Search
Effects of management practices on the ecosystem-service multifunctionality of temperate grasslands

May 07, 2024 | Nature Communications | Source

Introduction: Providing sustainably produced food while safeguarding ecosystem services is a global challenge. Researchers from Institute of Agricultural Sciences in Switzerland investigate the effectiveness of three grassland management practices—organic production, extensive management, and harvest type—on enhancing ecosystem-service multifunctionality by analyzing 22 indicators across 86 grasslands in Switzerland. 

Key findings: The findings reveal that while organic farming has limited impact, Eco-scheme and harvest type significantly influence ecosystem services. Eco-scheme, which prohibits fertilization, improves cultural services but reduces provisioning services like biomass yield. Similarly, pastures enhance cultural services but may trade-off with some provisioning services. The positive effects of Eco-scheme and pasture are mainly due to reduced land-use intensity, such as lower fertilizer input and less frequent harvesting.

Ultimately, the study suggests that diversifying grassland management across landscapes can improve ecosystem-service multifunctionality, meeting various societal needs. Combining these management practices strategically can optimize the provision of services that are in short supply, supporting more sustainable and resilient agricultural systems.

 

Figure | Overview of measured ecosystem-service indicators (ES-indicators) and study design. a From left to right: indicators grouped according to the corre-sponding ecosystem service defined by CICES29 and corresponding ecosystem-service category. b From top to bottom: brief definition of the three management aspects studied: Production system, Eco-scheme, and Harvest type. All 22 ecosystem service indicators were measured for the eight possiblec ombinations of Production system, Eco-scheme, and Harvest type. Total number of study plots was 86.

Viewed Articles
Effects of management practices on the ecosystem-service multifunctionality of temperate grasslands
May 07, 2024 | Nature Communications | Source | Introduction: Providing sustainably produced food while safeguarding ecosystem services is a global challenge. Researchers from Institute of Agricultura
Canada National Soil Database (NSDB)
Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Canada | Source | The NSDB is a comprehensive geospatial platform archiving soil, landscape, and climatic data across Canada. It integrates datasets from federal
Mar 28, 2025
Read More
Opportunities for mitigating net system greenhouse gas emissions in Southeast Asian rice production: A systematic review
February 28, 2024 | Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment | Source | Introduction: Southeast Asia (SEA) produces 28% of global rice. As flooded rice fields account for nearly half of global crop-relat
What are the challenges and opportunities in implementing Taiwan's aquavoltaics policy? A roadmap for achieving symbiosis between small-scale aquaculture and photovoltaics
June 1, 2021 | Energy Policy | Source | Introduction: Taiwan has been advancing its renewable energy projects, including a policy that combines photovoltaics (PVs) with fishponds, known as aquavoltaic
Climate-smart fisheries: CO2 emissions reduction and food security are complementary
January 1, 2024 | Marine Policy | Source | Introduction: As climate change impacts intensify, there is growing recognition of the need to align fisheries management with climate goals. In the Global N
Optimizing agricultural management in China for soil greenhouse gas emissions and yield balance: A regional heterogeneity perspective
May 1, 2024 | Journal of Cleaner Production | Source |  Introduction: Region-specific strategies are critical for China to balance crop production and environmental sustainability. This study, led by
Opportunities for mitigating net system greenhouse gas emissions in Southeast Asian rice production: A systematic review
February 28, 2024 | Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment | Source |  Introduction: Despite existing mitigation efforts, integrated approaches addressing system-wide emissions—including soil organic c
TOP