Management to support multiple ecosystem services from productive grasslands

Savage, Joanna; Woodcock, Ben A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0300-9951; Bullock, James M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0529-4020; Nowakowski, Marek; Tallowin, Jeremy R.B.; Pywell, Richard F. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6431-9959. 2021 Management to support multiple ecosystem services from productive grasslands [in special issue: Agro-ecosystem approaches for sustainable food production] Sustainability, 13 (11), 6263. 15, pp. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116263

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su13116263

Abstract/Summary

Sustainable intensification will require the development of new management systems to support global food demands, whilst conserving the integrity of ecosystem functions. Here, we test and identify management strategies to maintain or enhance agricultural production in grasslands whilst simultaneously supporting the provision of multiple ecosystem services. Over four years, we investigated how the establishment of three plant functional groups (grasses, legumes, and other flowering forbs), using different cultivation (minimum tillage and deep ploughing) and management (cutting, grazing and their intensity) techniques, affected provision and complementarity between key ecosystem services. These ecosystem services were agronomic production, pollination, pest control, food resources for farmland birds, and soil services. We found that the establishment of floristically diverse swards, particularly those containing grasses, legumes and forbs, maximised forage yield and quality, pollinator abundance, soil nitrogen, and bird food resources, as well as enhancing populations of natural predators of pests. Cutting management increased bird food resources and natural predators of pests without depleting other services considered. However, a single management solution to maximise the delivery of all ecosystem services is unlikely to exist, as trade-offs also occurred. Consequently, management options may need to be tailored to strategically support localised deficits in key ecosystem services.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116263
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Biodiversity (Science Area 2017-)
ISSN:	2071-1050
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.
Additional Keywords:	agri-environment schemes, birds, cultural service, ecosystem service, grassland enhancement, pollination, pest control, soil, sustainable intensification
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment Agriculture and Soil Science
Date made live:	22 Jul 2021 10:43 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/530763

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116263

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

Biodiversity (Science Area 2017-)

ISSN:

2071-1050

Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:

Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.

Additional Keywords:

agri-environment schemes, birds, cultural service, ecosystem service, grassland enhancement, pollination, pest control, soil, sustainable intensification

NORA Subject Terms:

Ecology and Environment
Agriculture and Soil Science

Date made live:

22 Jul 2021 10:43 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/530763