1
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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.
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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
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2
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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.
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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
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3
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Johnson NM, Baucom RS. Dicamba drift alters plant–herbivore interactions at the agro‐ecological interface. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nia M. Johnson
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USA
| | - Regina S. Baucom
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USA
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4
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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: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [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.
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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
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5
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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
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6
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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.
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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
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7
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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
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8
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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
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9
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Olsson O, Brady MV, Stjernman M, Smith HG. Optimizing Species Richness in Mosaic Landscapes: A Probabilistic Model of Species-Area Relationships. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2021.703260] [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
Most landscapes are comprised of multiple habitat types differing in the biodiversity they contain. This is certainly true for human modified landscapes, which are often a mix of habitats managed with different intensity, semi-natural habitats and even pristine habitats. To understand fundamental questions of how the composition of such landscapes affects biodiversity conservation, and to evaluate biodiversity consequences of policies that affect the composition of landscapes, there is a need for models able to translate information on biodiversity from individual habitats to landscape-wide predictions. However, this is complicated by species richness not being additive. We constructed a model to help analyze and solve this problem based on two simple assumptions. Firstly, that a habitat can be characterized by the biological community inhabiting it; i.e., which species occur and at what densities. Secondly, that the probability of a species occurring in a particular unit of land is dictated by its average density in the associated habitats, its spatial aggregation, and the size of the land unit. This model leads to a multidimensional species-area relation (one dimension per habitat). If the goal is to maximize species diversity at the landscape scale (γ-diversity), within a fixed area or under a limited budget, the model can be used to find the optimal allocation of the different habitats. In general, the optimal solution depends on the total size of the species pool of the different habitats, but also their similarity (β-diversity). If habitats are complementary (high β), a mix is usually preferred, even if one habitat is poorer (lower α diversity in one habitat). The model lends itself to economic analyses of biodiversity problems, without the need to monetarize biodiversity value, i.e., cost-effectiveness analysis. Land prices and management costs will affect the solution, such that the model can be used to estimate the number of species gained in relation to expenditure on each habitat. We illustrate the utility of the model by applying it to agricultural landscapes in southern Sweden and demonstrate how empirical monitoring data can be used to find the best habitat allocation for biodiversity conservation within and between landscapes.
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10
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Chan KMA, Satterfield T. The maturation of ecosystem services: Social and policy research expands, but whither biophysically informed valuation? PEOPLE AND NATURE 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kai M. A. Chan
- Institute of Resources, Environment and Sustainability The University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
| | - Terre Satterfield
- Institute of Resources, Environment and Sustainability The University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
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11
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Reclamation of Cultivated Land Reserves in Northeast China: Indigenous Ecological Insecurity Underlying National Food Security. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17041211. [PMID: 32069997 PMCID: PMC7068416 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17041211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2019] [Revised: 02/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The competition for land resources created by the need for food security and ecological security is intensifying globally. To resolve the issue of land scarcity in agriculture following rapid urbanization, China implemented its requisition–compensation balance policy of cultivated lands in 1997, the introduction of which consumed numerous areas of land, such as river shoal and bare land, through reclamation. Moreover, these reclaimed and newly cultivated lands were mainly distributed in the northern part of China. Most previous studies of this subject have only examined the overall balance of cultivated lands in well-developed regions, and there is a lack of knowledge about the indigenous gains and losses before and after reclamation in important areas such as northeast China. Therefore, this study selected two representative county-level units in northeast China as the study area to analyze the conversion of cultivated land reserves during 1996–2015, evaluate the performance of reclaimed cultivated lands in terms of quality and productivity and calculate reclamation-induced changes in ecosystem service value. The results indicated that by 2015 only 16.02% of the original cultivated land reserves remained unconverted; nearly 60% were reclaimed as cultivated lands and over 20% were converted to other land resources. River shoal and ruderal land were the primary resources for cultivated lands compensation, and marsh, bare land and saline-alkaline land were found to be converted the most thoroughly. The gain of 23018.55 ha reclaimed cultivated lands were of relatively inferior quality and lower productivity, contributing approximately 4.32% of total grain output. However, this modest gain was at the expense of a 768.03 million yuan ecosystem services loss, with regulating services and supporting services being undermined the most. We argue that even if northeast China continues to shoulder the responsibility of compensating for a majority of cultivated land losses, it still needs to carefully process reclamation and introduce practical measures to protect indigenous ecosystems, in order to better serve the local residents and ensure prolonged food security with sustainability.
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12
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Tooker JF, O'Neal ME, Rodriguez-Saona C. Balancing Disturbance and Conservation in Agroecosystems to Improve Biological Control. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 65:81-100. [PMID: 31923378 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-011019-025143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Disturbances associated with agricultural intensification reduce our ability to achieve sustainable crop production. These disturbances stem from crop-management tactics and can leave crop fields more vulnerable to insect outbreaks, in part because natural-enemy communities often tend to be more susceptible to disturbance than herbivorous pests. Recent research has explored practices that conserve natural-enemy communities and reduce pest outbreaks, revealing that different components of agroecosystems can influence natural-enemy populations. In this review, we consider a range of disturbances that influence pest control provided by natural enemies and how conservation practices can mitigate or counteract disturbance. We use four case studies to illustrate how conservation and disturbance mitigation increase the potential for biological control and provide co-benefits for the broader agroecosystem. To facilitate the adoption of conservation practices that improve top-down control across significant areas of the landscape, these practices will need to provide multifunctional benefits, but should be implemented with natural enemies explicitly in mind.
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Affiliation(s)
- John F Tooker
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA;
| | - Matthew E O'Neal
- Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA;
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13
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McClure M, Machalaba C, Zambrana-Torrelio C, Feferholtz Y, Lee KD, Daszak P, Karesh WB. Incorporating Health Outcomes into Land-Use Planning. ECOHEALTH 2019; 16:627-637. [PMID: 31705335 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-019-01439-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The global trend toward increased agricultural production puts pressure on undeveloped areas, raising the question of how to optimally allocate land. Land-use change has recently been linked to a number of human health outcomes, but these are not routinely considered in land-use decision making. We review examples of planners' currently used strategies to evaluate land use and present a conceptual model of optimal land use that incorporates health outcomes. We then present a framework for evaluating the health outcomes of land-use scenarios that can be used by decision makers in an integrated approach to land-use planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max McClure
- EcoHealth Alliance, 460 West 34th Street 1701, New York, NY, 10001, USA
- Future Earth oneHEALTH International Project Office, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Catherine Machalaba
- EcoHealth Alliance, 460 West 34th Street 1701, New York, NY, 10001, USA
- Future Earth oneHEALTH International Project Office, New York, NY, USA
| | - Carlos Zambrana-Torrelio
- EcoHealth Alliance, 460 West 34th Street 1701, New York, NY, 10001, USA
- Future Earth oneHEALTH International Project Office, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yasha Feferholtz
- EcoHealth Alliance, 460 West 34th Street 1701, New York, NY, 10001, USA
- Future Earth oneHEALTH International Project Office, New York, NY, USA
| | - Katherine D Lee
- EcoHealth Alliance, 460 West 34th Street 1701, New York, NY, 10001, USA
- University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Peter Daszak
- EcoHealth Alliance, 460 West 34th Street 1701, New York, NY, 10001, USA
- Future Earth oneHEALTH International Project Office, New York, NY, USA
| | - William B Karesh
- EcoHealth Alliance, 460 West 34th Street 1701, New York, NY, 10001, USA.
- Future Earth oneHEALTH International Project Office, New York, NY, USA.
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14
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Examining categorization of Telecom Circles in India using unsupervised k-means clustering on techno-economic indicators. DECISION 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40622-019-00225-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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15
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Koch J, Schaldach R, Göpel J. Can agricultural intensification help to conserve biodiversity? A scenario study for the African continent. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 247:29-37. [PMID: 31229783 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Globally, the production of food, feed, bioenergy, and biomaterials has increased considerably during the past decades. This was achieved by the expansion of agricultural land and the intensification of agricultural management. Due to the conversion of natural ecosystems and the increasing use of pesticides and fertilizers, these processes are recognized as important causes of biodiversity loss. This study focuses on the African continent and analyses the potentials to achieve a stable food provision for a growing population, and at the same time, reduce further losses of biodiversity. These targets are important elements of the UN Agenda 2030. Using the spatially explicit land-use model LandSHIFT, we assessed the effectiveness of different land-sparing and land-sharing strategies to achieve these targets until the year 2030. The simulation results indicate that under the assumptions tested, the land sparing approach yields the most desirable results both, on the continental and the regional level. However, the land sharing/sparing framework in general, and the research presented here only analyse the effect of two factors of many (food production and biodiversity conservation). Hence, this study should not be understood to provide specific management recommendations. Further studies, from the regional to the local level, are required that apply a systems approach to understand and explain the multiple dimensions of sustainable food production on the African continent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Koch
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA.
| | - Rüdiger Schaldach
- Center for Environmental Systems Research, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
| | - Jan Göpel
- Center for Environmental Systems Research, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
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16
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Karner K, Cord AF, Hagemann N, Hernandez-Mora N, Holzkämper A, Jeangros B, Lienhoop N, Nitsch H, Rivas D, Schmid E, Schulp CJE, Strauch M, van der Zanden EH, Volk M, Willaarts B, Zarrineh N, Schönhart M. Developing stakeholder-driven scenarios on land sharing and land sparing - Insights from five European case studies. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 241:488-500. [PMID: 30979560 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.03.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Revised: 02/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Empirical research on land sharing and land sparing has been criticized because preferences of local stakeholders, socio-economic aspects, a bundle of ecosystem services and the local context were only rarely integrated. Using storylines and scenarios is a common approach to include land use drivers and local contexts or to cope with the uncertainties of future developments. The objective of the presented research is to develop comparable participatory regional land use scenarios for the year 2030 reflecting land sharing, land sparing and more intermediate developments across five different European landscapes (Austria, Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands and Spain). In order to ensure methodological consistency among the five case studies, a hierarchical multi-scale scenario approach was developed, which consisted of i) the selection of a common global storyline to frame a common sphere of uncertainty for all case studies, ii) the definition of three contrasting qualitative European storylines (representing developments for land sharing, land sparing and a balanced storyline), and iii) the development of three explorative case study-specific land use scenarios with regional stakeholders in workshops. Land use transition rules defined by stakeholders were used to generate three different spatially-explicit scenarios for each case study by means of high-resolution land use maps. All scenarios incorporated various aspects of land use and management to allow subsequent quantification of multiple ecosystem services and biodiversity indicators. The comparison of the final scenarios showed both common as well as diverging trends among the case studies. For instance, stakeholders identified further possibilities to intensify land management in all case studies in the land sparing scenario. In addition, in most case studies stakeholders agreed on the most preferred scenario, i.e. either land sharing or balanced, and the most likely one, i.e. balanced. However, they expressed some skepticism regarding the general plausibility of land sparing in a European context. It can be concluded that stakeholder perceptions and the local context can be integrated in land sharing and land sparing contexts subject to particular process design principles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Karner
- Institute for Sustainable Economic Development, BOKU University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Feistmantelstraße 4, 1180, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Anna F Cord
- UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Computational Landscape Ecology, Permoserstraße 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nina Hagemann
- UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Economics, Permoserstraße 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Annelie Holzkämper
- Agroscope, Climate and Agriculture Group, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland; Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Hochschulstrasse 4, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Nele Lienhoop
- UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Economics, Permoserstraße 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Heike Nitsch
- Institute for Rural Development Research (IfLS), Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Kurfürstenstraße 49, 60486, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - David Rivas
- Research Center for the Management of Environmental and Agricultural Risks (CEIGRAM), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain; IMDEA - Agua (Instituto Madrileño De Estudios Avanzados - Agua), Parque Científico Tecnológico, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Erwin Schmid
- Institute for Sustainable Economic Development, BOKU University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Feistmantelstraße 4, 1180, Vienna, Austria
| | - Catharina J E Schulp
- Environmental Geography Group, Institute for Environmental Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Michael Strauch
- UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Computational Landscape Ecology, Permoserstraße 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Emma H van der Zanden
- Environmental Geography Group, Institute for Environmental Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Martin Volk
- UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Computational Landscape Ecology, Permoserstraße 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Barbara Willaarts
- Research Center for the Management of Environmental and Agricultural Risks (CEIGRAM), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain; International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Nina Zarrineh
- Agroscope, Climate and Agriculture Group, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland; Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Hochschulstrasse 4, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Martin Schönhart
- Institute for Sustainable Economic Development, BOKU University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Feistmantelstraße 4, 1180, Vienna, Austria
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17
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Herman RA, Zhuang M, Storer NP, Cnudde F, Delaney B. Risk-Only Assessment of Genetically Engineered Crops Is Risky. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 24:58-68. [PMID: 30385102 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2018.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The risks of not considering benefits in risk assessment are often overlooked. Risks are also often evaluated without consideration of the broader context. We discuss these two concepts in relation to genetically engineered (GE) crops. The health, environmental, and economic risks and benefits of GE crops are exemplified and presented in the context of modern agriculture. Misattribution of unique risks to GE crops are discussed. It is concluded that the scale of modern agriculture is its distinguishing characteristic and that the greater knowledge around GE crops allows for a more thorough characterization of risk. By considering the benefits and risks in the context of modern agriculture, society will be better served and benefits will be less likely to be forgone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rod A Herman
- Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont TM, 9330 Zionsville Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268, USA.
| | - Meibao Zhuang
- Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont TM, 9330 Zionsville Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268, USA
| | - Nicholas P Storer
- Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont TM, 9330 Zionsville Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268, USA
| | - Filip Cnudde
- Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont TM, Avenue des Arts 44 1040, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bryan Delaney
- Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont TM, 7100 NW 62nd Avenue, Johnston, IA, 50131, USA
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Kleinman PJA, Spiegal S, Rigby JR, Goslee SC, Baker JM, Bestelmeyer BT, Boughton RK, Bryant RB, Cavigelli MA, Derner JD, Duncan EW, Goodrich DC, Huggins DR, King KW, Liebig MA, Locke MA, Mirsky SB, Moglen GE, Moorman TB, Pierson FB, Robertson GP, Sadler EJ, Shortle JS, Steiner JL, Strickland TC, Swain HM, Tsegaye T, Williams MR, Walthall CL. Advancing the Sustainability of US Agriculture through Long-Term Research. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 2018; 47:1412-1425. [PMID: 30512071 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2018.05.0171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Agriculture in the United States must respond to escalating demands for productivity and efficiency, as well as pressures to improve its stewardship of natural resources. Growing global population and changing diets, combined with a greater societal awareness of agriculture's role in delivering ecosystem services beyond food, feed, fiber, and energy production, require a comprehensive perspective on where and how US agriculture can be sustainably intensified, that is, made more productive without exacerbating local and off-site environmental concerns. The USDA's Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network is composed of 18 locations distributed across the contiguous United States working together to integrate national and local agricultural priorities and advance the sustainable intensification of US agriculture. We explore here the concept of sustainable intensification as a framework for defining strategies to enhance production, environmental, and rural prosperity outcomes from agricultural systems. We also elucidate the diversity of factors that have shaped the past and present conditions of cropland, rangeland, and pastureland agroecosystems represented by the LTAR network and identify priorities for research in the areas of production, resource conservation and environmental quality, and rural prosperity. Ultimately, integrated long-term research on sustainable intensification at the national scale is critical to developing practices and programs that can anticipate and address challenges before they become crises.
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Beyond Biodiversity Conservation: Land Sharing Constitutes Sustainable Agriculture in European Cultural Landscapes. SUSTAINABILITY 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/su10051395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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20
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Jiren TS, Dorresteijn I, Schultner J, Fischer J. The governance of land use strategies: Institutional and social dimensions of land sparing and land sharing. Conserv Lett 2018; 11:e12429. [PMID: 30034527 PMCID: PMC6049885 DOI: 10.1111/conl.12429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Revised: 11/04/2017] [Accepted: 11/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Agricultural land use is a key interface between the goals of ensuring food security and protecting biodiversity. "Land sparing" supports intensive agriculture to save land for conservation, whereas "land sharing" integrates production and conservation on the same land. The framing around sparing versus sharing has been extensively debated. Here, we focused on a frequently missing yet crucial component, namely the governance dimension. Through a case-study in Ethiopia, we uncovered stakeholder preferences for sparing versus sharing, the underlying rationale, and implementation capacity challenges. Policy stakeholders preferred sparing whereas implementation stakeholders preferred sharing, which aligned with existing informal institutions. Implementation of both strategies was limited by social, biophysical, and institutional factors. Land use policies need to account for both ecological patterns and social context. The findings from simple analytical frameworks (e.g., sparing vs. sharing) therefore need to be interpreted carefully, and in a social-ecological context, to generate meaningful recommendations for conservation practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tolera S. Jiren
- Faculty of SustainabilityLeuphana University LueneburgScharnhorststrasse 121335 LueneburgGermany
| | - Ine Dorresteijn
- Faculty of SustainabilityLeuphana University LueneburgScharnhorststrasse 121335 LueneburgGermany
| | - Jannik Schultner
- Faculty of SustainabilityLeuphana University LueneburgScharnhorststrasse 121335 LueneburgGermany
| | - Joern Fischer
- Faculty of SustainabilityLeuphana University LueneburgScharnhorststrasse 121335 LueneburgGermany
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21
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Olszyk D, Pfleeger T, Shiroyama T, Blakeley-Smith M, Henry Lee E, Plocher M. Plant reproduction is altered by simulated herbicide drift to constructed plant communities. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2017; 36:2799-2813. [PMID: 28444907 PMCID: PMC6130323 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2016] [Revised: 04/06/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Herbicide drift may have unintended impacts on native vegetation, adversely affecting individual species and plant communities. To determine the potential ecological effects of herbicide drift, small plant community plots were constructed using 9 perennial species found in different Willamette Valley (OR, USA) grassland habitats. Studies were conducted at 2 Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR, USA) farms in 2 separate years, with single and combined treatments of 0.01 to 0.2× field application rates (f.a.r.) of 1119 g ha-1 for glyphosate (active ingredient [a.i.] of 830 g ha-1 acid glyphosate) and 560 g ha-1 a.i. for dicamba. Plant responses were percentage of cover, number of reproductive structures, mature and immature seed production, and vegetative biomass. Herbicide effects differed with species, year, and, to a lesser extent, farm. Generally, 0.1 to 0.2× f.a.r. of the herbicides were required to affect reproduction in Camassia leichtlinii, Elymus glaucus, Eriophyllum lanatum, Festuca idahoensis, Iris tenax, and Prunella vulgaris. Eriophyllum lanatum also had a significant increase in percentage of immature seed dry weight with 0.01× f.a.r. of dicamba or the combination of glyphosate plus dicamba. Other species showed similar trends, but fewer significant responses. These studies indicated potential effects of low levels of herbicides on reproduction of native plants, and demonstrated a protocol whereby species growing in a constructed plant community can be evaluated for ecological responses. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:2799-2813. Published 2017 SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Olszyk
- National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Western Ecology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Thomas Pfleeger
- National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Western Ecology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | | | | | - E. Henry Lee
- National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Western Ecology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
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22
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Aquatic Ecosystem Impacts of Land Sharing Versus Sparing: Nutrient Loading to Southeast Asian Rivers. Ecosystems 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-016-0032-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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23
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Joshi NK, Otieno M, Rajotte EG, Fleischer SJ, Biddinger DJ. Proximity to Woodland and Landscape Structure Drives Pollinator Visitation in Apple Orchard Ecosystem. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Kammerer MA, Biddinger DJ, Rajotte EG, Mortensen DA. Local Plant Diversity Across Multiple Habitats Supports a Diverse Wild Bee Community in Pennsylvania Apple Orchards. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2016; 45:32-8. [PMID: 26385933 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvv147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Wild pollinators supply essential, historically undervalued pollination services to crops and other flowering plant communities with great potential to ensure agricultural production against the loss of heavily relied upon managed pollinators. Local plant communities provision wild bees with crucial floral and nesting resources, but the distribution of floristic diversity among habitat types in North American agricultural landscapes and its effect on pollinators are diverse and poorly understood, especially in orchard systems. We documented floristic diversity in typical mid-Atlantic commercial apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) orchards including the forest and orchard-forest edge ("edge") habitats surrounding orchards in a heterogeneous landscape in south-central Pennsylvania, USA. We also assessed the correlation between plant richness and orchard pollinator communities. In this apple production region, edge habitats are the most species rich, supporting 146 out of 202 plant species recorded in our survey. Plant species richness in the orchard and edge habitats were significant predictors of bee species richness and abundance in the orchard, as well as landscape area of the forest and edge habitats. Both the quantity and quality of forest and edges close to orchards play a significant role in provisioning a diverse wild bee community in this agroecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie A Kammerer
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (; ),
| | - David J Biddinger
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (; )
| | - Edwin G Rajotte
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (; )
| | - David A Mortensen
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (; )
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25
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Ekroos J, Ödman AM, Andersson GKS, Birkhofer K, Herbertsson L, Klatt BK, Olsson O, Olsson PA, Persson AS, Prentice HC, Rundlöf M, Smith HG. Sparing Land for Biodiversity at Multiple Spatial Scales. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2015.00145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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26
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How Should Beta-Diversity Inform Biodiversity Conservation? Trends Ecol Evol 2016; 31:67-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2015.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 641] [Impact Index Per Article: 80.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2015] [Revised: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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27
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Abstract
Conservation biologists are devoting an increasing amount of energy to debating whether land sparing (high-yielding agriculture on a small land footprint) or land sharing (low-yielding, wildlife-friendly agriculture on a larger land footprint) will promote better outcomes for local and global biodiversity. In turn, concerns are mounting about how to feed the world, given increasing demands for food. In this review, I evaluate the land-sparing/land-sharing framework--does the framework stimulate research and policy that can reconcile agricultural land use with biodiversity conservation, or is a revised framing needed? I review (1) the ecological evidence in favor of sparing versus sharing; (2) the evidence from land-use change studies that assesses whether a relationship exists between agricultural intensification and land sparing; and (3) how that relationship may be affected by socioeconomic and political factors. To address the trade-off between biodiversity conservation and food production, I then ask which forms of agricultural intensification can best feed the world now and in the future. On the basis of my review, I suggest that the dichotomy of the land-sparing/land-sharing framework limits the realm of future possibilities to two, largely undesirable, options for conservation. Both large, protected regions and favorable surrounding matrices are needed to promote biodiversity conservation; they work synergistically and are not mutually exclusive. A "both-and" framing of large protected areas surrounded by a wildlife-friendly matrix suggests different research priorities from the "either-or" framing of sparing versus sharing. Furthermore, wildlife-friendly farming methods such as agroecology may be best adapted to provide food for the world's hungry people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Kremen
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California
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28
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Olszyk D, Pfleeger T, Lee EH, Plocher M. Glyphosate and dicamba herbicide tank mixture effects on native plant and non-genetically engineered soybean seedlings. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2015; 24:1014-27. [PMID: 25821135 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-015-1442-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/26/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Crops engineered to contain genes for tolerance to multiple herbicides may be treated with several herbicides to manage weeds resistant to each herbicide. Thus, nearby non-target plants may be subjected to increased exposure to several herbicides used in combination. Of particular concern are native plants, as well as adjacent crops which have not been genetically engineered for tolerance to herbicides. We evaluated responses of seven species of native plants grown in a greenhouse and treated less than field application rates of glyphosate and/or dicamba: Andropogon gerardii, Asclepias syriaca, Eutrochium purpureum, Oenothera biennis, Polyganum lapathifolium, Solidago canadensis and Tridens flavus, and non-herbicide resistant soybean (Glycine max, Oregon line M4). Herbicide concentrations were 0.03 or 0.1 × field application rates of 1122 g ha(-1) active ingredient (a.i) (831 g ha(-1) acid glyphosate) for glyphosate and 562 g ha(-1) a.i. for dicamba. In general, plant growth responses to combinations of glyphosate and dicamba were less than the sum of growth responses to the individual herbicides (i.e., antagonistic effect), primarily when one or both herbicides alone caused a large reduction in growth. E. purpureum, P. lapathifolium and S. canadensis were the most sensitive species to both herbicides, while A. gerardii was the most tolerant, with no response to either herbicide. The combinations of herbicides resulted in responses most similar to that from dicamba alone for G. max and from glyphosate alone for T. flavus. The results of this study indicated the need for more data such as effects on native plants in the field to assess risks to non-target plants from combinations of herbicides.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Olszyk
- US Environmental Protection Agency National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Western Ecology Division, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, OR, 97333, USA,
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29
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Law EA, Wilson KA. Providing Context for the Land-Sharing and Land-Sparing Debate. Conserv Lett 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A. Law
- The University of Queensland; School of Biological Sciences; Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Kerrie A. Wilson
- The University of Queensland; School of Biological Sciences; Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
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30
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Lomba A, Alves P, Jongman RHG, McCracken DI. Reconciling nature conservation and traditional farming practices: a spatially explicit framework to assess the extent of High Nature Value farmlands in the European countryside. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:1031-44. [PMID: 25798221 PMCID: PMC4364818 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2014] [Revised: 11/25/2014] [Accepted: 01/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Agriculture constitutes a dominant land cover worldwide, and rural landscapes under extensive farming practices acknowledged due to high biodiversity levels. The High Nature Value farmland (HNVf) concept has been highlighted in the EU environmental and rural policies due to their inherent potential to help characterize and direct financial support to European landscapes where high nature and/or conservation value is dependent on the continuation of specific low-intensity farming systems. Assessing the extent of HNV farmland by necessity relies on the availability of both ecological and farming systems' data, and difficulties associated with making such assessments have been widely described across Europe. A spatially explicit framework of data collection, building out from local administrative units, has recently been suggested as a means of addressing such difficulties. This manuscript tests the relevance of the proposed approach, describes the spatially explicit framework in a case study area in northern Portugal, and discusses the potential of the approach to help better inform the implementation of conservation and rural development policies. Synthesis and applications: The potential of a novel approach (combining land use/cover, farming and environmental data) to provide more accurate and efficient mapping and monitoring of HNV farmlands is tested at the local level in northern Portugal. The approach is considered to constitute a step forward toward a more precise targeting of landscapes for agri-environment schemes, as it allowed a more accurate discrimination of areas within the case study landscape that have a higher value for nature conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Lomba
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO), Campus Agrário de Vairão 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal ; Alterra, Wageningen University and Research Centre P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands ; Hill & Mountain Research Centre, Scotland's Rural College Auchincruive, Ayr, KA6 5HW, UK
| | - Paulo Alves
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO), Campus Agrário de Vairão 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Rob H G Jongman
- Alterra, Wageningen University and Research Centre P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - David I McCracken
- Hill & Mountain Research Centre, Scotland's Rural College Auchincruive, Ayr, KA6 5HW, UK
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31
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Ecologies of Scale: Multifunctionality Connects Conservation and Agriculture across Fields, Farms, and Landscapes. LAND 2014. [DOI: 10.3390/land3030739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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32
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Egan JF, Graham IM, Mortensen DA. A comparison of the herbicide tolerances of rare and common plants in an agricultural landscape. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2014; 33:696-702. [PMID: 24488525 DOI: 10.1002/etc.2491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2013] [Revised: 09/12/2013] [Accepted: 11/07/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Declining plant biodiversity in agroecosystems has often been attributed to escalating use of chemical herbicides, but other changes in farming systems, including the clearing of seminatural habitat fragments, confound the influence of herbicides. The present study introduces a new approach to evaluate the impacts of herbicide pollution on plant communities at landscape or regional scales. If herbicides are in fact a key factor shaping agricultural plant diversity, one would expect to see the signal of past herbicide impacts in the current plant community composition of an intensively farmed region, with common, successful species more tolerant to widely used herbicides than rare or declining species. Data from an extensive field survey of plant diversity in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA, were compared with herbicide bioassay experiments in a greenhouse to test the hypothesis that common species possess higher herbicide tolerances than rare species. Five congeneric pairs of rare and common species were treated with 3 commonly used herbicide modes of action in bioassay experiments, and few significant differences were found in the tolerances of rare species relative to common species. These preliminary results suggest that other factors beyond herbicide exposure may be more important in shaping the distribution and abundance of plant species diversity across an agricultural landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Franklin Egan
- Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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33
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Leslie TW, Biddinger DJ, Rohr JR, Hulting AG, Mortensen DA, Fleischer SJ. Examining shifts in Carabidae assemblages across a forest-agriculture ecotone. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2014; 43:18-28. [PMID: 24342103 DOI: 10.1603/en13099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Northeastern U.S. farms are often situated adjacent to forestland due to the heterogeneous nature of the landscape. We investigated how forested areas influence Carabidae diversity within nearby crop fields by establishing transects of pitfall traps. Trapping extended across a forest-agriculture ecotone consisting of maize, an intermediate mowed grass margin, and a forest edge. Carabidae diversity was compared among the three habitats, and community and population dynamics were assessed along the transect. We used a principal response curve to examine and visualize community change across a spatial gradient. The highest levels of richness and evenness were observed in the forest community, and carabid assemblages shifted significantly across the ecotone, especially at the forest-grass interface. Despite strong ecotone effects, population distributions showed that some species were found in all three habitats and seemed to thrive at the ecotone. Based on similarity indices, carabid assemblages collected in maize adjacent to forest differed from carabid assemblages in maize not adjacent to forest. We conclude that forest carabid assemblages exhibit high degrees of dissimilarity with those found in agricultural fields and forested areas should thus be retained in agricultural landscapes to increase biodiversity at the landscape scale. However, ecotone species found at forest edges can still noticeably influence carabid community composition within neighboring agricultural fields. Further studies should determine how these shifts in carabid assemblages influence agroecosystem services in relation to ecosystem services observed in fields embedded in an agricultural matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- T W Leslie
- Department of Biology, Long Island University, 801 Metcalfe Bldg., 1 University Plaza, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
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34
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Fischer J, Abson DJ, Butsic V, Chappell MJ, Ekroos J, Hanspach J, Kuemmerle T, Smith HG, Wehrden H. Land Sparing Versus Land Sharing: Moving Forward. Conserv Lett 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 332] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Joern Fischer
- Faculty of Sustainability Leuphana University Lueneburg Scharnhorststrasse 1 21335 Lueneburg Germany
| | - David J. Abson
- Futures Research Center Leuphana University Lueneburg Scharnhorststrasse 1 21335 Lueneburg Germany
| | - Van Butsic
- Geography Department Humboldt‐University Berlin Unter den Linden 6 10099 Berlin Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Central and Eastern Europe (IAMO) Theodor‐Lieser‐Str.2 D‐06120 Halle (Saale) Germany
| | - M. Jahi Chappell
- School of the Environment Washington State University Vancouver 14204 NE Salmon Creek Avenue Vancouver WA 98686‐9600 USA
- Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy 2105 First Avenue South Minneapolis MN 55404 USA
| | - Johan Ekroos
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Research Lund University Ecology Building 22362 Lund Sweden
| | - Jan Hanspach
- Faculty of Sustainability Leuphana University Lueneburg Scharnhorststrasse 1 21335 Lueneburg Germany
| | - Tobias Kuemmerle
- Geography Department & Integrative Research Institute on Human‐Environment Systems (IRI THESys) Humboldt‐University Berlin Germany
| | - Henrik G. Smith
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Research Lund University Ecology Building 22362 Lund Sweden
- Department of Biology Lund University Ecology Building 22362 Lund Sweden
| | - Henrik Wehrden
- Faculty of Sustainability Leuphana University Lueneburg Scharnhorststrasse 1 21335 Lueneburg Germany
- Futures Research Center Leuphana University Lueneburg Scharnhorststrasse 1 21335 Lueneburg Germany
- Center for Methods Leuphana University Lueneburg Scharnhorststrasse 1 21335 Lueneburg Germany
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology Savoyen Strasse 1 Vienna 1160 Austria
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35
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Russo L, DeBarros N, Yang S, Shea K, Mortensen D. Supporting crop pollinators with floral resources: network-based phenological matching. Ecol Evol 2013; 3:3125-40. [PMID: 24101999 PMCID: PMC3790556 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2012] [Revised: 06/28/2013] [Accepted: 07/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The production of diverse and affordable agricultural crop species depends on pollination services provided by bees. Indeed, the proportion of pollinator-dependent crops is increasing globally. Agriculture relies heavily on the domesticated honeybee; the services provided by this single species are under threat and becoming increasingly costly. Importantly, the free pollination services provided by diverse wild bee communities have been shown to be sufficient for high agricultural yields in some systems. However, stable, functional wild bee communities require floral resources, such as pollen and nectar, throughout their active season, not just when crop species are in flower. To target floral provisioning efforts to conserve and support native and managed bee species, we apply network theoretical methods incorporating plant and pollinator phenologies. Using a two-year dataset comprising interactions between bees (superfamily Apoidea, Anthophila) and 25 native perennial plant species in floral provisioning habitat, we identify plant and bee species that provide a key and central role to the stability of the structure of this community. We also examine three specific case studies: how provisioning habitat can provide temporally continuous support for honeybees (Apis mellifera) and bumblebees (Bombus impatiens), and how resource supplementation strategies might be designed for a single genus of important orchard pollinators (Osmia). This framework could be used to provide native bee communities with additional, well-targeted floral resources to ensure that they not only survive, but also thrive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Russo
- Biology Department, Pennsylvania State University415 Mueller Laboratory, University Park, Pennsylvania
| | - Nelson DeBarros
- Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental ProtectionHartford, Connecticut
| | - Suann Yang
- Biology Department, Presbyterian CollegeClinton, South Carolina
| | - Katriona Shea
- Biology Department, Pennsylvania State University415 Mueller Laboratory, University Park, Pennsylvania
| | - David Mortensen
- Department of Plant Sciences, Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park, Pennsylvania
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36
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Maltby L. Ecosystem services and the protection, restoration, and management of ecosystems exposed to chemical stressors. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2013; 32:974-983. [PMID: 23589419 DOI: 10.1002/etc.2212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2012] [Revised: 12/12/2012] [Accepted: 01/07/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystem services-the benefits people obtain from ecosystem structures and processes-are essential for human survival and well-being. Chemicals are also an essential component of modern life; however, they may cause adverse ecological effects and reduce ecosystem service provision. Environmental policy makers are increasingly adopting the ecosystem services concept, but applying this approach to the protection, restoration, and management of ecosystems requires the development of new understanding, tools, and frameworks. There is an urgent need to understand and predict the effect of single and multiple stressors on ecosystem service delivery across different spatial scales (local to global), to develop indicators that can be used to quantify and map services and identify synergies and trade-offs between them, to establish protection goals and restoration targets defined in terms of the types and levels of service delivery required, and to develop approaches for the assessment and management of chemical risk to ecosystem services that consider the whole life cycle of products and processes. These are major research challenges for the environmental science community in general and for ecotoxicologists and risk assessors in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorraine Maltby
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.
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