Grassland intensification effects cascade to alter multifunctionality of wetlands within metaecosystems

Yuxi Guo, Elizabeth H. Boughton (), Stephanie Bohlman, Carl Bernacchi, Patrick J. Bohlen, Raoul Boughton, Evan DeLucia, John E. Fauth, Nuria Gomez-Casanovas, David G. Jenkins, Gene Lollis, Ryan S. Miller, Pedro F. Quintana-Ascencio, Grégory Sonnier, Jed Sparks, Hilary M. Swain and Jiangxiao Qiu ()
Additional contact information
Yuxi Guo: University of Florida
Elizabeth H. Boughton: Buck Island Ranch
Stephanie Bohlman: University of Florida
Carl Bernacchi: ARS Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit
Patrick J. Bohlen: University of Central Florida
Raoul Boughton: Buck Island Ranch
Evan DeLucia: University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign
John E. Fauth: University of Central Florida
Nuria Gomez-Casanovas: Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center, Texas A&M University
David G. Jenkins: University of Central Florida
Gene Lollis: Buck Island Ranch
Ryan S. Miller: Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health
Pedro F. Quintana-Ascencio: University of Central Florida
Grégory Sonnier: Buck Island Ranch
Jed Sparks: Cornell University
Hilary M. Swain: Buck Island Ranch
Jiangxiao Qiu: University of Florida

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Abstract Sustainable agricultural intensification could improve ecosystem service multifunctionality, yet empirical evidence remains tenuous, especially regarding consequences for spatially coupled ecosystems connected by flows across ecosystem boundaries (i.e., metaecosystems). Here we aim to understand the effects of land-use intensification on multiple ecosystem services of spatially connected grasslands and wetlands, where management practices were applied to grasslands but not directly imposed to wetlands. We synthesize long-term datasets encompassing 53 physical, chemical, and biological indicators, comprising >11,000 field measurements. Our results reveal that intensification promotes high-quality forage and livestock production in both grasslands and wetlands, but at the expense of water quality regulation, methane mitigation, non-native species invasion resistance, and biodiversity. Land-use intensification weakens relationships among ecosystem services. The effects on grasslands cascade to alter multifunctionality of embedded natural wetlands within the metaecosystems to a similar extent. These results highlight the importance of considering spatial flows of resources and organisms when studying land-use intensification effects on metaecosystems as well as when designing grassland and wetland management practices to improve landscape multifunctionality.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44104-2

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