Enhancing biodiversity in productive agricultural landscapes
Lead Research Organisation:
Rothamsted Research
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Technical Summary
The high level objective is to provide the evidence base for the better management of complex grassland agricultural systems to deliver benefits to biodiversity over large scales. The major outcome is to provide evidence-based guidance for restoring biodiversity on species-poor grasslands that takes into account management and nutrient status of the land. This is required because attempts to recover plant species richness on large areas of intensive grassland have largely foundered. It increasingly appears that the conventional route of controlling fertiliser and grazing is not enough to overcome inhibiting soil conditions. The objective of the project is to identify soil-based constraints to the successful establishment of desirable plant species in nutrient-rich swards.
Planned Impact
unavailable
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Philip Murray (Principal Investigator) | |
| Emma Pilgrim (Co-Investigator) |
Publications
Lianhai Wu (Author)
(2011)
Quantify response of crop systems to future climate change using SPACSYS model.
in Aspects of Applied Biology
Wu T
(2012)
Carbon sequestration by fruit trees--Chinese apple orchards as an example.
in PloS one
| Description | 1. Global demand for food is increasing as is the recognition that this must be achieved with minimal negative impacts on the environment or other ecosystem services (ESs).Here we developed an understanding of the relationships among ESs delivered within temperate agricultural grassland systems in lowland Europe. We reviewed the refereed literature on pair-wise interactions between nine different ESs. These were agricultural production, climate regulation, air quality regulation, water quality regulation, hydrological regulation, soil erosion regulation, nutrient cycling, biodiversity conservation, and landscape quality. For each pair, we sought information on how each ESresponds to changes in the other. Each interaction was assigned to one of five categories: (i) no direct relationship between the driving ESon the responding ES, (ll) the driving ES has a negative impact on the responding ES, (iii) the driving ES has a positive impact on the responding ES, (iv) the evidence of direction of effect is inconclusive, because of either inadequate information or contradictions in the literature, and (v) there is no current evidence in the current literature for a relationship. Negative relationships resulted only from the effects of increasing the intensity of agricultural production on other ESs. Available evidence infers that erosion regulation and good nutrient cycling were the only two driving ESs shown to enhance agricultural production implying that their protection will enhance our ability to meet future food needs, In order for agriculture to become more sustainable, we need to develop agricultural methods that can minimize the negative impacts of these win-lose relationships. 2. This work led directly to the development of the North Wyke Farm Platform (NWFP) which is now established as a National Capability. The NWFP is globally unique in the level of control and the degree of instrumentation that it offers. The premise is that we can understand and design systems that allow optimisation of grassland production whilst minimising environmental impact. |
| Exploitation Route | The work has directly been used in the development of thinking on issues of sustainable intensification. As such it has lead to the development of other facilities and projects |
| Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Environment |
| Description | This work led directly to the development of the North Wyke Farm Platform (NWFP) which is now established as a National Capability. The NWFP is globally unique in the level of control and the degree of instrumentation that it offers. The premise is that we can understand and design systems that allow optimisation of grassland production whilst minimising environmental impact. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2012 |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Environment |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal Economic Policy & public services |