Summary
This global synthesis of 89 studies synthesised evidence from 1475 locations to determine whether crop-related ecosystem services depend on high species richness or can be maintained by dominant species. The analysis demonstrates that pollinator and enemy richness directly support ecosystem services independently of abundance and dominance, and that up to 50% of yield losses from landscape simplification result from biodiversity loss in service-providing organisms. The findings establish that maintaining biodiversity of ecosystem service providers is critical for sustained agroecosystem productivity.
Regional applicability
The findings are directly relevant to UK agricultural policy and practice, as the country's intensive farming landscapes have experienced significant pollinator and natural enemy declines. These results support arguments for agri-environment schemes and landscape-level interventions that preserve species richness in farmland, particularly given the UK's commitments to biodiversity net gain.
Key measures
Species richness, abundance, and dominance of pollinators and natural enemies; pollination ecosystem services; biological pest control services; crop yields; effects of landscape simplification
Outcomes reported
The study quantified the relative importance of species richness, abundance, and dominance for pollination, biological pest control, and crop yields across 1475 locations. It measured the proportion of negative effects from landscape simplification attributable to losses in biodiversity of service-providing organisms.
Topic tags
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