Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health

Sustainability, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 15(3), С. 2338 - 2338

Опубликована: Янв. 27, 2023

Conventional farming practices can lead to soil degradation and a decline in productivity. Regenerative agriculture (RA) is purported by advocates as solution these issues that focuses on health carbon sequestration. The fundamental principles of RA are keep the covered, minimise disturbance, preserve living roots year round, increase species diversity, integrate livestock, limit or eliminate use synthetic compounds (such herbicides fertilisers). overall objectives rejuvenate land provide environmental, economic, social benefits wider community. Despite RA, vast majority growers reluctant adopt due lack empirical evidence claimed profitability. We examined reported mechanisms associated with against available scientific data. literature suggests agricultural such minimum tillage, residue retention, cover cropping improve carbon, crop yield, certain climatic zones types. Excessive chemicals biodiversity loss ecosystem degradation. Combining livestock agroforestry same landscape several co-benefits. However, vary among different agroecosystems may not necessarily be applicable across multiple agroecological regions. Our recommendation implement rigorous long-term system trials compare conventional order build knowledge regional scales. This will policy-makers an base from which make informed decisions about adopting realise their economic achieve resilience climate change.

Язык: Английский

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The supply of multiple ecosystem services requires biodiversity across spatial scales

Nature Ecology & Evolution, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 7(2), С. 236 - 249

Опубликована: Ноя. 14, 2022

Язык: Английский

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To harness traits for ecology, let’s abandon ‘functionality’

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 38(5), С. 402 - 411

Опубликована: Дек. 13, 2022

Язык: Английский

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Multitrophic diversity and biotic associations influence subalpine forest ecosystem multifunctionality

Ecology, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 103(9)

Опубликована: Май 6, 2022

Abstract Biodiversity across multiple trophic levels is required to maintain ecosystem functions. Yet it remains unclear how multitrophic diversity and species interactions regulate multifunctionality. Here, combining data from 9 different groups (including trees, shrubs, herbs, leaf mites, small mammals, bacteria, pathogenic fungi, saprophytic symbiotic fungi) 13 functions related supporting, provisioning, regulating services, we used a perspective evaluate the effects of elevation, diversity, network complexity on scale‐dependent subalpine forest Our results demonstrated that elevation soil pH significantly modified composition richness influenced simultaneously. We present evidence had stronger multifunctionality than at any single level. Moreover, biotic associations, indicating networks, were positively associated with The relative increased scale larger community compared accounting for neighboring interactions. highlight paramount importance scale‐ context‐dependent better understanding mountain in changing world.

Язык: Английский

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Soil biota diversity and plant diversity both contributed to ecosystem stability in grasslands

Ecology Letters, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 26(6), С. 858 - 868

Опубликована: Март 15, 2023

Understanding the effects of diversity on ecosystem stability in context global change has become an important goal recent ecological research. However, at multiple scales and trophic levels across environmental gradients remain unclear. Here, we conducted a field survey α-, β-, γ-diversity plants soil biota (bacteria, fungi, nematodes) estimated temporal normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) 132 plots Mongolian Plateau. After climate variables were controlled for, both α- β-diversity (mainly via together with precipitation explained most variation stability. These findings evidence that contributes to Model predictions future changes terrestrial will require observations biota.

Язык: Английский

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Scale‐dependent diversity–biomass relationships can be driven by tree mycorrhizal association and soil fertility

Ecological Monographs, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 93(2)

Опубликована: Фев. 18, 2023

Abstract Diversity–biomass relationships (DBRs) often vary with spatial scale in terrestrial ecosystems, but the mechanisms driving these scale‐dependent patterns remain unclear, especially for highly heterogeneous forest ecosystems. This study explores how mutualistic associations between trees and different mycorrhizal fungi, i.e., arbuscular (AM) vs. ectomycorrhizal (EM) association, modulate DBRs. We hypothesized that soil‐heterogeneous forests a mixture of AM EM tree species, (i) species would respond contrasting ways (i.e., positively negatively, respectively) to increasing soil fertility, (ii) dominance contribute higher diversity greater standing biomass, as result (iii) exert an overall negative effect on DBRs across scales. To empirically test hypotheses, we collected detailed distribution information (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus, organic matter, pH) from seven temperate subtropical AM–EM mixed megaplots (16–50 ha). Using codispersion null model structural equation modeling, identified among or dominance, diversity, biomass and, thus, 0.01‐ 1‐ha found first evidence supporting three aforementioned hypotheses forests: In most forests, communities changed EM‐dominated AM‐dominated; had positive even after controlling fertility number trees. Together, changes along gradients weakened DBR observed at 0.04‐ha scales nearly all drove 0.25‐ four out forests. Hence, this highlights soil‐related mechanism could partly explain why, many natural biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (BEF) shift scale.

Язык: Английский

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Towards mechanistic integration of the causes and consequences of biodiversity

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 39(7), С. 689 - 700

Опубликована: Март 19, 2024

Язык: Английский

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Biodiversity–production feedback effects lead to intensification traps in agricultural landscapes

Nature Ecology & Evolution, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 8(4), С. 752 - 760

Опубликована: Март 6, 2024

Intensive agriculture with high reliance on pesticides and fertilizers constitutes a major strategy for 'feeding the world'. However, such conventional intensification is linked to diminishing returns can result in 'intensification traps'-production declines triggered by negative feedback of biodiversity loss at input levels. Here we developed novel framework that accounts crop yields evaluate risk magnitude traps. Simulations grounded systematic literature reviews showed traps emerge most landscape types, but lesser extent cereal production systems. Furthermore, small reductions maximal (5-10%) could be frequently transmitted into substantial gains, resulting small-loss large-gain trade-offs prevailing across types. sensitivity analyses revealed strong context dependence trap emergence, inducing uncertainty identification optimal management field scale. Hence, recommend development case-specific safety margins preventing double losses food security associated

Язык: Английский

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Decline in plant species richness with a chronic decrease of precipitation: The mediating role of the dominant species

Journal of Ecology, Год журнала: 2025, Номер unknown

Опубликована: Янв. 31, 2025

Abstract Despite the increased frequency and severity of droughts in many regions declining biodiversity, existing experimental evidence for changes plant species richness associated with altered water availability is limited. The growing extent drylands highlights need to predict precipitation‐related richness, which requires a better understanding mechanisms. We carried out field experiment applying single extreme drought event combined it subsequent chronic alteration summer precipitation 7 years water‐limited temperate grassland. assessed how regimes previous affect richness. compared simple analysis assuming only net effect on complex approach by structural equation modelling that included both direct effects indirect through biomass dominant grass species. Using analysis, we found significant positive nonsignificant precipitation–species relationships presence absence drought, respectively. disentangled pathways between pathway acted drought. In this case, increasing species, which, turn, decreased acting as mediator variable. relationship was positive, independent Synthesis . Consistent global experimentally showed decreasing decreases Furthermore, may also decrease via an Our results highlight can become more sensitive after events eliminate or set back

Язык: Английский

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Assessing the importance of species and their assemblages for the biodiversity‐ecosystem multifunctionality relationship

Ecology, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 104(8)

Опубликована: Май 19, 2023

Biodiversity changes, such as decline in species richness and biotic homogenization, can have grave consequences for ecosystem functionality. Careful investigation of biodiversity-ecosystem multifunctionality linkages with due consideration conceptual technical challenges is required to make the knowledge practically useful managing social-ecological systems. In this paper, we introduced different methods assess perspectives regarding issue diversity-multifunctionality, including a possible multifunctional redundancy/uniqueness, influences number identity functions on multifunctionality. particular, aimed align detecting mechanisms underpinning diversity-multifunctional relationships that are free from statistical biases. Based set novel excluded analytical biases resulting differences identities multiple considered, found substantial portion disproportionately supported diversity effects were more markedly observed when considered. These results jointly emphasize individual are, some extent, both functionally unique well redundant, highlighting complexity necessity managed assemblages retain high levels diversity. We also relative magnitude uniqueness or redundancy differ between therefore should be defined context. further only small subset was identified significantly less important, especially at low Taken together, given level identified, stress unraveling hierarchical roles biodiversity levels, their assemblages, research priority, theory practice.

Язык: Английский

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