Does agri-environmental management enhance biodiversity and multiple ecosystem services?: A farm-scale experiment

Agri-environmental management has been promoted as an approach to enhance delivery of multiple ecosystem services. Most agri-environment agreements include several actions that the farmer agrees put in place. But, most studies have only considered how individual agri-environmental affect particular Thus, there is little understanding range available a might be deployed on any farm To address this knowledge gap, we carried out experimental study which set commercial southern England. comprised wildflower margins and fallow areas arable fields, creating enhancing grassland with wildflowers, digging ponds. Alongside biodiversity responses, measured effects number services: pollination, pest control, crop forage yield, water quality, climate regulation cultural Wildflower enhanced invertebrates, control aesthetic appeal. A greater pollinators was linked oilseed rape yield. But these fallows did not prevent run-off nutrients sediment into waterways, showed limited carbon sequestration or reduction greenhouse gas emissions. Newly-dug ponds captured large amounts provided Grasslands had higher soil content microbial biomass, lower N20 emissions, net compared land. Enhancement plant diversity increased quality Visitors residents valued features across farm. Our findings suggest one cannot necessarily expect action will all hoped-for services setting. bet-hedging strategy would for farmers apply suite options deliver service benefits, rather than assuming two work catch-all solutions.