Environmental Sustainability in Practice

Enhancing Biodiversity in Agroecosystems

Biodiversity plays an important role in buffering and enhancing ecosystem functions in the face of various environmental stresses. Diverse communities are usually less susceptible to stress than communities with one or a few species. Low diversity in intensive agriculture coupled with changing climates may increase the possibility of pests, weeds and disease. Diversification on the other hand has been hypothesized to improve crop system functions through partitioning of resources.

Biodiversity in agricultural fields can be increased through different methods. For example, instead of using only one cultivar of a crop, the use of several can increase genetic diversity. It is also possible to increase diversity through intercropping and polyculture. Cover crops are also often used to enhance biodiversity in a field.

The main interest in enhancing biodiversity in agroecosystems is to sustain ecosystem functions and contribute to the resilience of the system. It is well known that increasing the number of floral plants around a field can help increase pollinators and pest enemies. Biodiversity is often linked to ecosystem services, which are the benefits that ecosystems can bring to humans. Ecosystem services include carbon sequestration, pest and weed control, maintenance of soil health, and in the end, food production support. 
 

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