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Benefits of increasing plant diversity in sustainable agroecosystems
- Source :
- Journal of Ecology. 105:871-879
- Publication Year :
- 2017
- Publisher :
- Wiley, 2017.
-
Abstract
- Summary Recent studies have revealed many potential benefits of increasing plant diversity in natural ecosystems, as well as in agroecosystems and production forests. Plant diversity potentially provides a partial to complete substitute for many costly agricultural inputs, such as fertilizers, pesticides, imported pollinators and irrigation. Diversification strategies include enhancing crop genetic diversity, mixed plantings, rotating crops, agroforestry and diversifying landscapes surrounding croplands. Here we briefly review studies considering how increasing plant diversity influences the production of crops, forage, and wood, yield stability, and several regulating and supporting agroecosystem services. We also discuss challenges and recommendations for diversifying agroecosystems. There is consistently strong evidence that strategically increasing plant diversity increases crop and forage yield, wood production, yield stability, pollinators, weed suppression and pest suppression, whereas effects of diversification on soil nutrients and carbon remain poorly understood. Synthesis. The benefits of diversifying agroecosystems are expected to be greatest where the aims are to sustainably intensify production while reducing conventional inputs or to optimize both yields and ecosystem services. Over the next few decades, as monoculture yields continue to decelerate or decline for many crops, and as demand for ecosystem services continues to rise, diversification could become an essential tool for sustaining production and ecosystem services in croplands, rangelands and production forests.
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
Biodiversity
Plant Science
010603 evolutionary biology
01 natural sciences
Ecosystem services
Agroecology
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
2. Zero hunger
Ecological stability
Ecology
Wood production
business.industry
Agroforestry
fungi
food and beverages
04 agricultural and veterinary sciences
15. Life on land
13. Climate action
Agriculture
Sustainability
040103 agronomy & agriculture
0401 agriculture, forestry, and fisheries
Environmental science
Monoculture
business
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 13652745 and 00220477
- Volume :
- 105
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of Ecology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........bd4ed8b0443060605ad661011d33dee5