Agri-environment scheme prescriptions and landscape features affect taxonomic and functional diversity of farmland birds

Agri-environment schemes (AES) are a major conservation tool for protecting declining farmland birds in Europe. Most studies evaluate AES effectiveness on taxonomic diversity but there is knowledge gap about how affect functional responses. We the effects of different and responses open-land overall extensive cereal croplands Spain. Specifically, we analyse proportion food to shelter prescriptions landscape features (length field boundaries herbaceous crops) influence by comparing response bird AES-managed paired control fields. found that increased species richness Shannon whereas balanced (similar prescriptions) their abundance. with more also led diet plasticity wingspan birds. The all habitat specialisation fields remained unaltered focal variation prescription. This suggests application reached maximum these traits independently prescription types further landscape-level benefits promotion Overall, length while crops decreased them. Both variables showed non-linear relationships, fitting predictions from complexity-local hypothesis. Our findings indicate ways improve both traditional new relevant goals encourage evaluation monitoring.