Ecological production functions for biological control services in agricultural landscapes

Ecological Restoration and Sustainable Agricultural Landscapes

Increasing corn for biofuel production reduces biocontrol services in agricultural landscapes.

Increased demand for corn grain as an ethanol feedstock is altering U.S. agricultural landscapes and the ecosystem services they provide. From 2006 to 2007, corn acreage increased 19% nationally, resulting in reduced crop diversity in many areas. Biological control of insects is an ecosystem service that is strongly influenced by local landscape structure. Here, we estimate the value of natural...

Modelling pollination services across agricultural landscapes.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Crop pollination by bees and other animals is an essential ecosystem service. Ensuring the maintenance of the service requires a full understanding of the contributions of landscape elements to pollinator populations and crop pollination. Here, the first quantitative model that predicts pollinator abundance on a landscape is described and tested. METHODS Using information ...

Targeting perennial vegetation in agricultural landscapes for enhancing ecosystem services

Over the past century, agricultural landscapes worldwide have increasingly been managed for the primary purpose of producing food, while other diverse ecosystem services potentially available from these landscapes have often been undervalued and diminished. The incorporation of relatively small amounts of perennial vegetation in strategic locations within agricultural landscapes dominated by an...

Indigenous Invertebrate Components in Ecological Restoration in Agricultural Landscapes

s database, and S. Reay’s in-depth thesis reference search, posted on the N.Z. Restoration Bulletin Board.