A global synthesis reveals biodiversity-mediated benefits for crop production
A global synthesis reveals biodiversity-mediated benefits for crop production
Dainese, M ; Martin, EA ; Aizen, MA ; Albrecht, M ; Bartomeus, I ; Bommarco, R ; Carvalheiro, LG ; Chaplin-Kramer, R ; Gagic, V ; Garibaldi, LA Show 10 more
Dainese, M
Martin, EA
Aizen, MA
Albrecht, M
Bartomeus, I
Bommarco, R
Carvalheiro, LG
Chaplin-Kramer, R
Gagic, V
Garibaldi, LA
Date
2019-10-16
Type
Journal Article
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Fields of Research
ANZSRC::0703 Crop and Pasture Production , ANZSRC::0602 Ecology , ANZSRC::070603 Horticultural Crop Protection (Pests, Diseases and Weeds) , ANZSRC::070308 Crop and Pasture Protection (Pests, Diseases and Weeds)
Abstract
Human land use threatens global biodiversity and compromises multiple ecosystem functions critical to food production. Whether crop yield-related ecosystem services can be maintained by a few dominant species or rely on high richness remains unclear. Using a global database from 89 studies (with 1475 locations), we partition the relative importance of species richness, abundance, and dominance for pollination; biological pest control; and final yields in the context of ongoing land-use change. Pollinator and enemy richness directly supported ecosystem services in addition to and independent of abundance and dominance. Up to 50% of the negative effects of landscape simplification on ecosystem services was due to richness losses of service-providing organisms, with negative consequences for crop yields. Maintaining the biodiversity of ecosystem service providers is therefore vital to sustain the flow of key agroecosystem benefits to society.
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Copyright © 2019 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.
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Attribution-NonCommercial