Wild bees are threatened by multiple interacting stressors, such as habitat loss, land use change, parasites, and pathogens. However, vineyards with vegetated inter‐rows can offer high floral resources within viticultural landscapes and provide foraging and nesting habitats for wild bees. Here, we assess how vineyard management regimes (organic vs. conventional; inter‐row vegetation management) and landscape composition determine the inter‐row plant and wild bee assemblages, as well as how these variables relate to functional traits in 24 Austrian and 10 South African vineyards. Vineyards had either permanent vegetation cover in untilled inter‐rows or temporary vegetation cover in infrequently tilled inter‐rows. Proportion of seminatural habitats (e.g., fallows, grassland, field margins) and woody structures (e.g., woodlots, single trees, tree rows) were used as proxies for landscape composition and mapped within 500‐m radius around the study vineyards. Organic vineyard management increased functional richness (FRic) of wild bees and flowering plants, with woody structures marginally increasing species richness and FRic of wild bees. Wild bee and floral traits were differently associated across the countries. In Austria, several bee traits (e.g., lecty, pollen collection type, proboscis length) were associated with flower color and symmetry, while in South African vineyards, only bees’ proboscis length was positively correlated with floral traits characteristic of Asteraceae flowers (e.g., ray–disk morphology, yellow colors). Solitary bee species in Austria benefitted from infrequent tillage, while ground nesting species preferred inter‐rows with undisturbed soils. Higher proportions of woody structures in surrounding landscapes resulted in less solitary and corbiculate bees in Austria, but more aboveground nesting species in South Africa. In both countries, associations between FRic of wild bees and flowering plants were positive both in organic and in conventional vineyards. We recommend the use of diverse cover crop seed mixtures to enhance plant flowering diversity in inter‐rows, to increase wild bee richness in viticultural landscapes.

Urbanisation significantly shapes species abundance, diversity, and community structure of invertebrate taxa but the impact on orthoptera remains widely understudied. We investigated the combined effects of spatial, urban landscape and management-related parameters. Additionally, we discussed different sampling strategies. We sampled orthopteran assemblages on green infrastructure associated with the public transport system of Vienna, Austria. Sampled areas include railroad embankments, recreational areas or fallows. Using LMs, (G)LMMs and nMDS, we compared quantitative sampling using transect counts and semi-quantitative sampling which also included observations made off-transects. We found that vegetation type was the most important parameter, whereby structure-rich fallows featured highest species diversities and, together with extensive meadows, highest abundances, while intensive lawns were less suitable habitats. The semi-quantitative data set revealed an underlying species-area-relationship (SAR). Other important but highly entangled parameters were the mowing intensity, vegetational heterogeneity and cover of built-up area in a 250 m radius. Most found species have high dispersal abilities. Urban assemblages are most significantly shaped by management-related parameters on the site itself, which highlights the potential of conservation efforts in urban areas through suitable management. Sites of different vegetation types differ greatly and need adjusted management measures. Urban landscape parameters, such as the degree of soil sealing, appeared less important, likely due to the high dispersal abilities of most observed orthoptera species. The indicated species-area-relationship could be used to prioritize sites for conservation measures.

Climate warming has been observed as the main cause of changes in diversity, community composition, and spatial distribution of different plant and invertebrate species. Due to even stronger warming compared to the global mean, bumblebees in alpine ecosystems are particularly exposed to these changes. To investigate the effects of climate warming, we sampled bumblebees along an elevational gradient, compared the records with data from 1935 and 1936, and related our results to climate models. We found that bumblebee community composition differed significantly between sampling periods and that increasing temperatures in spring were the most plausible factor explaining these range shifts. In addition, species diversity estimates were significantly lower compared to historical records. The number of socio-parasitic species was significantly higher in the historical communities, while recent communities showed increases in climate generalists and forest species at lower elevations. Nevertheless, no significant changes in community-weighted means of a species temperature index (STI) or the number of cold-adapted species were detected, likely due to the historical data resolution. We conclude that the composition and functionality of bumblebee communities in the study area have been significantly affected by climate warming, with changes in land use and vegetation cover likely playing an additional important role.

Pollination is crucial for biodiversity and food security, with bees playing a significant role. The growing popularity of urban beekeeping is leading to increasing honeybee densities in cities, raising concerns about competition for pollen and nectar with wild bees due to limited foraging resources in densely urbanized areas. To assess the current bee occurrences of wild and honeybees in urbanized and protected areas of a Central European city, we focused on the ecological similarities between honeybees and wild bees. We compiled an inventory of 462 wild bee species documented since 1990 in Vienna (Austria) and conducted a survey of apiary locations in cooperation with beekeepers. We calculated apiary densities and indices for species richness, rarity, and, based on flower-visiting traits, the trait similarity between honeybees and wild bees. We found that approximately four times more honeybee colonies were kept in central Vienna in 2023 than the habitat may support. In parts of Vienna’s nature conservation areas, the number of colonies also exceeded the density of 3.5 colonies per km² recommended by the literature. Results indicate a significant spatial overlap of high apiary densities and wild bee hotspots, particularly in urban nature conservation areas like Natura 2000 protected areas. In Natura 2000 areas, the trait similarity of rare wild bee species was significantly increased, indicating a potential elevated competition between wild bees and honeybees for floral resources. This study highlights the need for spatial planning to balance urban beekeeping and wild bee conservation, recommending actions to match habitat quality to apiary densities to mitigate competitive pressures.

The dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss demand integrated approaches to align renewable energy expansion with ecological conservation. Ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) systems, a key component of renewable energy strategies, require significant land use, potentially impacting already vulnerable ecosystems. This study reviews the scientific literature on the ecological effects of ground-mounted PV systems under Central European conditions, with Austria as a case study. Findings reveal scattered evidence of altered environmental conditions, such as changes in microclimate and soil properties, and direct impacts on biodiversity, including habitat loss, fragmentation, and species behaviour. Current planning guidelines in Austria inconsistently address biodiversity concerns, often neglecting habitats outside protected areas. Mitigation measures, such as grazing, hedgerows, and structural elements, are widely recommended but lack robust scientific validation. The study highlights the urgent need for standardized Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) studies and adaptive monitoring to better understand biodiversity impacts and improve mitigation. Strategic conservation planning at the landscape level is essential to balance energy and ecological goals, ensuring sustainable development. This research underscores the importance of harmonizing renewable energy policies with biodiversity conservation to address the intertwined climate and biodiversity crises effectively.