Conclusions: Grassland size and heterogeneity are of greater importance for plant diversity in semi‐natural grassland, than grassland connectivity in the landscape.     

Responses of ground living arthropods to landscape contrast and context in a forest-grassland mosaic

Landscape context and contrast are major features of transformed landscapes. These concepts are largely described in terms of vegetation and land use, and are rarely used on how other biodiversity responds to these anthropogenic boundaries. South African grassland matrix is naturally dotted with indigenous forest patches which have recently been transformed with plantations of non-native species. We investigate how various arthropod groups (detritivores, predators, ants) respond to juxtaposition of pines, natural forests and grasslands. We assess landscape context effects between natural forests and pines by determining how species that commonly occur in the interiors of these habitats use the adjacent habitat, and how landscape contrast between natural forests and grassland affects these groups proportionately. We sampled arthropods using pitfall traps and active searches in transects running from natural forest interiors across the edge into the matrix interior (grassland or pines). Natural forests had higher predator and detritivore diversity, while grassland had greater ant diversity. Results highlighted the complementarity of natural forests and grassland for arthropod diversity. Higher beta-diversity was recorded across landscape contrast than landscape context. Pine and natural forest associated species overlapped into adjacent habitats indicating that pines are used by certain natural forest species. However, pines are not true natural forest extensions, with only some species being supported. Pines may be connecting naturally isolated arthropod populations, which could have important evolutionary consequences. Only through appreciation of a range of arthropod groups and their response to context and contrast across the whole landscape can we undertake meaningful biodiversity conservation.     

Effects of landscape complexity and stand factors on arthropod communities in poplar forests

The arthropod communities are influenced by both local conditions and features of the surrounding landscape. Landscape complexity and stand factors may both influence arthropod communities in poplar forests, but the multiscale effects of these factors on poplar defoliators and natural enemies are still poorly understood. We collected poplar arthropods at 30 sampling sites within five forest landscapes in Xinjiang, China, and assessed whether landscape complexity and stand factors influence species abundance and diversity of poplar arthropods. Landscape complexity was quantified by several independent metrics of landscape composition, configuration, and connectivity at three spatial scales. We also determined the most powerful explanatory variables and the scale effect of each arthropod. Results found that landscape complexity and stand factors had different effects on different poplar arthropod communities. Landscape complexity promoted natural enemies at different spatial scales, but it inhibited the population of poplar defoliators at the scale of 200 m. Specifically, the abundance and diversity of all defoliators decreased with increasing proportion of nonhost plants. Landscape diversity only had a negative effect on defoliator abundance. The shape complexity of habitat patches increased the abundance of carabid beetles but reduced the abundance of green leafhoppers and migratory locusts. The abundance and diversity of predators increased with increasing structural connectivity of forest landscape. Additionally, both the abundance and diversity of all defoliators were positively correlated with the average height of herbaceous plants. Diversity of all defoliators increased with increasing size of host trees. The distance from sampling site to the nearest village positively influenced the abundance and diversity of all predators. Arthropod abundance and diversity in poplar forests were driven by stand factors and landscape complexity. Therefore, maintaining complex shape and structural connectivity of habitat patches and keeping poplar stands away from the village are crucial for management of forest landscape to enhance natural enemies. And in order to reduce the abundance of defoliators in poplar forest, the diversity of surrounding habitat types should be promoted within 200 m radii.     

Meta-analysis of tree diversity effects on the abundance,diversity and activity of herbivores' enemies

The natural enemies hypothesis predicts that the abundance and diversity of antagonists such as predators and parasitoids of herbivores increases with the diversity of plants, which can lead to more effective top-down control of insect herbivores. However, although the hypothesis has received large support in agricultural systems, fewer studies have been conducted in forest ecosystems and a comprehensive synthesis of previous research is still lacking.We conducted a meta-analysis of 65 publications comparing the diversity, abundance or activity of various groups of natural enemies (including birds, bats, spiders and insect parasitoids) in pure vs. mixed forest stands. We tested the effects of forest biome, natural enemy taxon and type of study (managed vs experimental forest).We found a significant positive effect of forest tree diversity on natural enemy abundance and diversity but not on their activity. The effect of tree diversity on natural enemies was stronger towards lower latitudes but was not contingent on the natural enemy taxon level.Overall, our study contributes toward a better understanding of the “natural enemies hypothesis” in forest systems and provides new insights about the mechanisms involved. Furthermore, we outline potential avenues for strengthening forest resistance to the growing threat of herbivorous insects.     

Conservation strategy of a nature reserve in Mediterranean ecosystems: the effects of protection from grazing on biodiversity

Protection of natural areas has caused the elimination of traditional grazing activity on many occasions. As a result, in Mediterranean ecosystems a loss of biodiversity is usually related to a decrease of grassland and grassland–bush mosaic areas. In order to establish relationships between land use and the relative importance of each type of habitat in terms of species richness and endemicity, the Font Roja Natural Park in Alicante Province (SE Iberian Peninsula) was studied. Four sites were selected representing the four different existing habitats: a wooded area (holm-oak forest), a dense shrubland, a dense grassland, and a grassland–shrubland mosaic area. In each site, the species composition of vegetation and dung beetle fauna were analysed. The results showed that the highest diversity and endemicity, for plants and beetles, were concentrated in the dense grasslands and the grassland–shrubland mosaic. Thus, controlled grazing activity of sheep and goats which maintained a diverse variegated landscape would favour the historical sustenance of the biodiversity of Mediterranean ecosystems, as that would allow a remarkable diversity of habitats with higher conservation levels of existing species richness and endemicity. Therefore, we propose a reintroduction of traditional grazing of sheep and goats throughout ecological, cultural and economical measures, which would include guidelines and regulations, set out to boost an integrated rural policy.     

Biocontrol potential varies with changes in biofuel–crop plant communities and landscape perenniality

We examined the potential local‐ and landscape‐level impacts of different biofuel production systems on biocontrol, an important service provided by arthropod natural enemies. Specifically, we sampled natural enemies with sweep nets and measured predation of sentinel pest eggs in stands of corn, switchgrass and mixed prairie in Michigan and Wisconsin (total n=40 for natural enemy sampling, n=60 for egg predation), relating them to crop type, forb cover and diversity, and the composition and heterogeneity of the surrounding landscape. Grasslands with intermediate levels of forb cover and flower diversity supported two‐orders of magnitude more natural enemy biomass, fourfold more natural enemy families, and threefold greater rates of egg predation than corn. Data suggest this was in part due to a general increase in biomass, richness and predation in perennial grasslands compared with corn, combined with a positive effect of intermediate levels of forb cover and flower diversity. Specifically, natural enemy biomass and family richness showed hump‐shaped relationships to forb cover that peaked in sites with 5–25% forbs, while egg predation increased with floral diversity. At the landscape scale, both natural‐enemy biomass and egg predation increased with the area of forest in the landscape, and egg predation almost doubled as the area of herbaceous, perennial habitats within 1.5 km of study sites increased. Our results suggest that floristically diverse, perennial grasslands support diverse and abundant predator communities that contribute to natural pest suppression. In addition, large‐scale production of biofuel crops could positively or negatively affect biocontrol services in agricultural landscapes through associated changes in the area of perennial habitats. Biofuel landscapes that incorporate perennial grasslands could support a variety of beneficial organisms and ecosystem services in addition to producing biomass.     

Impact of LUCC on landscape pattern in the Yangtze River Basin during 2001–2019

Evaluating the influences of LUCC (Land Use/Land Cover Change) on landscape pattern is significant for understanding and improving ecological environment system management. This study used landscape pattern as an important indicator to estimate the impacts of the LUCC in the Yangtze River Basin from 2001 to 2019. Based on the remote sensing images of LULC (Land Use/Land Cover) in the Yangtze River Basin in 2001–2019, the dynamic attitude and transfer matrix of LULC, and landscape pattern indices were employed to analyze the LUCC and the impact of LULC on the landscape pattern of the Yangtze River Basin. The results of LUCC show that the main LUCC in the Yangtze River Basin during 2001–2019 is mainly manifested by the increase of water body, forest, wetland, crop/natural vegetation mosaic (NVM) and urban, among which the forest increased the most by 62,635 km². The areas of grassland and cropland are decreasing, with the grassland decreasing the most. Forest, crop/NVM and cropland are transformed into grassland, which complements the lack of grassland to some extent. LUCC in the Yangtze River Basin is most intense between grassland and forest. Landscape pattern shows: Grassland occupies an important advantage in the whole landscape structure. Forest, grassland and urban landscapes are seriously fragmented, and their LSI (Landscape Shape Index) is more complex than others. The connectivity between various landscape types is weakened, and the degree of landscape fragmentation is increased, but the LULC structure is becoming more and more abundant. The areas with high landscape fragmentation value have richer landscape diversity and diverse LULC types. There is a strong correlation between grassland and the four landscape pattern indices. The change of landscape pattern in the Yangtze River Basin is influenced by natural factors and LUCC in the Yangtze River Basin, and the change caused by human activities is the main driving factor of LUCC.     

The Influence of Landscape Grain Size on Butterfly Diversity in Grasslands

The relationship between butterfly diversity and both habitat and landscape variables was studied in two areas of southern Sweden. The habitat quality of the grasslands was similar in the two study areas but the landscape pattern differed in grain size and amount of grassland and forest. Using a transect survey method, a total of 3341 butterflies were observed and 30 taxa identified. We found that both habitat and landscape variables influenced the butterfly diversity of the investigated grasslands. Species composition differed markedly between the two study areas. A study area with a fine-grained landscape pattern, a high cover of semi-natural grassland and many forest edges had twice as many butterfly species but half the number of individuals compared with a coarser-grained study area with larger grasslands widely spread in a matrix of arable fields. The results of our study indicate that both habitat quality and landscape pattern have to be considered when developing conservation strategies for grassland butterflies.     

Avian taxonomic and functional diversity in early stage of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) stands restored at agricultural lands: variations in scale dependency

In agricultural landscapes, the longleaf pine initiative (LLPI) and the Bobwhite Quail Initiative (BQI) aim to restore longleaf pine forests and early successional habitats, respectively. The early stage of longleaf pine stands and grass and forb vegetation produced by a combination of both restoration programs (LLPI‐BQI) may form habitat conditions favorable to early successional bird species and other birds, increasing avian diversity. We investigated how the LLPI and BQI programs affected taxonomic and functional diversity of birds and abundance of early successional birds (grassland and scrub/shrub species), and what environmental characteristics were associated with the diversity and abundance of birds. Our study was performed at 41 fields in Georgia, United States, during 2001–2002 by considering environmental characteristics at two spatial scales: local‐scale vegetation features and restoration program type (LLPI or LLPI‐BQI) and landscape‐scale vegetation features and landscape heterogeneity. Functional evenness, species richness, and abundance of grassland and scrub/shrub species did not show a clear association with local‐ or landscape‐scale variables. Shannon‐Wiener diversity was slightly influenced by restoration program type (local‐scale variable) with higher value at LLPI‐BQI stands than at LLPI stands despite no significant differences in local vegetation features between those stands. Functional divergence was strongly positively associated with landscape‐scale variables. That is, niche differentiation increased with increasing shrub coverage within a landscape, reducing competition between abundant bird species and others. Our results suggest that although a combination of BQI and LLPI program may have a positive effect on avian taxonomic diversity, it is important to consider shrub vegetation cover within a landscape to improve functional diversity.     

Effect of landscape structure on the spatial distribution of Mediterranean dung beetle diversity

Aim  Landscape structure influences the distribution of animals, altering their movements and their ability to reach habitat patches. We analysed the spatial patterns of dung beetle species diversity in three differently structured natural landscapes in a Mediterranean protected area in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula.
Location  Cabañeros National Park, Central Spain.
Methods  Diversity components within (α) and among (β) the three main vegetation types in the reserve were compared by using a hierarchical nested design. These were forests, scrublands and grasslands embedded in three different landscapes, where each was the most dominant and structurally connected habitat.
Results  Species richness of grassland habitat did not vary across landscapes, but forest habitat showed lower species richness in the grassland-dominated landscape. Scrubland was the least species-rich habitat, but here again there was no significant variation across landscapes. However, in all cases, there was a significant influence of habitat context (configuration of habitat patches within landscape matrix) on similarity of species composition. These tended to be more similar to the dominant landscape matrix where they were embedded, rather than to the same habitat type in other landscapes. Additive partitioning of diversity showed higher than expected values of β in all landscapes, which indicated a structured response. Highest values of β in the grassland-dominated landscape suggest that this was the least connected landscape for dung beetles.
Main conclusions  Our results suggest that in homogeneous conditions of climate and trophic resources, landscape structure may well be more important than habitat type as a determinant of dung beetle distribution in the Mediterranean.     

A study on the relationship between vegetation pattern and environment in the upstream of Minjiang River,China

The vegetation pattern in the upstream of Minjiang River,and its relationship with environment factors,such as landscape position(elevation,slope,aspect),precipitation and temperature and soil are analyzed in this paper.The data used in this Paper were based on the landscape map derived from 1994 TM imagery.The results were as follows:1)dominant landscape types were forest,shrub land and grassland,which were very similar in terms of area ratio(32.87%,31.85% and 28.44%,respectively);2)the patch shape of conifer forest and mixed forest was complicated while that of broad-leaved forest and cultivated land was simple;3)the fragmentation of conifer forest and mixed forest was serious in contrast with low fragmentation of broad-leaved forest and cultivated land;and 4)closed scrub and grassland had a high contagion and good connectivity while mixed forest had a lower contagion and bad connectivity.In addition,the vegetation distribution pattern of upstream of Minjiang River Was closely related with elevation and temperature,but the relationship between vegetation and precipitation was not statistically significant.     

Forest eternal? Endemic butterflies of the Bamenda highlands,Cameroon, avoid close‐canopy forest

The Gulf of Guinea Highlands, a centre of endemism and high conservation importance, represent the only large mountain system in West and Central Africa. We studied habitat use of three common endemic butterflies Colias electo manengoubensis, Bicyclus anisops and Mylothris jacksoni knutsoni, using time‐standardized surveys in four distinct habitats: close‐canopy forest, scrub and forest edges, bracken and grasslands. All three species avoided close‐canopy forests and bracken; the Colias preferring grassland, whereas Bicyclus and Mylothris scrub and forest edges. Ordination analyses of surrounding habitats indicated that all three taxa required heterogeneous landscape mosaics. We argue that the life history traits of taxa with limited geographic distribution may reflect past habitat conditions within their ranges, and that these habitat preferences can indicate the continuous existence of mosaic of forest and nonforest habitats in the West African mountains. Such a landscape was probably maintained by climatic fluctuation and large herbivores, further modified by human impact. This conclusion is consistent with the palaeoenvironmental record and with the requirements of Afromontane endemics from other groups. Recent conservation activities focus on patches of continuous forests, but the mosaic landscapes are no less threatened by intensive agriculture, and should be included to protected areas.     

Influence of grazing and fire on breeding birds and perennial plants in Cyprus scrub and forest systems

Grazing and browsing by sheep and goats has been an important anthropogenic influence on ecosystems in the Mediterranean region for centuries. This influence has changed significantly in recent decades, with a general shift from range grazing to the penning of animals. The intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH) proposes that perturbation - including anthropogenic disturbance - is the norm for Mediterranean ecosystems, and that higher species diversity is found under conditions of continuous, moderate disturbance. Here we test the IDH as it relates to grazing of scrub and open forest habitats in Cyprus, while also testing for the effects of fire. We carried out surveys of breeding birds and vegetation at 48 study sites in scrub and open woodland across Cyprus. We estimated relative grazing pressure (past and present) and fire history at these sites, and tested for associations between these factors, breeding bird species richness and perennial vegetation diversity. We found moderate current grazing reduces density of lower and middle level scrub, and a higher level of diversity of perennial vegetation at moderately over intensively grazed sites. We found that moderate historical grazing pressure had a positive influence on richness of breeding bird species in lower scrub habitat such as phrygana, but that this effect was weaker the taller and denser the habitat. By contrast, current grazing pressure had a negative effect on species richness in lower scrub, but species richness in grazed habitats was higher in denser, taller scrub habitat such as garrigue and maquis. Our study suggests grazing plays an important role in maintaining habitat heterogeneity but the impact on avian species richness depends on the density and height of the vegetation.     

Floristic relationship between scrubland and grassland patches in the Mediterranean landscape of the Iberian Peninsula

In the rural Mediterranean landscape, mosaics of patches of sclerophyllous scrubland and semi-natural grasslands are frequent. The plant communities of these patches, which are physiognomically easy to recognise, are very heterogeneous. The objective of this paper is to determine whether the patches of scrub-grassland represent an integrated response unit of the vegetation with regard to the physical environment (climatic, geographical and edaphic factors) and human use, or whether, on the contrary, this is an independent response. In order to do this a total of 50 sampling sites where scrubland and grassland patches were in contact were studied along a 370 km E-W mesoclimatic gradient from central Spain to Portugal (Iberian Peninsula). Two distinct zones, the east and the west halves of the study area, were identified according to the plant communities. Within each of these zones, each type of patch responded to the previously mentioned factors, differentially and independently. This determined a general lack of inter-community association or floristic correlation between scrub and grassland plant communities in contact. The spatial association is a random process probably related to the particular human management realised on every scrubland and grassland patch. The scrub–grassland pattern, which is characteristic of the Mediterranean landscape, does not represent an integrated response unit of the vegetation to a given environment, but rather the sum of the independent responses to the environment of the two patches in contact.Nomenclature for taxa: T. G. Tutin et al. 1694–1980. Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.     

Relationship of Obligate Grassland Birds to Landscape Structure in Wisconsin

ABSTRACT Conservation plans for grassland birds have included recommendations at the landscape level, but species' responses to landscape structure are variable. We studied the relationships between grassland bird abundances and landscape structure in 800-ha landscapes in Wisconsin, USA, using roadside surveys. Of 9 species considered, abundances of only 4 species differed among landscapes with varying amounts of grassland and forest. Landscape variables explained <20% of variation in abundances for 4 of the 5 rarest species in our study. Our results suggest landscape-based management plans for grassland birds might not benefit the rarest species and, thus, plans should incorporate species-specific habitat preferences for these species.     

Hibernation of predatory arthropods in semi-natural habitats

Non-crop habitats provide important resources for natural enemies. Many natural enemies hibernate in non-crop habitats, from which they may colonise arable fields in the spring. Spring colonisation ensures annual repopulation of the crop with natural enemies, allowing them to keep pace with the development of pest populations. The availability of non-crop habitats can, therefore, be crucial to successful conservation biological control. We quantified the density of overwintering natural enemies near organic Brussels sprout crops in five different non-crop habitats (short grassy field margin, herbaceous field margin, herbaceous field margin under a tree line, ditch and forest). Soil and litter samples of non-crop habitats were taken at two sites. One site was located in an open agricultural landscape, the other in a landscape dominated by mixed forest. Insects belonging to Staphylinidae, Araneae, Carabidae, Coccinellidae and Dermaptera were the most abundant. Mean densities of predatory arthropods were higher in the open agricultural landscape (290 predators m⁻²) than in the forested landscape (137 predators m⁻²). Herbaceous habitat types supported the highest densities of overwintering predators (up to 400 predators m⁻²), whereas densities in the forest were lowest (10 predators m⁻²). These results indicate that herbaceous non-crop habitats are important refugia for predators and may play a vital role in conservation biological control. Handling Editor: Arne Janssen.     

大兴安岭地区生态系统完整性动态评价

全球气候变化和人类干扰活动对陆地生态系统影响的强度和范围不断扩大,而在生态系统完整性评价研究中,针对中大尺度异质景观系统的评价方法较为缺乏.本研究从景观生态学的视角,基于大兴安岭地区2005、2010、2015年土地利用数据及植被净初级生产力数据,选择景观结构和景观稳定性两方面的指标,采用GIS数据处理和分析平台,综合评估大兴安岭地区景观变化特征和由这些指标表征的生态系统完整性动态.结果表明: 大兴安岭地区是以林地为主导的森林生态系统,林地优势度稳定在64.9%,远高于优势度第二位的草地;大兴安岭地区景观多样性指数在3个时期均为0.59,占景观多样性指数最大值的42.4%,说明该地区景观阻抗稳定性未发生变化;从大兴安岭地区各景观生物量来看,耕地及住宅用地呈逐年增加趋势,林地逐年减少,说明人为干扰对大兴安岭地区的影响在增强.     

岩溶山区景观多样性变化的生态学意义对比——以贵州四个典型地区为例

岩溶石漠化是中国西南典型的土地退化,但关于岩溶山区景观多样性的研究还不多见。岩溶山区景观异质性强,景观格局空间差异大,岩溶山区土地利用/土地覆被变化引起的景观多样性变化,其生态学意义有何差异,值得开展研究。本文采用高分辨率的航片和遥感影像,以100m?100m 网格为单元,分析了贵州省王家寨、后寨河、花江和茂兰4个典型岩溶地点的景观多样性指数在1963年和2004年的空间分布。 为了说明多样性指数变化的生态学意义,进一步,把4个研究地点景观多样性指数空间分布图与其土地退化图结合起来,对比其多样性指数变化与土地退化和生态恢复的关系。结果表明：（1）茂兰、后寨河和花江多样性指数都表现出随距聚落距离增加而减少的趋势,王家寨1963年和2004年则表现出随距聚落距离增加,多样性指数先减小后增加。（2）茂兰地区以森林为基质,后寨河地区坡耕地退耕为林、灌、草地,土地利用方式单一,景观破碎化程度降低;因此,茂兰、后寨河地区多样性指数的降低表明该地区生态实质上有所恢复;花江地区土地利用/土地覆被逐渐向多样化方向发展,石漠化景观逐渐被林灌斑块代替,多样性指数升高表明该地区植被有所恢复;王家寨地区峰丛坡地多样性指数增加表示生态有所恢复。（3）研究地点多样性的升、降不能简单地与生态变好、变差直接联系。只有正确区分岩溶地区的景观基质,才能准确运用景观指数分析石漠化土地的变化趋势。     

Connecting scales: Achieving in‐field pest control from areawide and landscape ecology studies

Areawide management has a long history of achieving solutions that target pests, however, there has been little focus on the areawide management of arthropod natural enemies. Landscape ecology studies that show a positive relationship between natural enemy abundance and habitat diversity demonstrate landscape‐dependent pest suppression, but have not yet clearly linked their findings to pest management or to the suite of pests associated with crops that require control. Instead the focus has often been on model systems of single pest species and their natural enemies. We suggest that management actions to capture pest control from natural enemies may be forth coming if: (i) the suite of response and predictor variables focus on pest complexes and specific management actions; (ii) the contribution of “the landscape” is identified by assessing the timing and numbers of natural enemies immigrating and emigrating to and from the target crop, as well as pests; and (iii) pest control thresholds aligned with crop development stages are the benchmark to measure impact of natural enemies on pests, in turn allowing for comparison between study regions, and generalizations. To achieve pest control we will need to incorporate what has been learned from an ecological understanding of model pest and natural enemy systems and integrate areawide landscape management with in‐field pest management.