Multi-function agricultural biodiversity: pest management and other benefits
01 Jan 2003-Basic and Applied Ecology (Urban & Fischer Verlag GmbH & Co. KG)-Vol. 4, Iss: 2, pp 107-116
TL;DR: In this paper, the existence of a hierarchy for the types of benefits of increased biodiversity is discussed, and the ways in which agricultural biodiversity may be increased to favour pest management are examined.
About: This article is published in Basic and Applied Ecology.The article was published on 2003-01-01. It has received 482 citations till now.
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TL;DR: In this article, the negative and positive effects of agricultural land use for the conservation of biodiversity, and its relation to ecosystem services, need a landscape perspective, which is difficult to be found in the literature.
Abstract: Understanding the negative and positive effects of agricultural land use for the conservation of biodiversity, and its relation to ecosystem services, needs a landscape perspective. Agriculture can contribute to the conservation of high-diversity systems, which may provide important ecosystem services such as pollination and biological control via complementarity and sampling effects. Land-use management is often focused on few species and local processes, but in dynamic, agricultural landscapes, only a diversity of insurance species may guarantee resilience (the capacity to reorganize after disturbance). Interacting species experience their surrounding landscape at different spatial scales, which influences trophic interactions. Structurally complex landscapes enhance local diversity in agroecosystems, which may compensate for local high-intensity management. Organisms with high-dispersal abilities appear to drive these biodiversity patterns and ecosystem services, because of their recolonization ability and larger resources experienced. Agri-environment schemes (incentives for farmers to benefit the environment) need to broaden their perspective and to take the different responses to schemes in simple (high impact) and complex (low impact) agricultural landscapes into account. In simple landscapes, local allocation of habitat is more important than in complex landscapes, which are in total at risk. However, little knowledge of the relative importance of local and landscape management for biodiversity and its relation to ecosystem services make reliable recommendations difficult.
3,460 citations
Cites background from "Multi-function agricultural biodive..."
...Exploration of multifunction agricultural biodiversity is an important future research theme in sustainable agriculture (Gurr et al. 2003; Robertson & Swinton 2005; see Chapin et al. 2002)....
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01 Jan 2005
TL;DR: In this article, the negative and positive effects of agricultural land use for the conservation of biodiversity, and its relation to ecosystem services, need a landscape perspective, which may compensate for local highintensity management.
Abstract: Understanding the negative and positive effects of agricultural land use for the conservation of biodiversity, and its relation to ecosystem services, needs a landscape perspective. Agriculture can contribute to the conservation of high-diversity systems, which may provide important ecosystem services such as pollination and biological control via complementarity and sampling effects. Land-use management is often focused on few species and local processes, but in dynamic, agricultural landscapes, only a diversity of insurance species may guarantee resilience (the capacity to reorganize after disturbance). Interacting species experience their surrounding landscape at different spatial scales, which influences trophic interactions. Structurally complex landscapes enhance local diversity in agroecosystems, which may compensate for local highintensity management. Organisms with high-dispersal abilities appear to drive these biodiversity patterns and ecosystem services, because of their recolonization ability and larger resources experienced. Agri-environment schemes (incentives for farmers to benefit the environment) need to broaden their perspective and to take the different responses to schemes in simple (high impact) and complex (low impact) agricultural landscapes into account. In simple landscapes, local allocation of habitat is more important than in complex landscapes, which are in total at risk. However, little knowledge of the relative importance of local and landscape management for biodiversity and its relation to ecosystem services make reliable recommendations difficult.
3,387 citations
TL;DR: It is concluded that diversified landscapes hold most potential for the conservation of biodiversity and sustaining the pest control function and similar contributions of these landscape factors suggest that all are equally important in enhancing natural enemy populations.
Abstract: Agricultural intensification has resulted in a simplification of agricultural landscapes by the expansion of agricultural land, enlargement of field size and removal of non-crop habitat. These changes are considered to be an important cause of the rapid decline in farmland biodiversity, with the remaining biodiversity concentrated in field edges and non-crop habitats. The simplification of landscape composition and the decline of biodiversity may affect the functioning of natural pest control because non-crop habitats provide requisites for a broad spectrum of natural enemies, and the exchange of natural enemies between crop and non-crop habitats is likely to be diminished in landscapes dominated by arable cropland. In this review, we test the hypothesis that natural pest control is enhanced in complex patchy landscapes with a high proportion of non-crop habitats as compared to simple large-scale landscapes with little associated non-crop habitat. In 74% and 45% of the studies reviewed, respectively, natural enemy populations were higher and pest pressure lower in complex landscapes versus simple landscapes. Landscape-driven pest suppression may result in lower crop injury, although this has rarely been documented. Enhanced natural enemy activity was associated with herbaceous habitats in 80% of the cases (e.g. fallows, field margins), and somewhat less often with wooded habitats (71%) and landscape patchiness (70%). The similar contributions of these landscape factors suggest that all are equally important in enhancing natural enemy populations. We conclude that diversified landscapes hold most potential for the conservation of biodiversity and sustaining the pest control function.
1,659 citations
Cites background from "Multi-function agricultural biodive..."
...An important ecosystem function that has been associated with biodiversity is natural pest control (Ives et al. 2000; Wilby & Thomas 2002; Gurr et al. 2003)....
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TL;DR: Crop diversification can improve resilience by engendering a greater ability to suppress pest outbreaks and dampen pathogen transmission, which may worsen under future climate scenarios, as well as by buffering crop production from the effects of greater climate variability and extreme events.
Abstract: Recognition that climate change could have negative consequences for agricultural production has generated a desire to build resilience into agricultural systems. One rational and cost-effective method may be the implementation of increased agricultural crop diversification. Crop diversification can improve resilience in a variety of ways: by engendering a greater ability to suppress pest outbreaks and dampen pathogen transmission, which may worsen under future climate scenarios, as well as by buffering crop production from the effects of greater climate variability and extreme events. Such benefits point toward the obvious value of adopting crop diversification to improve resilience, yet adoption has been slow. Economic incentives encouraging production of a select few crops, the push for biotechnology strategies, and the belief that monocultures are more productive than diversified systems have been hindrances in promoting this strategy. However, crop diversification can be implemented in a variety of f...
1,129 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a literature survey shows potential advantages such as higher overall productivity, better control of pests and diseases, enhanced ecological services and greater economic profitability for mixed species cropping systems.
Abstract: The evolution of natural ecosystems is controled by a high level of biodiversity, In sharp contrast, intensive agricultural systems involve monocultures associated with high input of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Intensive agricultural systems have clearly negative impacts on soil and water quality and on biodiversity conservation. Alternatively, cropping systems based on carefully designed species mixtures reveal many potential advantages under various conditions, both in temperate and tropical agriculture. This article reviews those potential advantages by addressing the reasons for mixing plant species; the concepts and tools required for understanding and designing cropping systems with mixed species; and the ways of simulating multispecies cropping systems with models. Multispecies systems are diverse and may include annual and perennial crops on a gradient of complexity from 2 to n species. A literature survey shows potential advantages such as (1) higher overall productivity, (2) better control of pests and diseases, (3) enhanced ecological services and (4) greater economic profitability. Agronomic and ecological conceptual frameworks are examined for a clearer understanding of cropping systems, including the concepts of competition and facilitation, above- and belowground interactions and the types of biological interactions between species that enable better pest management in the system. After a review of existing models, future directions in modelling plant mixtures are proposed. We conclude on the need to enhance agricultural research on these multispecies systems, combining both agronomic and ecological concepts and tools.
709 citations
Cites background from "Multi-function agricultural biodive..."
...As emphasised by Gurr et al. (2003), mixing species in cropping systems may lead to a range of benefits that are expressed on various space and time scales, from a short-term increase in crop yield and quality, to longer-term agroecosystem sustainability, up to societal and ecological benefits that…...
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...…production and reduce the risk of crop failure in unpredictable environments, (ii) restore disturbed ecosystem services, such as water and nutrient cycling, and (iii) reduce risks of invasion, pests and diseases through enhanced biological control or direct control of pests (Gurr et al., 2003)....
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...In agroecosystems, biodiversity may (i) contribute to constant biomass production and reduce the risk of crop failure in unpredictable environments, (ii) restore disturbed ecosystem services, such as water and nutrient cycling, and (iii) reduce risks of invasion, pests and diseases through enhanced biological control or direct control of pests (Gurr et al., 2003)....
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References
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Book•
01 Jan 1953
TL;DR: This book discusses the role of energy in Ecological Systems, its role in ecosystem development, and its implications for future generations of ecologists.
Abstract: Preface. Eugene P. Odum and Gary W. Barrett. 1. The Scope of Ecology. 2. The Ecosystem. 3. Energy in Ecological Systems. 4. Biogeochemical Cycles. 5. Limiting and Regulatory Factors. 6. Population Ecology. 7. Community Ecology. 8. Ecosystem Development. 9. Landscape Ecology. 10. Regional Ecology: Major Ecosystem Types and Biomes. 11. Global Ecology. 12. Statistical Thinking for Students of Ecology. Glossary. References. Index.
6,230 citations
TL;DR: The results suggest a new proposition, the resource concentration hypothesis, which states that herbivores are more likely to find and remain on hosts that are growing in dense or nearly pure stands; that the most specialized species frequently attain higher relative densities in simple environments; and that biomass tends to become concentrated in a few species, causing a decrease in the diversity of herbsivores in pure stands.
Abstract: Collards were grown at Ithaca, New York, in two experimental habitats: pure stands and single rows that were bounded on each side by diverse, meadow vegetation. The arthropods associated with these plants were sampled on 20 dates over a 3—year period. The status of the herbivore species was measured by their rank in biomass in each sample. The two most prominent species, Phyllotreta cruciferae and Pieris rapae, maintained high status throughout the investigation, but another important species, Brevicoryne brassicae, was absent for an entire season. Pit feeders usually formed the most important herbivore guild. Nevertheless, the guild spectrum, which describes the functional structure of the fauna, varied widely in time and space. The size distributions of species and of individuals were both highly skewed toward the smaller sizes. Herbivore loads, the mean biomass of herbivores per 100 g of consumable foliage, were consistently higher in the pure stands. Moreover, herbivore loads varied significantly with season in each experimental habitat. Both the number of herbivore species and the diversity of the herbivore load were greater in the diverse habitat. Biomass was more heavily concentrated among the prominent herbivores in the pure stands; increased dominance, rather than differences in species richness, appeared to be the major cause for the lower herbivore diversity in this habitat. The diversity of predators and parasitoids was higher in the pure stands. Most of the abundant species found on collards shared a similar narrow range of hosts. As a result the species in this core group of herbivores and parasitoids were regularly associated with each other. Predators and the less abundant herbivores tended to be less specialized and served to link the collard association with the surrounding community. Plant—arthropod associations are representative of component communities, well—integrated systems that form portions of larger compound communities. This distinction facilitates the analysis of community structure. Microclimates and the effectiveness of "enemies" did not appear to differ sufficiently in the two experimental habitats to account for the observed differences in the herbivore load. The results suggest a new proposition, the resource concentration hypothesis, which states that herbivores are more likely to find and remain on hosts that are growing in dense or nearly pure stands; that the most specialized species frequently attain higher relative densities in simple environments; and that, as a result, biomass tends to become concentrated in a few species, causing a decrease in the diversity of herbivores in pure stands.
2,745 citations
TL;DR: The rapidly expanding literature on habitat management is reviewed with attention to practices for favoring predators and parasitoids, implementation of habitat management, and the contributions of modeling and ecological theory to this developing area of conservation biological control.
Abstract: ▪ Abstract Many agroecosystems are unfavorable environments for natural enemies due to high levels of disturbance. Habitat management, a form of conservation biological control, is an ecologically based approach aimed at favoring natural enemies and enhancing biological control in agricultural systems. The goal of habitat management is to create a suitable ecological infrastructure within the agricultural landscape to provide resources such as food for adult natural enemies, alternative prey or hosts, and shelter from adverse conditions. These resources must be integrated into the landscape in a way that is spatially and temporally favorable to natural enemies and practical for producers to implement. The rapidly expanding literature on habitat management is reviewed with attention to practices for favoring predators and parasitoids, implementation of habitat management, and the contributions of modeling and ecological theory to this developing area of conservation biological control. The potential to int...
2,705 citations
TL;DR: Odum and Barrett as mentioned in this paper discuss the scope of ecology and its role in the development of communities and landscapes, and provide an overview of the major ecosystems types and biomes.
Abstract: Preface. Eugene P. Odum and Gary W. Barrett. 1. The Scope of Ecology. 2. The Ecosystem. 3. Energy in Ecological Systems. 4. Biogeochemical Cycles. 5. Limiting and Regulatory Factors. 6. Population Ecology. 7. Community Ecology. 8. Ecosystem Development. 9. Landscape Ecology. 10. Regional Ecology: Major Ecosystem Types and Biomes. 11. Global Ecology. 12. Statistical Thinking for Students of Ecology. Glossary. References. Index.
2,534 citations
TL;DR: Vegetational diversity plays a central role in this research renaissance on cultural and biological controls in entomology because it involves mixing different kinds of plants in a plant community.
Abstract: Studies of agroecosystems during the past 30 years have lead several agri cultural scientists to question the commitment of modem industrial agriculture to high intensity monocultural production . Additionally, current research directions in integrated pest management emphasize biological interactions among insect pests, natural enemies, and other crop pests, such as weeds. These inquiries have led to a recent rebirth in interest and research activities on cultural and biological controls in entomology . Vegetational diversity plays a central role in this research renaissance. If one considers it broadly, vegetational diversity involves mixing different kinds of plants in a plant community, but, to paraphrase Vilfredo Pareto ( 1 12), vegetational diversity appears like a bat; within it one can find both birds and mice . More specifically, vegetational diversity varies in three ways: the kinds, the spatial array, and the temporal overlap of the plants in the mixture. In most cases, the mixed plants are different plant species. These plants might be two crops, which is called intercropping; a crop and a weed, which is called weedy culture; or a crop and a beneficial noncrop, which is known by many names including nursery crops, living-mulches, cover cropping, etc . In some cases, however, different plant genotypes are mixed (41), including polyvarietal mixtures of agronomically dissimilar genotypes
1,337 citations