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Ecological intensification: harnessing ecosystem services for food security.
Riccardo Bommarco1, David Kleijn, Simon G Potts
1Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Ecology, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden. riccardo.bommarco@slu.se
Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|November 17, 2012
Summary
Ecological intensification enhances crop productivity by integrating ecosystem services, reducing environmental harm. Understanding land use impacts on these services is key to sustainable agriculture and closing yield gaps.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Ecology
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Increasing global demand for agricultural products necessitates intensified crop production.
- Conventional intensification methods often lead to negative environmental impacts.
- Ecological intensification offers a sustainable alternative by integrating ecosystem services.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define ecological intensification as the environmentally friendly enhancement of crop productivity.
- To highlight the importance of managing ecosystem services within agricultural practices.
- To emphasize the need for understanding land use effects on ecosystem service providers.
Main Methods:
- Analyzing the relationships between land use at various scales and organism community composition.
- Investigating the flow, stability, yield contribution, and management costs of ecosystem services.
- Focusing on both above-ground and below-ground ecosystem service-providing organisms.
Main Results:
- Effective ecological intensification depends on understanding complex interactions between land use and biodiversity.
- Multiple ecosystem services are delivered by organisms, influencing crop yield and management costs.
- Integrating context-appropriate ecosystem service bundles is crucial for reducing yield gaps.
Conclusions:
- Further research and investment are essential for advancing ecological intensification.
- Reducing yield gaps requires integrating ecosystem services into crop production systems.
- Sustainable agricultural intensification necessitates a holistic approach considering ecological principles.
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