A global synthesis reveals biodiversity-mediated benefits for crop production

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.

Published in

Science Advances
2019, volume: 5, number: 10, article number: eaax0121
Publisher: AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE

SLU Authors

• Bommarco, Riccardo

  • Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Gagic, Vesna

  • Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)

• Jonsson, Mattias

  • Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Associated SLU-program

SLU Plant Protection Network

Global goals (SDG)

SDG2 Zero hunger
SDG15 Life on land

UKÄ Subject classification

Agricultural Science
Ecology

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aax0121

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/102384