Minimising the harm to biodiversity of producing more food globally

Phalan, Ben; Balmford, Andrew; Green, Rhys E.; Scharlemann, Jörn P. W.

doi:10.1016/j.foodpol.2010.11.008

Cited by 266 publications

(241 citation statements)

References 104 publications

(114 reference statements)

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“…In contrast, a convex relationship, steepest initially and flattening out with increasing habitat loss (such as for the forest core or fragmentation scenario), would suggest that the greatest impact would occur right away, in which case consolidating agricultural expansion into as few different places as possible would help to minimize the impact on biodiversity. It has been noted that the empirical data required to test hypotheses about the extent to which we should separate or integrate agriculture and conservation are scarce (28) and the difference between the two may ultimately be a question of scale, with land-sparing at the field level becoming land-sharing in a mosaic at the landscape level (29). Analyses such as this, if combined with spatially explicit information about yields, can help test hypotheses about the most beneficial scale of agricultural consolidation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial patterns of agricultural expansion determine impacts on biodiversity and carbon storage

Chaplin‐Kramer

Sharp

Mandle

et al. 2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

231

133

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The agricultural expansion and intensification required to meet growing food and agri-based product demand present important challenges to future levels and management of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Influential actors such as corporations, governments, and multilateral organizations have made commitments to meeting future agricultural demand sustainably and preserving critical ecosystems. Current approaches to predicting the impacts of agricultural expansion involve calculation of total land conversion and assessment of the impacts on biodiversity or ecosystem services on a per-area basis, generally assuming a linear relationship between impact and land area. However, the impacts of continuing land development are often not linear and can vary considerably with spatial configuration. We demonstrate what could be gained by spatially explicit analysis of agricultural expansion at a large scale compared with the simple measure of total area converted, with a focus on the impacts on biodiversity and carbon storage. Using simple modeling approaches for two regions of Brazil, we find that for the same amount of land conversion, the declines in biodiversity and carbon storage can vary two-to fourfold depending on the spatial pattern of conversion. Impacts increase most rapidly in the earliest stages of agricultural expansion and are more pronounced in scenarios where conversion occurs in forest interiors compared with expansion into forests from their edges. This study reveals the importance of spatially explicit information in the assessment of land-use change impacts and for future land management and conservation.ecosystem services | deforestation | agricultural expansion | fragmentation | edge effects

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial patterns of agricultural expansion determine impacts on biodiversity and carbon storage

Chaplin‐Kramer

Sharp

Mandle

et al. 2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

231

133

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“…Furthermore, several environmental pollution problems have been observed in cities and urban areas with concentrated population, large energy consumption, and high waste production, traffic emissions and industrial activity (Luo et al, 2012). The continuous pollution of soil, air and water has had a direct adverse impact on ecosystems, cultural heritage, and human health (Phalan et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of Soil Chemistry and Plant Physiology in the Phytoremediation of Cu, Mn, and Zn

Pinto

Aguiar

Ferreira

2014

Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences

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“…Central to the discussion on conservation of biodiversity in agroecosystems is the debate between land sharing and land sparing as the best means to ensure conservation of biodiversity in the future, with evidence emerging that supports each argument as well as the spectrum of practices between [3][4][5]. Under land sparing, conservation efforts are separate from crop production while land sharing works to combine biodiversity conservation and agronomic production on the same land.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Influence of Different Cover Types on American Robin Nest Success in Organic Agroecosystems

2013

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There are many opportunities for biodiversity conservation in organic farm systems. Successful and sustainable conservation efforts in organic systems, however, need to measure appropriate outcomes. In particular, data are needed on the breeding success of associated wildlife species. We measured nesting success of the American Robin (Turdus migratorius) in woodlands embedded within eight organic farms in eastern Nebraska. We modeled daily nest survival rate to identify land use and land cover patterns that optimize conservation of birds in organic farm systems. The percentage of a crop in the fields adjacent to linear woodlands best predicted daily survival rate. Daily survival rate was lower in fields adjacent to wheat and greater in woodlands adjacent to soybean fields, though the latter may be a weak effect. There was no evidence that reducing the area allocated to organic crop production would improve daily survival rate but rather an evidence of a patch-matrix interaction. These results suggest that, if suitable nesting sites exist, organic farmers can complement local conservation efforts without losing working farmland.

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Minimising the harm to biodiversity of producing more food globally

Cited by 266 publications

References 104 publications

Spatial patterns of agricultural expansion determine impacts on biodiversity and carbon storage

Spatial patterns of agricultural expansion determine impacts on biodiversity and carbon storage

Influence of Soil Chemistry and Plant Physiology in the Phytoremediation of Cu, Mn, and Zn

The Influence of Different Cover Types on American Robin Nest Success in Organic Agroecosystems

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