Agriculture, Environment & Society

Agriculture, Environment & Society

Effects of landscape structure on ecosystem services provision in an agricultural landscape of northeast Iran

Document Type : Original research article

Authors
1 Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Plant Production, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (GUASNR), Gorgan, Iran
2 2UMR 0980 BAGAP, INRAE - Institute Agro-ESA, F-35042 Rennes, France, Email: audrey.alignier@inrae.fr
3 Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Plant Production, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran
4 Department of Rangeland Management, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran.
10.22034/aes.2026.561107.1121
Abstract
Faced with climate change and biodiversity crises, there is an urgent need for alternative landscape management that enhances ecosystem services. Both landscape components (patches and corridors) and their spatial arrangement are likely to affect biodiversity conservation and ecosystem functioning, and thus ESs. In this study, based upon a modified Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services framework, we evaluated ecosystem services in the Aramnaropaeen landscape of Minoudasht County (Golestan province, northeast of Iran), during 2023. This landscape had different patches, including crops (wheat, barley, canola, and rice), orchards, and natural habitats (forest and rangeland). All patches are separated by corridors and windbreaks. Two types of edges were observed, inherent edges and induced edges that were maintained by periodic disturbances, by land use changes such as forest to agriculture. Here, we investigated the effects of landscape components on ecosystem services and the dispersal status of species. We adapted the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services framework for use at the level of a landscape by changing the category of regulating-supporting services to three categories: regulating, habitat-shelter, and supporting services. We showed that a change in the structure of the landscape, accordingly, the amount of ecosystem services has decreased. Alternatively, the level of dis-services such as soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and greenhouse gas emissions has increased. The structural landscape change was estimated to be 38% in 2023 compared to its initial condition in 1990. Also, the main services provided by ecotone were regulating and habitat-shelter services, including biodiversity conservation, pest control, genetic resource storage, natural enemy shelter, and wildlife habitat-shelter. Most of the services provided in the landscape are classified in the non-market category. Also, landscape patches such as forests, rangelands, water bodies, orchards and canola fields provided cultural services such as ecotourism and agricultural tourism. Finally, it was observed that most of the patches were in the secondary succession. Altogether, these results suggest that it is necessary to take management measures to reduce the dis-services and provide more services in these patches. It is recommended to preserve the structure of the landscape and its components by local communities, stakeholders, and the government.

Highlights

  1. Landscape structure changed 38% from 1990–2023, reducing ecosystem services.

  2. Ecotones and corridors key for habitat-shelter, pest control, and biodiversity.

  3. Rice fields and erosion identified as major dis-services in the landscape.

  4. Modified CICES framework added habitat-shelter as a new service category.

  5. Forests and rangelands act as source populations supporting agricultural patches.

 
 

Keywords


Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 22 April 2026

  • Receive Date 20 November 2025
  • Revise Date 25 December 2025
  • Accept Date 22 April 2026