Management to Support Multiple Ecosystem Services from Productive Grasslands

Joanna Savage, Ben A. Woodcock, James M. Bullock, Marek Nowakowski, Jeremy R. B. Tallowin and Richard F. Pywell
Additional contact information
Joanna Savage: UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK
Ben A. Woodcock: UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK
James M. Bullock: UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK
Marek Nowakowski: Wildlife Farming Company, Chesterton, Oxfordshire OX26 1UN, UK
Jeremy R. B. Tallowin: Rothamstead Research, North Wyke, Okehampton, Devon EX20 2SB, UK
Richard F. Pywell: UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-15

Abstract: 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.

Keywords: agri-environment schemes; birds; cultural service; ecosystem service; grassland enhancement; pollination; pest control; soil; sustainable intensification (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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