1
|
LaRota-Aguilera MJ, Zapata-Caldas E, Buitrago-Bermúdez O, Marull J. New criteria for sustainable land use planning of metropolitan green infrastructures in the tropical Andes. LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY 2024; 39:112. [PMID: 38817738 PMCID: PMC11133195 DOI: 10.1007/s10980-024-01911-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Context Urbanization is rapidly increasing worldwide, with about 60% of the global population currently residing in cities and expected to reach 68% by 2050. In Latin America's tropical Andes region, managing these changes poses challenges, including biodiversity loss and vulnerability to climate change. Objectives This study assesses urban growth and agricultural intensification impacts on the ecological functionality of metropolitan green infrastructures and their capacity to provide ecosystem services using a landscape sustainability and sociometabolic approach. Specifically, it aims to identify landscape configurations promoting socio-ecological sustainability amidst rapid urbanization. Methods A landscape-metabolic model (IDC) was applied to evaluate the interactions between land use changes and ecosystem functions in the metropolitan region of Cali. Results Agricultural intensification and industrialization, coupled with uncontrolled urban growth, have significantly transformed the landscape, posing threats to its sustainability. The prevailing biocultural landscapes hold a substantial potential to provide essential ecosystem services to the metropolis. The IDC offers an approach that utilizes a land cover map and agricultural production/metabolism data to calculate an indicator closely related to ecosystem services and multifunctionality. Conclusions The IDC model stands out for efficiently capturing landscape dynamics, providing insights into landscape configuration and social metabolism without extensive resource requirements. This research highlights the importance of adopting a landscape-metabolic and green infrastructure framework to guide territorial policies in the tropical Andes and similar regions. It stresses the need for informed land use planning to address challenges and leverage opportunities presented by biocultural landscapes for regional sustainability amidst rapid urbanization and agricultural expansion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Emmanuel Zapata-Caldas
- Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), University of Valle (Primary), Valle del Cauca, Colombia
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Boscarino-Gaetano R, Vernes K, Nordberg EJ. Creating wildlife habitat using artificial structures: a review of their efficacy and potential use in solar farms. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024. [PMID: 38735646 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
The biodiversity crisis is exacerbated by a growing human population modifying nearly three-quarters of the Earth's land surface area for anthropogenic uses. Habitat loss and modification represent the largest threat to biodiversity and finding ways to offset species decline has been a significant undertaking for conservation. Landscape planning and conservation strategies can enhance habitat suitability for biodiversity in human-modified landscapes. Artificial habitat structures such as artificial reefs, nest boxes, chainsaw hollows, artificial burrows, and artificial hibernacula have all been successfully implemented to improve species survival in human-modified and fragmented landscapes. As the global shift towards renewable energy sources continues to rise, the development of photovoltaic systems is growing exponentially. Large-scale renewable projects, such as photovoltaic solar farms have large space requirements and thus have the potential to displace local wildlife. We discuss the feasibility of 'conservoltaic systems' - photovoltaic systems that incorporate elements tailored specifically to enhance wildlife habitat suitability and species conservation. Artificial habitat structures can potentially lessen the impacts of industrial development (e.g., photovoltaic solar farms) through strategic landscape planning and an understanding of local biodiversity requirements to facilitate recolonization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Remo Boscarino-Gaetano
- Ecosystem Management, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2351, Australia
| | - Karl Vernes
- Ecosystem Management, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2351, Australia
| | - Eric J Nordberg
- Ecosystem Management, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2351, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Tscharntke T, Batáry P, Grass I. Mixing on- and off-field measures for biodiversity conservation. Trends Ecol Evol 2024:S0169-5347(24)00085-5. [PMID: 38705769 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2024.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
The continuing biodiversity losses through agricultural expansion and intensification are dramatic. We argue that a mix of on- and off-field measures is needed, overcoming the false dichotomy of the land sharing-sparing debate. Protected land is essential for global biodiversity, while spillover between farmed and natural land is key to reducing species extinctions. This is particularly effective in landscapes with small and diversified fields. Focusing only on protected land fails to conserve a wealth of species, which often provide major ecosystem services such as pest control, pollination, and cultural benefits. On-field measures must minimise yield losses to prevent increased demand for food imports from biodiversity-rich regions, requiring enforcement of high social-ecological land-use standards to ensure a good life for all.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Péter Batáry
- "Lendület" Landscape and Conservation Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Botany, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary; Faunistics and Wildlife Conservation, Department of Agriculture, Ecotrophology, and Landscape Development, Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, Bernburg, Germany
| | - Ingo Grass
- Ecology of Tropical Agricultural Systems, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany; Center for Biodiversity and Integrative Taxonomy (KomBioTa), University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Gougherty AV, Davies TJ. Evolutionary history of host trees amplifies the dilution effect of biodiversity on forest pests. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002473. [PMID: 38412281 PMCID: PMC10898760 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Biodiversity appears to strongly suppress pathogens and pests in many plant and animal systems. However, this "dilution effect" is not consistently detected, and when present can vary strikingly in magnitude. Here, we use forest inventory data from over 25,000 plots (>1.1 million sampled trees) to quantify the strength of the dilution effect on dozens of forest pests and clarify why some pests are particularly sensitive to biodiversity. Using Bayesian hierarchical models, we show that pest prevalence is frequently lower in highly diverse forests, but there is considerable variability in the magnitude of this dilution effect among pests. The strength of dilution was not closely associated with host specialization or pest nativity. Instead, pest prevalence was lower in forests where co-occurring tree species were more distantly related to a pest's preferred hosts. Our analyses indicate that host evolutionary history and forest composition are key to understanding how species diversity may dilute the impacts of tree pests, with important implications for predicting how future biodiversity change may affect the spread and distribution of damaging forest pests.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew V. Gougherty
- USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Delaware, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - T. Jonathan Davies
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Pichancourt JB. Navigating the complexities of the forest land sharing vs sparing logging dilemma: analytical insights through the governance theory of social-ecological systems dynamics. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16809. [PMID: 38304187 PMCID: PMC10832625 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
This study addresses the ongoing debate on forest land-sparing vs land-sharing, aiming to identify effective strategies for both species conservation and timber exploitation. Previous studies, guided by control theory, compared sharing and sparing by optimizing logging intensity along a presumed trade-off between timber yield and ecological outcomes. However, the realism of this trade-off assumption is questioned by ecological and governance theories. This article introduces a mathematical model of Social-Ecological System (SES) dynamics, distinguishing selective logging intensification between sharing and sparing, with associated governance requirements. The model assumes consistent rules for logging, replanting, conservation support, access regulation, socio-economic, soil and climate conditions. Actors, each specialized in sustainable logging and replanting of a single species, coexist with various tree species in the same space for land sharing, contrasting with separate actions on monospecific stands for sparing. In sharing scenarios, a gradient of intensification is created from 256 combinations of selective logging for a forest with eight coexisting tree species. This is compared with eight scenarios of monospecific stands adjacent to a spared eight-species forest area safeguarded from logging. Numerical projections over 100 years rank sparing and sharing options based on forest-level tree biodiversity, carbon storage, and timber yield. The findings underscore the context-specific nature of the problem but identify simple heuristics to optimize both sparing and sharing practices. Prioritizing the most productive tree species is effective when selecting sparing, especially when timber yield and biodiversity are benchmarks. Conversely, sharing consistently outperforms sparing when carbon storage and biodiversity are main criteria. Sharing excels across scenarios considering all three criteria, provided a greater diversity of actors access and coexist in the shared space under collective rules ensuring independence and sustainable logging and replanting. The present model addresses some limitations in existing sparing-sharing theory by aligning with established ecological theories exploring the intricate relationship between disturbance practices, productivity and ecological outcomes. The findings also support a governance hypothesis from the 2009 Nobel Prize in Economics (E. Ostrom) regarding the positive impact on biodiversity and productivity of increasing polycentricity, i.e., expanding the number of independent species controllers' channels (loggers/replanters/supporters/regulators). This hypothesis, rooted in Ashby's law of requisite variety from control theory, suggests that resolving the sharing/sparing dilemma may depend on our ability to predict the yield-ecology performances of sparing (in heterogeneous landscapes) vs of sharing (in the same space) from their respective levels of "polycentric requisite variety".
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Baptiste Pichancourt
- Université Clermont-Auvergne (UCA), INRAE, Laboratoire d’Ingénieurie des Systèmes Complexes (UR LISC), Institut National de la Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Clermont-Ferrand, Aubière, France
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Löfroth T, Merinero S, Johansson J, Nordström EM, Sahlström E, Sjögren J, Ranius T. "Land-sparing benefits biodiversity while land-sharing benefits ecosystem services": Stakeholders' perspectives on biodiversity conservation strategies in boreal forests. AMBIO 2024; 53:20-33. [PMID: 37819440 PMCID: PMC10692042 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-023-01926-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Biodiversity conservation and economic profit from forests can be combined by various land-sparing and land-sharing approaches. Using a semi-structured survey, we evaluated support for scenarios representing contrasting conservation strategies in a managed boreal forest landscape. Land-sparing approaches were supported by the conservation organisation, regional administrations and the forest company, mainly motivated by the benefit for biodiversity based on ecological theory. Land-sharing approaches were supported by one recreational organisation, some municipalities and the forest owners' association, mainly motivated by the delivery of ecosystem services. Stakeholder groups using certain ecosystem services had motivations that we related to an anthropocentric mindset, while others focused more on species conservation, which can be related both to an anthropocentric or an ecocentric mindsets. Forest conservation planning should consider stakeholders' preferences to handle land-use conflicts. Since reaching consensus among multiple stakeholders seems unfeasible, a combination of land-sparing and land-sharing approaches is probably the best compromise.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Therese Löfroth
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Sonia Merinero
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, C/Tulipán s/n, 28933, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Johanna Johansson
- School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, 141 89, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Eva-Maria Nordström
- Department of Forest Resource Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Emma Sahlström
- Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7012, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jörgen Sjögren
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Thomas Ranius
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7044, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Aschi F, Dekker SC, van Vuuren DP, Bogaart PW, Rijsdijk KF, van Loon EE. Costs and benefits of protecting linear landscape elements: Applying systematic conservation planning on a case study in the Netherlands. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 348:119262. [PMID: 37866179 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Protecting and increasing linear landscape elements (LLEs) in agricultural lands is regarded as a possible solution for a transition to a more biodiverse agricultural system. However, optimizing the spatial configuration of LLEs protected areas is challenging, especially given the demand for land for food production. Systematic Conservation Planning (SCP) can address this challenge, by prioritizing cost-efficient protection areas. We used a SCP approach to look at the LLEs network in the Province of Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands, identifying the possible trade-off between optimizing species conservation, costs and the monetary values of ecosystem services (ES). For this we defined two scenarios. One scenario focuses on achieving species conservation targets at the minimum cost, and the other focuses on achieving targets while maximizing the benefits provided by ES. For each scenario, we further developed two land-management options, namely land-sharing and land-sparing. For each solution, we tested their cost-effectiveness by calculating implementation costs, economic benefits provided by ES, and cost/benefit ratios. First, our scenario analysis indicates that the economic benefits provided by ES always outweigh the implementation costs. Second, it shows that including ES as co-benefits in SCP (Maximize ES Scenario) yields more cost-efficient conservation solutions. Third, both land-sharing and land-sparing are possible cost-efficient approaches to achieve conservation targets. Our results are spatially explicit and identify crucial habitat areas for the conservation of the selected species, which represent 12-20% of the current unprotected network of LLEs. Our findings showcase net economic benefit of conserving species and LLEs, thus representing an additional reason for biodiversity conservation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Flavia Aschi
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL), The Hague, the Netherlands.
| | - Stefan C Dekker
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Detlef P van Vuuren
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL), The Hague, the Netherlands
| | - Patrick W Bogaart
- Department of National Accounts, Statistics Netherlands, The Hague, the Netherlands
| | - Kenneth F Rijsdijk
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - E Emiel van Loon
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Castelli C, Castellini M, Comincioli N, Parisi ML, Pontarollo N, Vergalli S. Ecosystem degradation and the spread of Covid-19. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:836. [PMID: 37308607 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11403-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The linkages between the emergence of zoonotic diseases and ecosystem degradation have been widely acknowledged by the scientific community and policy makers. In this paper we investigate the relationship between human overexploitation of natural resources, represented by the Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production Index (HANPP) and the spread of Covid-19 cases during the first pandemic wave in 730 regions of 63 countries worldwide. Using a Bayesian estimation technique, we highlight the significant role of HANPP as a driver of Covid-19 diffusion, besides confirming the well-known impact of population size and the effects of other socio-economic variables. We believe that these findings could be relevant for policy makers in their effort towards a more sustainable intensive agriculture and responsible urbanisation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Castelli
- The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marta Castellini
- Department of Economics and Management "Marco Fanno", University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Comincioli
- Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei, Milan, Italy
- Department of Economics and Management, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Maria Laura Parisi
- Department of Economics and Management, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Nicola Pontarollo
- Department of Economics and Management, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
| | - Sergio Vergalli
- Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei, Milan, Italy
- Department of Economics and Management, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Mayne SJ, King DI, Andersen JC, Elkinton JS. Pest control services on farms vary among bird species on diversified, low-intensity farms. Glob Ecol Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
|
10
|
Yamaura Y, Unno A, Royle JA. Sharing land via keystone structure: Retaining naturally regenerated trees may efficiently benefit birds in plantations. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2802. [PMID: 36550637 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Meeting food/wood demands with increasing human population and per-capita consumption is a pressing conservation issue, and is often framed as a choice between land sparing and land sharing. Although most empirical studies comparing the efficacy of land sparing and sharing supported land sparing, land sharing may be more efficient if its performance is tested by rigorous experimental design and habitat structures providing crucial resources for various species-keystone structures-are clearly involved. We launched a manipulative experiment to retain naturally regenerated broad-leaved trees when harvesting conifer plantations in central Hokkaido, northern Japan. We surveyed birds in harvested treatments, unharvested plantation controls, and natural forest references 1-year before the harvest and for three consecutive postharvest years. We developed a hierarchical community model separating abundance and space use (territorial proportion overlapping treatment plots) subject to imperfect detection to assess population consequences of retention harvesting. Application of the model to our data showed that retaining some broad-leaved trees increased the total abundance of forest birds over the harvest rotation cycle. Specifically, a preharvest survey showed that the amount of broad-leaved trees increased forest bird abundance in a concave manner (i.e., in the form of diminishing returns). After harvesting, a small amount of retained broad-leaved trees mitigated negative harvesting impacts on abundance, although retention harvesting reduced the space use. Nevertheless, positive retention effects on the postharvest bird density as the product of abundance and space use exhibited a concave form. Thus, small profit reductions were shown to yield large increases in forest bird abundance. The difference in bird abundance between clearcutting and low amounts of broad-leaved tree retention increased slightly from the first to second postharvesting years. We conclude that retaining a small amount of broad-leaved trees may be a cost-effective on-site conservation approach for the management of conifer plantations. The retention of 20-30 broad-leaved trees per ha may be sufficient to maintain higher forest bird abundance than clearcutting over the rotation cycle. Retention approaches can be incorporated into management systems using certification schemes and best management practices. Developing an awareness of the roles and values of naturally regenerated trees is needed to diversify plantations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuichi Yamaura
- Shikoku Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Kochi, Japan
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- Department of Forest Vegetation, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Tsukuba, Japan
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Akira Unno
- Forestry Research Institute, Hokkaido Research Organization, Bibai, Japan
| | - J Andrew Royle
- U.S. Geological Survey Eastern Ecological Science Center, Laurel, Maryland, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Tälle M, Öckinger E, Löfroth T, Pettersson LB, Smith HG, Stjernman M, Ranius T. Land sharing complements land sparing in the conservation of disturbance-dependent species. AMBIO 2023; 52:571-584. [PMID: 36565407 PMCID: PMC9849535 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-022-01820-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Alteration of natural disturbances in human-modified landscapes has resulted in many disturbance-dependent species becoming rare. Conservation of such species requires efforts to maintain or recreate disturbance regimes. We compared benefits of confining efforts to habitats in protected areas (a form of land sparing) versus integrating them with general management of production land (a form of land sharing), using two examples: fire in forests and grazing in semi-natural grasslands. We reviewed empirical studies from the temperate northern hemisphere assessing effects of disturbances in protected and non-protected areas, and compiled information from organisations governing and implementing disturbances in Sweden. We found advantages with protection of areas related to temporal continuity and quality of disturbances, but the spatial extent of disturbances is higher on production land. This suggests that an approach where land sparing is complemented with land sharing will be most effective for preservation of disturbance-dependent species in forests and semi-natural grasslands.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Malin Tälle
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7044, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Erik Öckinger
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7044, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Therese Löfroth
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lars B. Pettersson
- Department of Biology, Biodiversity Unit, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Henrik G. Smith
- Department of Biology, Biodiversity Unit, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Martin Stjernman
- Department of Biology, Biodiversity Unit, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Thomas Ranius
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7044, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Chaplin-Kramer R, Chappell MJ, Bennett EM. Un-yielding: Evidence for the agriculture transformation we need. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2023; 1520:89-104. [PMID: 36576483 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
There has been a seismic shift in the center of gravity of scientific writing and thinking about agriculture over the past decades, from a prevailing focus on maximizing yields toward a goal of balancing trade-offs and ensuring the delivery of multiple ecosystem services. Maximizing crop yields often results in a system where most benefits accrue to very few (in the form of profits), alongside irreparable environmental harm to agricultural ecosystems, landscapes, and people. Here, we present evidence that an un-yielding, which we define as de-emphasizing the importance of yields alone, is necessary to achieve the goal of a more Food secure, Agrobiodiverse, Regenerative, Equitable and just (FARE) agriculture. Focusing on yields places the emphasis on one particular outcome of agriculture, which is only an intermediate means to the true endpoint of human well-being. Using yields as a placeholder for this outcome ignores the many other benefits of agriculture that people also care about, like health, livelihoods, and a sense of place. Shifting the emphasis to these multiple benefits rather than merely yields, and to their equitable delivery to all people, we find clear scientific evidence of win-wins for people and nature through four strategies that foster FARE agriculture: reduced disturbance, systems reintegration, diversity, and justice (in the form of securing rights to land and other resources). Through a broad review of the current state of agriculture, desired futures, and the possible pathways to reach them, we argue that while trade-offs between some ecosystem services in agriculture are unavoidable, the same need not be true of the end benefits we desire from them.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Chaplin-Kramer
- Natural Capital Project, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.,Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - M Jahi Chappell
- Center for Regional Food Systems, Department of Community Sustainability, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA.,Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University, Coventry, UK
| | - Elena M Bennett
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences and Bieler School of Environment, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Zhang K, Feng R, Han J, Zhang Z, Zhang H, Liu K. Temporal and spatial differentiation characteristics of ecosystem service values based on the ecogeographical division of China: a case study in the Yellow River Basin, China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:8317-8337. [PMID: 36053418 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-22748-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The identification of spatiotemporal changes in ecosystem service values (ESVs) and their drivers is the basis for ecosystem service administration and decision-making. This research focuses on the Yellow River Basin (YRB). With a multitemporal land use and land cover (LULC) dataset (1995-2018), the equivalence coefficient method with spatiotemporal dynamic correction and exploratory spatial data analysis methods were used to evaluate ESV changes due to LULC changes and their spatial characteristics. The contributions of the ESV driving factors and their mutual effects were also investigated via geographic detectors. The results revealed that (1) the land use structure of the YRB, mainly grassland and cultivated land, was stable from 1995 to 2018. However, the transition between land use types was dramatic, including urban expansion accompanied by losses of farmland, grassland, and unused land; increased forestland; and significant increases in water bodies and wetland areas. (2) During the study period, the overall ESV of the YRB increased, and hydrological regulation and climate regulation services dominated the change in the ESVs in the study area. The ESV exhibited obvious ecogeographical pattern differentiation and evident positive spatial autocorrelation. High values were concentrated in the southern part of the study area, including the southeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region and the central part of the East Asian monsoon region. Low values were concentrated in the northwestern arid zone, dominated by desert and grassland ecosystems. (3) Because of the fragility of the regional ecological background, the spatial differentiation of the ESVs in the YRB is dependent on natural factors; however, anthropogenic factors such as the degree of land use and the human activity intensity also lead to ESV differentiation. The synergistic effects of human activities, landscape pattern changes, and natural factors result in the spatial differentiation of the ESVs in the research region. Therefore, human activities affecting the ecological environment should be controlled, nature-based solutions should be advocated, patch diversity should be increased, landscape fragmentation should be reduced, LULC ecosystem service functions should be improved, and the relationship among economic, social, and ecological landscape resources should be coordinated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kaili Zhang
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, China
| | - Rongrong Feng
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, China
| | - Jianing Han
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, China
| | - Zhicheng Zhang
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, China
| | - Hongjuan Zhang
- Key Research Institute of Yellow River Civilization and Sustainable Development & Collaborative Innovation Center On Yellow River Civilization Jointly Built By Henan Province and Ministry of Education, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475001, China
| | - Kang Liu
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, China.
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Urban Forest Ecosystem Research Station, Xi'an, 710127, China.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Wanger TC, Brook BW, Evans T, Tscharntke T. Pesticides reduce tropical amphibian and reptile diversity in agricultural landscapes in Indonesia. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15046. [PMID: 36967985 PMCID: PMC10035417 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Pesticide use on tropical crops has increased substantially in recent decades, posing a threat to biodiversity and ecosystem services. Amphibians and reptiles are common in tropical agricultural landscapes, but few field studies measure pesticide impacts on these taxa. Here we combine 1-year of correlative data with an experimental field approach from Indonesia. We show that while pesticide application cannot predict amphibian or reptile diversity patterns in cocoa plantations, our experimental exposure to herbicides and insecticides in vegetable gardens eliminated amphibians, whereas reptiles were less impacted by insecticide and not affected by herbicide exposure. The pesticide-driven loss of a common amphibian species known to be a pest-control agent (mainly invertebrate predation) suggests a strong indirect negative effect of pesticides on this service. We recommend landscape-based Integrated Pest Management and additional ecotoxicological studies on amphibians and reptiles to underpin a regulatory framework and to assure recognition and protection of their ecosystem services.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Cherico Wanger
- Agroecology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems & Engineering Laboratory/School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
| | | | - Theodore Evans
- University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Wu JST, Kremen C, Zhao J. How does framing influence preference for multiple solutions to societal problems? PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285793. [PMID: 37195997 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Solutions to environmental and social problems are often framed in dichotomous ways, which can be counterproductive. Instead, multiple solutions are often needed to fully address these problems. Here we examine how framing influences people's preference for multiple solutions. In a pre-registered experiment, participants (N = 1,432) were randomly assigned to one of four framing conditions. In the first three conditions, participants were presented with a series of eight problems, each framed with multiple causes, multiple impacts, or multiple solutions to the problem. The control condition did not present any framing information. Participants indicated their preferred solution, perceived severity and urgency of the problem, and their dichotomous thinking tendency. Pre-registered analyses showed that none of the three frames had a significant impact on preference for multiple solutions, perceived severity, perceived urgency, or dichotomous thinking. However, exploratory analyses showed that perceived severity and urgency of the problem were positively correlated with people's preference for multiple solutions, while dichotomous thinking was negatively correlated. These findings showed no demonstrable impact of framing on multi-solution preference. Future interventions should focus on addressing perceived severity and urgency, or decreasing dichotomous thinking to encourage people to adopt multiple solutions to address complex environmental and social problems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James Shyan-Tau Wu
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Claire Kremen
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jiaying Zhao
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Collas L, Crastes dit Sourd R, Finch T, Green R, Hanley N, Balmford A. The costs of delivering environmental outcomes with land sharing and land sparing. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Collas
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Romain Crastes dit Sourd
- Centre for Decision Research, Management Department Leeds University Business School, University of Leeds Leeds UK
| | - Tom Finch
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Bedfordshire UK
| | - Rhys Green
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Bedfordshire UK
| | - Nick Hanley
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow Glasgow UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Jones SK, Sánchez AC, Beillouin D, Juventia SD, Mosnier A, Remans R, Carmona NE. Achieving win-win outcomes for biodiversity and yield through diversified farming. Basic Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2022.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
|
18
|
Large, concealed islands in the urban sea: Scattered surrounding green space enhances the quality of grassland habitats in urban parks, Tokyo. Urban Ecosyst 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-022-01311-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
|
19
|
Torres-Miralles M, Särkelä K, Koppelmäki K, Lamminen M, Tuomisto HL, Herzon I. Contribution of High Nature Value farming systems to sustainable livestock production: A case from Finland. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 839:156267. [PMID: 35643142 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Sustainability of livestock production is a highly contested issue in agricultural sustainability discourse. This study aimed to assess the environmental impact of farms using semi-natural grasslands in Finland, or so-called High Nature Value (HNV) farms. We estimated the environmental impact of 11 such farms, including greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), nitrogen (N) balance, land occupation, and carbon storage. We also accounted for unique biodiversity, defined in this study as communities that are dependent on semi-natural grasslands. We compared these to the alternative states of the farms, specifically a hypothetical farm with the same production output but without access to semi-natural grasslands. GHG emissions at the farm level (tCO2eq/ha) in HNV farms were 64% lower than on the alternative farms; GHG emissions at the product level (tCO2eq/t LW) and N balance (N kg/ha) were 31% and 235% lower, respectively. The carbon stocks were 163% higher at farm level. Biodiversity values, indicated by the share of semi-natural grassland in management, ranged from 23% to 83% on HNV farms. Six out of eleven farms would need to increase their arable land occupation by an average of 39% of arable land to fulfil their needs for animal feed if they did not utilize semi-natural grassland. This study contributes to growing evidence that HNV farming systems can support sustainable production by minimising arable land occupation, reducing nutrient loses, and increasing carbon storage while maintaining unique biodiversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Torres-Miralles
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 27, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland; Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), University of Helsinki, Finland.
| | - K Särkelä
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 27, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - K Koppelmäki
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 27, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland; Farming Systems Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands; Ruralia Institute, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - M Lamminen
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 27, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland; Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - H L Tuomisto
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 27, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland; Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), University of Helsinki, Finland; Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Finland
| | - I Herzon
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 27, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland; Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), University of Helsinki, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Pike KN, Blake S, Gordon IJ, Cabrera F, Nieto-Claudin A, Deem SL, Guézou A, Schwarzkopf L. Sharing land with giants: Habitat preferences of Galapagos tortoises on farms. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
|
21
|
Olimpi EM, Daly H, Garcia K, Glynn VM, Gonthier DJ, Kremen C, M'Gonigle LK, Karp DS. Interactive effects of multiscale diversification practices on farmland bird stress. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13902. [PMID: 35212020 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Farmland diversification practices (i.e., methods used to produce food sustainably by enhancing biodiversity in cropping systems) are sometimes considered beneficial to both agriculture and biodiversity, but most studies of these practices rely on species richness, diversity, or abundance as a proxy for habitat quality. Biodiversity assessments may miss early clues that populations are imperiled when species presence does not imply persistence. Physiological stress indicators may help identify low-quality habitats before population declines occur. We explored how avian stress indicators respond to on-farm management practices and surrounding seminatural area (1-km radius) across 21 California strawberry farms. We examined whether commonly used biodiversity metrics correlate with stress responses in wild birds. We used ∼1000 blood and feather samples and body mass and wing chord measurements, mostly from passerines, to test the effects of diversification practices on four physiological stress indicators: heterophil to lymphocyte ratios (H:L), body condition, hematocrit values, and feather growth rates of individual birds. We then tested the relationship between physiological stress indicators and species richness, abundance, occurrence, and diversity derived from 285 bird point count surveys. After accounting for other biological drivers, landscape context mediated the effect of local farm management on H:L and body condition. Local diversification practices were associated with reduced individual stress in intensive agricultural landscapes but increased it in landscapes surrounded by relatively more seminatural area. Feathers grew more slowly in landscapes dominated by strawberry production, suggesting that nutritional condition was lower here than in landscapes with more crop types and seminatural areas. We found scant evidence that species richness, abundance, occurrence, or diversity metrics were correlated with the individual's physiological stress, suggesting that reliance on these metrics may obscure the impacts of management on species persistence. Our findings underscore the importance of considering landscape context when designing local management strategies to promote wildlife conservation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elissa M Olimpi
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Hallie Daly
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Karina Garcia
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Victoria M Glynn
- Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - David J Gonthier
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Claire Kremen
- Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Center, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Leithen K M'Gonigle
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Daniel S Karp
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Carroll C, Noss RF. How percentage-protected targets can support positive biodiversity outcomes. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13869. [PMID: 34856009 PMCID: PMC9540251 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Global targets for the percentage area of land protected, such as 30% by 2030, have gained increasing prominence, but both their scientific basis and likely effectiveness have been questioned. As with emissions-reduction targets based on desired climate outcomes, percentage-protected targets combine values and science by estimating the area over which conservation actions are required to help achieve desired biodiversity outcomes. Protected areas are essential for achieving many biodiversity targets, in part because many species are highly sensitive to human-associated disturbance. However, because the contribution of protected areas to biodiversity outcomes is contingent on their location, management, governance, threats, and what occurs across the broader landscape matrix, global percentage-protected targets are unavoidably empirical generalizations of ecological patterns and processes across diverse geographies. Percentage-protected targets are insufficient in isolation but can complement other actions and contribute to biodiversity outcomes within a framework that balances accuracy and pragmatism in a global context characterized by imperfect biodiversity data. Ideally, percentage-protected targets serve as anchors that strengthen comprehensive national biodiversity strategies by communicating the level of ambition necessary to reverse current trends of biodiversity loss. If such targets are to fulfill this role within the complex societal process by which both values and science impel conservation actions, conservation scientists must clearly communicate the nature of the evidence base supporting percentage-protected targets and how protected areas can function within a broader landscape managed for sustainable coexistence between people and nature. A new paradigm for protected and conserved areas recognizes that national coordination, incentives, and monitoring should support rather than undermine diverse locally led conservation initiatives. However, the definition of a conserved area must retain a strong focus on biodiversity to remain consistent with the evidence base from which percentage-protected targets were originally derived.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Carroll
- Klamath Center for Conservation ResearchOrleansCaliforniaUSA
| | - Reed F. Noss
- Florida Institute for Conservation ScienceMelroseFloridaUSA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Wurz A, Tscharntke T, Martin DA, Osen K, Rakotomalala AANA, Raveloaritiana E, Andrianisaina F, Dröge S, Fulgence TR, Soazafy MR, Andriafanomezantsoa R, Andrianarimisa A, Babarezoto FS, Barkmann J, Hänke H, Hölscher D, Kreft H, Rakouth B, Guerrero-Ramírez NR, Ranarijaona HLT, Randriamanantena R, Ratsoavina FM, Raveloson Ravaomanarivo LH, Grass I. Win-win opportunities combining high yields with high multi-taxa biodiversity in tropical agroforestry. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4127. [PMID: 35882849 PMCID: PMC9325886 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30866-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Resolving ecological-economic trade-offs between biodiversity and yields is a key challenge when addressing the biodiversity crisis in tropical agricultural landscapes. Here, we focused on the relation between seven different taxa (trees, herbaceous plants, birds, amphibians, reptiles, butterflies, and ants) and yields in vanilla agroforests in Madagascar. Agroforests established in forests supported overall 23% fewer species and 47% fewer endemic species than old-growth forests, and 14% fewer endemic species than forest fragments. In contrast, agroforests established on fallows had overall 12% more species and 38% more endemic species than fallows. While yields increased with vanilla vine density and length, non-yield related variables largely determined biodiversity. Nonetheless, trade-offs existed between yields and butterflies as well as reptiles. Vanilla yields were generally unrelated to richness of trees, herbaceous plants, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and ants, opening up possibilities for conservation outside of protected areas and restoring degraded land to benefit farmers and biodiversity alike. Resolving ecological-economic trade-offs is a challenge in agriculture. Here, Wurz et al. find that in Malagasy vanilla agroforests, vanilla yield is generally not related to tree, herbaceous plant, bird, amphibian, reptile and ant biodiversity, creating opportunities for conservation outside protected areas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Annemarie Wurz
- Agroecology, University of Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany. .,Conservation Ecology, Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
| | - Teja Tscharntke
- Agroecology, University of Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Centre for Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use (CBL), University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dominic Andreas Martin
- Biodiversity, Macroecology and Biogeography, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Kristina Osen
- Tropical Silviculture and Forest Ecology, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Anjaharinony A N A Rakotomalala
- Agroecology, University of Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Entomology Department Faculty of Science, University of Antananarivo, PO Box 906, Antananarivo, 101, Madagascar
| | - Estelle Raveloaritiana
- Agroecology, University of Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Plant Biology and Ecology Department, University of Antananarivo, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Fanilo Andrianisaina
- Department of Tropical Agriculture and Sustainable Development, Higher School of Agronomic Science,University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Saskia Dröge
- Biodiversity, Macroecology and Biogeography, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Division of Forest, Nature and Landscape, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Thio Rosin Fulgence
- Biodiversity, Macroecology and Biogeography, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Zoology and Animal Biodiversity, Faculty of Sciences, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar.,Natural and Environmental Sciences, Regional University Centre of the SAVA Region (CURSA), Antalaha, Madagascar
| | - Marie Rolande Soazafy
- Natural and Environmental Sciences, Regional University Centre of the SAVA Region (CURSA), Antalaha, Madagascar.,Doctoral School of Natural Ecosystems (EDEN), University of Mahajanga, Mahajanga, Madagascar
| | - Rouvah Andriafanomezantsoa
- Zoology and Animal Biodiversity, Faculty of Sciences, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Aristide Andrianarimisa
- Zoology and Animal Biodiversity, Faculty of Sciences, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | | | - Jan Barkmann
- Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Research Unit Environmental- and Resource Economics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Hendrik Hänke
- Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Research Unit Environmental- and Resource Economics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dirk Hölscher
- Centre for Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use (CBL), University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Tropical Silviculture and Forest Ecology, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Holger Kreft
- Centre for Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use (CBL), University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Biodiversity, Macroecology and Biogeography, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Bakolimalala Rakouth
- Plant Biology and Ecology Department, University of Antananarivo, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Nathaly R Guerrero-Ramírez
- Biodiversity, Macroecology and Biogeography, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Romual Randriamanantena
- Natural and Environmental Sciences, Regional University Centre of the SAVA Region (CURSA), Antalaha, Madagascar
| | | | | | - Ingo Grass
- Ecology of Tropical Agricultural Systems, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstrasse 13, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Smith OM, Jocson DMI, Lee BW, Orpet RJ, Taylor JM, Davis AG, Rieser CJ, Clarke AE, Cohen AL, Hayes AM, Auth CA, Bergeron PE, Marshall AT, Reganold JP, Crowder DW, Northfield TD. Identifying Farming Strategies Associated With Achieving Global Agricultural Sustainability. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.882503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sustainable agroecosystems provide adequate food while supporting environmental and human wellbeing and are a key part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Some strategies to promote sustainability include reducing inputs, substituting conventional crops with genetically modified (GM) alternatives, and using organic production. Here, we leveraged global databases covering 121 countries to determine which farming strategies—the amount of inputs per area (fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation), GM crops, and percent agriculture in organic production—are most correlated with 12 sustainability metrics recognized by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. Using quantile regression, we found that countries with higher Human Development Indices (HDI) (including education, income, and lifespan), higher-income equality, lower food insecurity, and higher cereal yields had the most organic production and inputs. However, input-intensive strategies were associated with greater agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. In contrast, countries with more GM crops were last on track to meeting the SDG of reduced inequalities. Using a longitudinal analysis spanning 2004–2018, we found that countries were generally decreasing inputs and increasing their share of agriculture in organic production. Also, in disentangling correlation vs. causation, we hypothesize that a country's development is more likely to drive changes in agricultural strategies than vice versa. Altogether, our correlative analyses suggest that countries with greater progress toward the SDGs of no poverty, zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, quality education, decent work, economic growth, and reduced inequalities had the highest production of organic agriculture and, to a lesser extent, intensive use of inputs.
Collapse
|
25
|
Balouch S, Driscoll DA, Naseer A, Rais M, Doherty TS. Impacts of land cover on reptile movement and habitat use in farming landscapes. Anim Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. Balouch
- Centre of Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Burwood VIC Australia
| | - D. A. Driscoll
- Centre of Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Burwood VIC Australia
| | - A. Naseer
- Department of Wildlife Management, Faculty of Forestry, Range Management and Wildlife Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi Pakistan
| | - M. Rais
- Department of Wildlife Management, Faculty of Forestry, Range Management and Wildlife Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi Pakistan
| | - T. S. Doherty
- Centre of Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Burwood VIC Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences The University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Min K, Choi MA. Resource landscape, microbial activity, and community composition under wintering crane activities in the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268461. [PMID: 35560038 PMCID: PMC9106215 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Endangered cranes migrate to the Demilitarized Zone in Korea in search for habitat and food during winter. While cranes have the potential to influence soil biogeochemical processes via dropping, foraging, and walking, few studies have investigated ecological roles of migrating birds in the new habitat. Here, we explored how cranes alter resource landscape (the amount and quality of carbon) and microbial community in soil. We set up control (fenced, no crane access) and treatment (free crane activities) plots (n = 6, respectively) in a rice paddy, and collected soils at 0–15 cm three months after the crane migration. Soils were tested for total carbon, total nitrogen, water extractable organic carbon, and Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy, along with microbial parameters (biomass, respiration, community composition). The wintering crane activity significantly increased total carbon and nitrogen contents, but decreased the ratio of CH (aliphatic) to COO (carboxylic) in soil. Also, both microbial biomass and respiration was greater in soils under crane activities. Bacterial and fungal community composition differed with or without crane activities, with treatment soils harboring more diverse microbial communities. Our results demonstrate that crane migration created a distinct system with altered resource landscape and microbial community, highlighting beneficial effects of migratory cranes on the soil biogeochemical processes in rice paddies. This study may help encourage more farmers, local governments, and the public to participate in crane conservation campaigns targeted at rice fields.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyungjin Min
- Center for Anthropocene Studies, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
- * E-mail:
| | - Myung-Ae Choi
- Center for Anthropocene Studies, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Gong S, Hodgson JA, Tscharntke T, Liu Y, van der Werf W, Batáry P, Knops JMH, Zou Y. Biodiversity and yield trade-offs for organic farming. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:1699-1710. [PMID: 35545523 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Organic farming supports higher biodiversity than conventional farming, but at the cost of lower yields. We conducted a meta-analysis quantifying the trade-off between biodiversity and yield, comparing conventional and organic farming. We developed a compatibility index to assess whether biodiversity gains from organic farming exceed yield losses, and a substitution index to assess whether organic farming would increase biodiversity in an area if maintaining total production under organic farming would require cultivating more land at the expense of nature. Overall, organic farming had 23% gain in biodiversity with a similar cost of yield decline. Biodiversity gain is negatively correlated to yield loss for microbes and plants, but no correlation was found for other taxa. The biodiversity and yield trade-off varies under different contexts of organic farming. The overall compatibility index value was close to zero, with negative values for cereal crops, positive for non-cereal crops, and varies across taxa. Our results indicate that, on average, the proportion of biodiversity gain is similar to the proportion of yield loss for paired field studies. For some taxa in non-cereal crops, switching to organic farming can lead to a biodiversity gain without yield loss. We calculated the overall value of substitution index and further discussed the application of this index to evaluate when the biodiversity of less intensified farming system is advantageous.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shanxing Gong
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Jenny A Hodgson
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | | | - Yunhui Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Organic Farming, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Wopke van der Werf
- Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Péter Batáry
- "Lendület" Landscape and Conservation Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Johannes M H Knops
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yi Zou
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Shin Y, Midgley GF, Archer ERM, Arneth A, Barnes DKA, Chan L, Hashimoto S, Hoegh‐Guldberg O, Insarov G, Leadley P, Levin LA, Ngo HT, Pandit R, Pires APF, Pörtner H, Rogers AD, Scholes RJ, Settele J, Smith P. Actions to halt biodiversity loss generally benefit the climate. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:2846-2874. [PMID: 35098619 PMCID: PMC9303674 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The two most urgent and interlinked environmental challenges humanity faces are climate change and biodiversity loss. We are entering a pivotal decade for both the international biodiversity and climate change agendas with the sharpening of ambitious strategies and targets by the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Within their respective Conventions, the biodiversity and climate interlinked challenges have largely been addressed separately. There is evidence that conservation actions that halt, slow or reverse biodiversity loss can simultaneously slow anthropogenic mediated climate change significantly. This review highlights conservation actions which have the largest potential for mitigation of climate change. We note that conservation actions have mainly synergistic benefits and few antagonistic trade-offs with climate change mitigation. Specifically, we identify direct co-benefits in 14 out of the 21 action targets of the draft post-2020 global biodiversity framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity, notwithstanding the many indirect links that can also support both biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. These relationships are context and scale-dependent; therefore, we showcase examples of local biodiversity conservation actions that can be incentivized, guided and prioritized by global objectives and targets. The close interlinkages between biodiversity, climate change mitigation, other nature's contributions to people and good quality of life are seldom as integrated as they should be in management and policy. This review aims to re-emphasize the vital relationships between biodiversity conservation actions and climate change mitigation in a timely manner, in support to major Conferences of Parties that are about to negotiate strategic frameworks and international goals for the decades to come.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Guy F. Midgley
- School for Climate Studies, Department of Botany and ZoologyStellenbosch UniversityStellenboschSouth Africa
| | - Emma R. M. Archer
- Department of GeographyGeo‐Informatics and MeteorologyUniversity of PretoriaHatfield, PretoriaSouth Africa
| | - Almut Arneth
- Atmospheric Environmental ResearchKarlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)Garmisch‐PartenkirchenGermany
| | | | - Lena Chan
- International Biodiversity Conservation DivisionNational Parks BoardSingaporeSingapore
| | | | - Ove Hoegh‐Guldberg
- School of Biological Sciences and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
| | - Gregory Insarov
- Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy for SciencesMoscowRussia
| | - Paul Leadley
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie Systématique EvolutionUniversité Paris‐Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTechOrsayFrance
| | - Lisa A. Levin
- Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation and Integrative Oceanography DivisionScripps Institution of OceanographyUniversity of CaliforniaSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Hien T. Ngo
- Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United NationsRomeItaly
- Intergovernmental Science‐Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)BonnGermany
| | - Ram Pandit
- Centre for Environmental Economics and PolicyUWA School of Agriculture and EnvironmentThe University of Western AustraliaCrawleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
- Global Center for Food, Land and Water ResourcesResearch Faculty of AgricultureHokkaido UniversitySapporoHokkaidoJapan
| | - Aliny P. F. Pires
- Department of Ecology – IBRAGRio de Janeiro State University (UERJ)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Hans‐Otto Pörtner
- Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine ResearchBremerhavenGermany
| | | | - Robert J. Scholes
- Global Change InstituteUniversity of the WitwatersrandJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Josef Settele
- Department of Conservation Biology and Social‐Ecological SystemsHelmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZHalleGermany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Pete Smith
- Institute of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Moor H, Eggers J, Fabritius H, Forsell N, Henckel L, Bradter U, Mazziotta A, Nordén J, Snäll T. Rebuilding green infrastructure in boreal production forest given future global wood demand. J Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Helen Moor
- SLU Swedish Species Information Centre Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL Birmensdorf Switzerland
| | - Jeannette Eggers
- SLU Swedish Species Information Centre Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
- Department of Forest Resource Management Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Sweden
| | - Henna Fabritius
- SLU Swedish Species Information Centre Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
- Smart City Centre of Excellence Tallinn University of Technology Tallinn Estonia
| | - Nicklas Forsell
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) Laxenburg Austria
| | - Laura Henckel
- SLU Swedish Species Information Centre Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
- INRAE (French National Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment), UMR1347, Agroécologie, 21000 Dijon France
| | - Ute Bradter
- SLU Swedish Species Information Centre Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) Trondheim Norway
| | - Adriano Mazziotta
- SLU Swedish Species Information Centre Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) Bioeconomy and Environment, Latokartanonkaari 9 Helsinki Finland
| | - Jenni Nordén
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) Oslo Norway
| | - Tord Snäll
- SLU Swedish Species Information Centre Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Abstract
The food system’s negative impact on biodiversity is increasing over time. Conserving biodiversity requires immediate and widespread action to reduce the biodiversity footprint of food consumption, but biodiversity has historically been neglected in sustainability assessments. We combine high-resolution estimates of the biodiversity footprint with food system scenario modeling to predict the consequences of two key food system sustainability actions in the United States: diet shifts and food waste reduction. Taking these actions may benefit biodiversity in some places and harm it in others. The results of this study can help decision makers understand the trade-offs we must navigate to balance human health, economics, and environmental sustainability and help consumers understand how their diets and food waste behaviors influence global biodiversity. Diet shifts and food waste reduction have the potential to reduce the land and biodiversity footprint of the food system. In this study, we estimated the amount of land used to produce food consumed in the United States and the number of species threatened with extinction as a result of that land use. We predicted potential changes to the biodiversity threat under scenarios of food waste reduction and shifts to recommended healthy and sustainable diets. Domestically produced beef and dairy, which require vast land areas, and imported fruit, which has an intense impact on biodiversity per unit land, have especially high biodiversity footprints. Adopting the Planetary Health diet or the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)–recommended vegetarian diet nationwide would reduce the biodiversity footprint of food consumption. However, increases in the consumption of foods grown in global biodiversity hotspots both inside and outside the United States, especially fruits and vegetables, would partially offset the reduction. In contrast, the USDA-recommended US-style and Mediterranean-style diets would increase the biodiversity threat due to increased consumption of dairy and farmed fish. Simply halving food waste would benefit global biodiversity more than half as much as all Americans simultaneously shifting to a sustainable diet. Combining food waste reduction with the adoption of a sustainable diet could reduce the biodiversity footprint of US food consumption by roughly half. Species facing extinction because of unsustainable food consumption practices could be rescued by reducing agriculture's footprint; diet shifts and food waste reduction can help us get there.
Collapse
|
31
|
Marás GA, Trucco CE, Nuñez-Reguiro MM, Soledad Andrade-Díaz M, Trigo CB, Flavia Caruso M, Derlindati EJ, Tálamo A. Relationships between livestock grazing intensity and mammal predator-prey: A study case in Copo National Park in the dry Chaco forests. J Nat Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2022.126186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
32
|
Segre H, Carmel Y, Shwartz A. Economic and not ecological variables shape the sparing–sharing trade‐off in a mixed cropping landscape. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hila Segre
- Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning Technion ‐ Israel Institute of Technology Haifa Israel
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group Wageningen University Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Yohay Carmel
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering Technion ‐ Israel Institute of Technology Haifa Israel
| | - Assaf Shwartz
- Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning Technion ‐ Israel Institute of Technology Haifa Israel
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Bengochea Paz D, Henderson K, Loreau M. Habitat percolation transition undermines sustainability in social-ecological agricultural systems. Ecol Lett 2021; 25:163-176. [PMID: 34747112 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Steady increases in human population size and resource consumption are driving rampant agricultural expansion and intensification. Habitat loss caused by agriculture puts the integrity of ecosystems at risk and threatens the persistence of human societies that rely on ecosystem services. We develop a spatially explicit model describing the coupled dynamics of an agricultural landscape and human population size to assess the effect of different land-use management strategies, defined by agricultural clustering and intensification, on the sustainability of the social-ecological system. We show how agricultural expansion can cause natural habitats to undergo a percolation transition leading to abrupt habitat fragmentation that feedbacks on human's decision making, aggravating landscape degradation. We found that agricultural intensification to spare land from conversion is a successful strategy only in highly natural landscapes, and that clustering agricultural land is the most effective measure to preserve large connected natural fragments, prevent severe fragmentation and thus, enhance sustainability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michel Loreau
- Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, CNRS, Moulis, France
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Asubonteng KO, Ros-Tonen MAF, Baud I, Pfeffer K. Envisioning the Future of Mosaic Landscapes: Actor Perceptions in a Mixed Cocoa/Oil-Palm Area in Ghana. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 68:701-719. [PMID: 33057799 PMCID: PMC8560681 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-020-01368-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The future and benefits of mosaic landscapes have been a source of scientific and societal concern due to increasing population growth, climate change, urbanization, and expanding agricultural commodities. There is a growing call for integrated landscape approaches in which landscape actors discuss trade-offs between different land uses with a view to reaching a negotiated decision on the allocation of land uses. Yet, the operationalization of such approaches is still in its infancy, and integrated methodologies to visualize actors' landscape visions are still scarce. This study therefore presents a participatory spatial scenario-building methodology that uncovers local perceptions of landscape dynamics and needed actions in a mixed cocoa-oil-palm landscape in Ghana's Eastern Region. The methodology visualizes landscape actors' perceived plausible changes and desired future landscapes, and is designed to trigger discussions on actions needed to achieve these desired futures. Findings show that farmers and institutional actors are aware of their landscapes with future preferences coming close to actual landscape composition and spatial configuration, and that-contrary to common assumptions-only those in the oil-palm-dominated landscape who already experienced the drawbacks of increasing landscape homogenization desire a mosaic landscape. The paper concludes that the collective mapping process makes actors aware of challenges at landscape level and increases farmers' negotiation power through active engagement in the process and visualization of their knowledge and visions. Application of the methodology requires dedicated funding, political will, and capacity to apply it as an ongoing process, as well as monitoring feedback loops.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kwabena O Asubonteng
- Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR), University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018, VW, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Mirjam A F Ros-Tonen
- Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR), University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018, VW, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Isa Baud
- Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR), University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018, VW, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Karin Pfeffer
- Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500, AE, Enschede, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Sidemo‐Holm W, Ekroos J, Smith HG. Land sharing versus land sparing—What outcomes are compared between which land uses? CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- William Sidemo‐Holm
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University Lund Sweden
- AgriFood Economics Centre, Lund University Lund Sweden
| | - Johan Ekroos
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University Lund Sweden
| | - Henrik G. Smith
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University Lund Sweden
- Department of Biology Lund University Lund Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Garcia‐Polo J, Falkowski TB, Mokashi SA, Law EP, Fix AJ, Diemont SAW. Restoring ecosystems and eating them too: guidance from agroecology for sustainability. Restor Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Garcia‐Polo
- State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1 Forestry Drive Syracuse NY 13210 U.S.A
- Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, Centro de Estudios Atitlan Solola Guatemala
| | | | - Shruti A. Mokashi
- Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) Bangalore Karnataka India
| | - Eugene P. Law
- School of Integrative Plant Science Cornell University Ithaca NY U.S.A
| | - Adam J. Fix
- McPhail Center for Environmental Studies Denison University Granville OH U.S.A
| | - Stewart A. W. Diemont
- State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1 Forestry Drive Syracuse NY 13210 U.S.A
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Balmford A. Concentrating vs. spreading our footprint: how to meet humanity's needs at least cost to nature. J Zool (1987) 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Balmford
- Conservation Science Group Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Bai Z, Ma W, Zhao H, Guo M, Oenema O, Smith P, Velthof G, Liu X, Hu C, Wang P, Zhang N, Liu L, Guo S, Fan X, Winiwarter W, Ma L. Food and feed trade has greatly impacted global land and nitrogen use efficiencies over 1961-2017. NATURE FOOD 2021; 2:780-791. [PMID: 37117983 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-021-00351-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
International trade of agricultural products has complicated and far-reaching impacts on land and nitrogen use efficiencies. We analysed the productivity of cropland and livestock and associated use of feed and fertilizer efficiency for over 240 countries, and estimated these countries' cumulative contributions to imports and exports of 190 agricultural products for the period 1961-2017. Crop trade has increased global land and partial fertilizer nitrogen productivities in terms of protein production, which equalled savings of 2,270 Mha cropland and 480 Tg synthetic fertilizer nitrogen over the analysed period. However, crop trade decreased global cropland productivity when productivity is expressed on an energy (per calorie) basis. Agricultural trade has generally moved towards optimality, that is, has increased global land and nitrogen use efficiencies during 1961-2017, but remains at a relatively low level. Overall, mixed impacts of trade on resource use indicate the need to rethink trade patterns and improve their optimality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhaohai Bai
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang, China
- Wageningen University, Department of Soil Quality, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Wenqi Ma
- College of Resources & Environmental Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - Hao Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Mengchu Guo
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Resources, Environment and Food Security, Key Lab of Plant-Soil Interactions, MOE, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Oene Oenema
- Wageningen University, Department of Soil Quality, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Pete Smith
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Gerard Velthof
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Xia Liu
- School of Mathematics and Science, Hebei GEO University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Chunsheng Hu
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Peiguang Wang
- College of Mathematics and Information Science, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Nannan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Ling Liu
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Sujuan Guo
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Xiangwen Fan
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Wilfried Winiwarter
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria
- The Institute of Environmental Engineering, University of Zielona Góra, Zielona Góra, Poland
| | - Lin Ma
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang, China.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Nordberg E, Ashley J, Hoekstra AA, Kirkpatrick S, Cobb VA. Small nature preserves do not adequately support large-ranging snakes: Movement ecology and site fidelity in a fragmented rural landscape. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
|
40
|
Tscharntke T, Grass I, Wanger TC, Westphal C, Batáry P. Beyond organic farming - harnessing biodiversity-friendly landscapes. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:919-930. [PMID: 34362590 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
We challenge the widespread appraisal that organic farming is the fundamental alternative to conventional farming for harnessing biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Certification of organic production is largely restricted to banning synthetic agrochemicals, resulting in limited benefits for biodiversity but high yield losses despite ongoing intensification and specialisation. In contrast, successful agricultural measures to enhance biodiversity include diversifying cropland and reducing field size, which can multiply biodiversity while sustaining high yields in both conventional and organic systems. Achieving a landscape-level mosaic of natural habitat patches and fine-grained cropland diversification in both conventional and organic agriculture is key for promoting large-scale biodiversity. This needs to be urgently acknowledged by policy makers for an agricultural paradigm shift.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ingo Grass
- Ecology of Tropical Agricultural Systems, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Thomas C Wanger
- Sustainability, Agriculture, & Technology Laboratory, School of Engineering, Westlake University, China; Key Laboratory of Coastal Environment and Resources of Zhejiang Province, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China; GlobalAgroforestryNetwork.org, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Catrin Westphal
- Functional Agrobiodiversity, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Péter Batáry
- "Lendület" Landscape and Conservation Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Fischer J, Bergsten A, Dorresteijn I, Hanspach J, Hylander K, Jiren TS, Manlosa AO, Rodrigues P, Schultner J, Senbeta F, Shumi G. A social-ecological assessment of food security and biodiversity conservation in Ethiopia. ECOSYSTEMS AND PEOPLE (ABINGDON, ENGLAND) 2021; 17:400-410. [PMID: 34396139 PMCID: PMC8352376 DOI: 10.1080/26395916.2021.1952306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We studied food security and biodiversity conservation from a social-ecological perspective in southwestern Ethiopia. Specialist tree, bird, and mammal species required large, undisturbed forest, supporting the notion of 'land sparing' for conservation. However, our findings also suggest that forest areas should be embedded within a multifunctional landscape matrix (i.e. 'land sharing'), because farmland also supported many species and ecosystem services and was the basis of diversified livelihoods. Diversified livelihoods improved smallholder food security, while lack of access to capital assets and crop raiding by wild forest animals negatively influenced food security. Food and biodiversity governance lacked coordination and was strongly hierarchical, with relatively few stakeholders being highly powerful. Our study shows that issues of livelihoods, access to resources, governance and equity are central when resolving challenges around food security and biodiversity. A multi-facetted, social-ecological approach is better able to capture such complexity than the conventional, two-dimensional land sparing versus sharing framework.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joern Fischer
- Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University Lueneburg, Lueneburg, Germany
| | - Arvid Bergsten
- Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University Lueneburg, Lueneburg, Germany
| | - Ine Dorresteijn
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Hanspach
- Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University Lueneburg, Lueneburg, Germany
| | - Kristoffer Hylander
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tolera S. Jiren
- Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University Lueneburg, Lueneburg, Germany
| | - Aisa O. Manlosa
- Social Sciences Department, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Bremen, Germany
| | - Patricia Rodrigues
- Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University Lueneburg, Lueneburg, Germany
| | - Jannik Schultner
- Environmental Systems Analysis Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Feyera Senbeta
- Center for Environment and Development Studies, College of Development Studies, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Girma Shumi
- Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University Lueneburg, Lueneburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Coupling Coordination Relationship and Driving Mechanism between Urbanization and Ecosystem Service Value in Large Regions: A Case Study of Urban Agglomeration in Yellow River Basin, China. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18157836. [PMID: 34360127 PMCID: PMC8345720 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18157836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Mastering the coupling and coordination relationship and driving mechanism of urbanization and ecosystem service value (ESV) is of great significance to ecological protection and regional sustainable development. In this paper, the coupling coordination model, geographic detector and GWR model are used to analyze the spatio-temporal coupling interaction between urbanization and ESV and the spatial differentiation characteristics of influencing factors from 1995 to 2018. The results of the study are as follows: (1) During the study period, cities in the Yellow River Basin experienced accelerated urban expansion, and the ESV of forests, water and wetlands increased, which offset the reduction in ESV due to the expansion of construction land and farmland and grassland. (2) The degree of coupling and coordination between the two gradually improved, but the overall situation showed a low-level coupling and coordination process. Mild coupling coordination gradually increased, reaching an increase of 38.10%; severe imbalance types tended to disappear, decreasing by 52.38%, and coupling subtypes developed from lagging urbanization to ESV backward types. The high-value areas of the coupling coordination degree are distributed in the high-value areas of ESV in the north of the upper reaches, and the low-value areas are distributed in the cities of Henan and Shandong with high urbanization levels in the downstream and most resource-based cities in the middle reaches. (3) In addition, the spatial intensity of the effect of each dominant factor on the degree of coupling coordination is different. Economic growth, technological development, environmental regulations and the proportion of forest land have positive and belt-shaped alienation characteristics for the coupling and coordination of the two, and infrastructure and temperature show negative driving characteristics. Therefore, the coupling and coordination relationship between ESV and urbanization should be clarified to help future urban planning. On the basis of determining the regional environmental carrying capacity and the adjustment direction of the rational planning of land resources, the impact of urban barriers formed by administrative boundaries and natural geographical conditions on the development of urban agglomerations should be broken to achieve the overall high-quality and coordinated development of the basin.
Collapse
|
43
|
Garibaldi LA, Schulte LA, Nabaes Jodar DN, Gomez Carella DS, Kremen C. Time to Integrate Pollinator Science into Soybean Production. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:573-575. [PMID: 34034911 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Soybeans cover 129 million hectares globally. Soybean productivity can increase with pollinator management, but soybean cultivation practices commonly ignore biotic pollination. If pollinator habitats are created within soybean landscapes and policies to limit agricultural expansion are implemented, millions of hectares could be restored for biodiversity without loss of soybean production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucas A Garibaldi
- Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Río Negro, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Río Negro, Argentina.
| | - Lisa A Schulte
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Bioeconomy Institute, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Diego N Nabaes Jodar
- Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Río Negro, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Dulce S Gomez Carella
- Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Río Negro, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Claire Kremen
- Department of Zoology, Biodiversity Research Centre, Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Agroecological Strategies to Safeguard Insect Pollinators in Biodiversity Hotspots: Chile as a Case Study. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13126728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Industrial agriculture (IA) has been recognized among the main drivers of biodiversity loss, climate change, and native pollinator decline. Here we summarize the known negative effects of IA on pollinator biodiversity and illustrate these problems by considering the case of Chile, a “world biodiversity hotspot” (WBH) where food exports account for a considerable share of the economy in this country. Most of Chile’s WBH area is currently being replaced by IA at a fast pace, threatening local biodiversity. We present an agroecological strategy for sustainable food production and pollinator conservation in food-producing WBHs. In this we recognize native pollinators as internal inputs that cannot be replaced by IA technological packages and support the development of agroecological and biodiversity restorative practices to protect biodiversity. We suggest four fundamental pillars for food production change based on: (1) sharing the land, restoring and protecting; (2) ecological intensification; (3) localized knowledge, research, and technological development; and (4) territorial planning and implementation of socio-agroecological policies. This approach does not need modification of native pollination services that sustain the world with food and basic subsistence goods, but a paradigm change where the interdependency of nature and human wellbeing must be recognized for ensuring the world’s food security and sovereignty.
Collapse
|
45
|
Mammal species occupy different climates following the expansion of human impacts. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:1922859118. [PMID: 33397717 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1922859118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cities and agricultural fields encroach on the most fertile, habitable terrestrial landscapes, fundamentally altering global ecosystems. Today, 75% of terrestrial ecosystems are considerably altered by human activities, and landscape transformation continues to accelerate. Human impacts are one of the major drivers of the current biodiversity crisis, and they have had unprecedented consequences on ecosystem function and rates of species extinctions for thousands of years. Here we use the fossil record to investigate whether changes in geographic range that could result from human impacts have altered the climatic niches of 46 species covering six mammal orders within the contiguous United States. Sixty-seven percent of the studied mammals have significantly different climatic niches today than they did before the onset of the Industrial Revolution. Niches changed the most in the portions of the range that overlap with human-impacted landscapes. Whether by forcible elimination/introduction or more indirect means, large-bodied dietary specialists have been extirpated from climatic envelopes that characterize human-impacted areas, whereas smaller, generalist mammals have been facilitated, colonizing these same areas of the climatic space. Importantly, the climates where we find mammals today do not necessarily represent their past habitats. Without mitigation, as we move further into the Anthropocene, we can anticipate a low standing biodiversity dominated by small, generalist mammals.
Collapse
|
46
|
Rangeland Land-Sharing, Livestock Grazing’s Role in the Conservation of Imperiled Species. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13084466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Land sharing, conserving biodiversity on productive lands, is globally promoted. Much of the land highest in California’s biodiversity is used for livestock production, providing an opportunity to understand land sharing and species conservation. A review of United States Fish and Wildlife Service listing documents for 282 threatened and endangered species in California reveals a complex and varied relationship between grazing and conservation. According to these documents, 51% or 143 of the federally listed animal and plant species are found in habitats with grazing. While livestock grazing is a stated threat to 73% (104) of the species sharing habitat with livestock, 59% (85) of the species are said to be positively influenced, with considerable overlap between species both threatened and benefitting from grazing. Grazing is credited with benefiting flowering plants, mammals, insects, reptiles, amphibians, fish, crustaceans, and bird species by managing the state’s novel vegetation and providing and maintaining habitat structure and ecosystem functions. Benefits are noted for species across all of California’s terrestrial habitats, except alpine, and for some aquatic habitats, including riparian, wetlands, and temporary pools. Managed grazing can combat anthropomorphic threats, such as invasive species and nitrogen deposition, supporting conservation-reliant species as part of land sharing.
Collapse
|
47
|
Beyond Sustainable Intensification: Transitioning Primary Sectors through Reconfiguring Land-Use. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13063225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Internationally there is a desire to transition farming systems towards more sustainable production in response to global and local social and environmental challenges. This transition has often been linked with a movement towards ‘sustainable intensification’ which, although having advantages, has raised questions about a lack of attention to, for example, social and ethical consideration of food and fibre production. Whilst there is general consensus that a transition is required, what is much less clear is what transitioned agricultural sectors would look like in terms of land-use configurations and how such a change can be achieved. Using New Zealand as an example, this paper provides some initial views on what such a reconfiguration may entail. The paper identifies and assesses a range of possible alternative land use configurations that, in general, lead to landscape/regional diversification. The importance of incorporating new high value low intensity (niche) systems into the landscape is highlighted. Development of these niches to achieve scale is shown to be key to the transition process. The joint role of the private (through markets) and public (through policy) sectors in driving the transition is highlighted.
Collapse
|
48
|
Betts MG, Phalan BT, Wolf C, Baker SC, Messier C, Puettmann KJ, Green R, Harris SH, Edwards DP, Lindenmayer DB, Balmford A. Producing wood at least cost to biodiversity: integrating Triad and sharing-sparing approaches to inform forest landscape management. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:1301-1317. [PMID: 33663020 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Forest loss and degradation are the greatest threats to biodiversity worldwide. Rising global wood demand threatens further damage to remaining native forests. Contrasting solutions across a continuum of options have been proposed, yet which of these offers most promise remains unresolved. Expansion of high-yielding tree plantations could free up forest land for conservation provided this is implemented in tandem with stronger policies for conserving native forests. Because plantations and other intensively managed forests often support far less biodiversity than native forests, a second approach argues for widespread adoption of extensive management, or 'ecological forestry', which better simulates natural forest structure and disturbance regimes - albeit with compromised wood yields and hence a need to harvest over a larger area. A third, hybrid suggestion involves 'Triad' zoning where the landscape is divided into three sorts of management (reserve, ecological/extensive management, and intensive plantation). Progress towards resolving which of these approaches holds the most promise has been hampered by the absence of a conceptual framework and of sufficient empirical data formally to identify the most appropriate landscape-scale proportions of reserves, extensive, and intensive management to minimize biodiversity impacts while meeting a given level of demand for wood. In this review, we argue that this central challenge for sustainable forestry is analogous to that facing food-production systems, and that the land sharing-sparing framework devised to establish which approach to farming could meet food demand at least cost to wild species can be readily adapted to assess contrasting forest management regimes. We develop this argument in four ways: (i) we set out the relevance of the sharing-sparing framework for forestry and explore the degree to which concepts from agriculture can translate to a forest management context; (ii) we make design recommendations for empirical research on sustainable forestry to enable application of the sharing-sparing framework; (iii) we present overarching hypotheses which such studies could test; and (iv) we discuss potential pitfalls and opportunities in conceptualizing landscape management through a sharing-sparing lens. The framework we propose will enable forest managers worldwide to assess trade-offs directly between conservation and wood production and to determine the mix of management approaches that best balances these (and other) competing objectives. The results will inform ecologically sustainable forest policy and management, reduce risks of local and global extinctions from forestry, and potentially improve a valuable sector's social license to operate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G Betts
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, U.S.A
| | - Benjamin T Phalan
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, 40170-115, BA, Brazil.,Parque das Aves, Av. das Cataratas, 12450 - Vila Yolanda, Foz do Iguaçu, PR, 85855-750, Brazil
| | - Christopher Wolf
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, U.S.A
| | - Susan C Baker
- School of Natural Sciences and ARC Centre for Forest Value, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
| | - Christian Messier
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Klaus J Puettmann
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, U.S.A
| | - Rhys Green
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, U.K
| | - Scott H Harris
- Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, U.S.A
| | - David P Edwards
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, U.K
| | - David B Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Andrew Balmford
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, U.K
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Núñez-Regueiro MM, Siddiqui SF, Fletcher RJ. Effects of bioenergy on biodiversity arising from land-use change and crop type. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:77-87. [PMID: 31854480 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Revised: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/14/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how the world's flora and fauna will respond to bioenergy expansion is critical. This issue is particularly pronounced considering bioenergy's potential role as a driver of land-use change, the variety of production crops being considered and currently used for biomass, and the diversity of ecosystems that can potentially supply land for bioenergy across the planet. We conducted 2 global meta-analyses to determine how 8 of the most commonly used bioenergy crops may affect site-level biodiversity. One search was directed at finding data on biodiversity in different production land uses and the other at extracting energy-yield estimates of potential bioenergy crops. We used linear mixed-effect models to test whether effects on biodiversity varied with different individual bioenergy crop species, estimated energy yield, first- or second-generation crops, type of reference ecosystem considered, and magnitude of vertical change in habitat structure between any given crop and the reference ecosystem. Species diversity and abundance were generally lower in crops considered for bioenergy relative to the natural ecosystems they may replace. First-generation crops, derived from oils, sugars, and starches, tended to have greater effects than second-generation crops, derived from lignocellulose, woody crops, or residues. Crop yield had nonlinear effects on abundance and, to a lesser extent, overall biodiversity; biodiversity effects were driven by negative yield effects for birds but not other taxa. Our results emphasize that replacing natural ecosystems with bioenergy crops across the planet will largely be detrimental for biodiversity, with first generation and high-yield crops having the strongest negative effects. We argue that meeting energy goals with bioenergy using existing marginal lands or biomass extraction within existing production landscapes may provide more biodiversity-friendly alternatives than conversion of natural ecosystems for biofuel production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mauricio M Núñez-Regueiro
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, U.S.A
- Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Laboratorio de Ecologia Aplicada, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Avenida Bolivia 5150, Salta, 4400, Argentina
- Universidad Católica de Salta. Campo Castañares S/N, Salta, 4400, Argentina
| | - Sharmin F Siddiqui
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, U.S.A
| | - Robert J Fletcher
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, U.S.A
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Are There Any Undesired Effects of Anti-Land Fragmentation Programs on Farm Production Practices and Farm Input Use? LAND 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/land10020138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Most policies designed to reduce land fragmentation involve land consolidation. However, research examining the relationship between agricultural zoning and land fragmentation has not yet been explored. This paper considers the causal impact of an anti-land fragmentation policy on farmland use and farm production inputs relevant to environmental quality using a population-based census survey of farm households in Taiwan. Using the regression discontinuity method, we found that the anti-land fragmentation policy reduced the proportion of farmland used in farm production and environmental conservation by 2.4% and 2.6%, respectively. The policy also impacted the proportion of farmland using fertilizers, irrigation systems, and underground water. Our results show that anti-land fragmentation policies must be carefully designed to avoid negatively impacting farmland use and the environment.
Collapse
|