Towards valuation of biodiversity in agricultural soils: A case for earthworms

Plaas, Elke; Meyer-Wolfarth, Friederike; Banse, Martin; Bengtsson, Jan; Bergmann, Holger; Faber, J.H.; Potthoff, Martin; Runge, Tania; Schrader, Stefan; Taylor, Astrid

doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.02.003

Cited by 83 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Indeed, our results indicate that farmers could not be expected to implement such effective measures voluntarily, even if informed of the long-term benefits, because the net present value to them of adopting the grass measure was negative (in all scenarios). Other studies also identify high societal benefits of ameliorating the ongoing degradation of soil ecosystem services [22], but recognize that the relatively high costs to farmers constitute a considerable barrier to improving soil management [67]. Thus, our results corroborate the general finding from the literature that substantial trade-offs exist between farmers' current incomes and the provisioning of public-good soil ecosystem services, particularly climate benefits [68].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

“…Choices of farming practices can have profound impacts on soil ecosystem services such as carbon storage [19,20]. So far, studies attempting to value the contribution of soils to societal welfare are either partial, in that they determine the value of different levels of supporting and regulating ecosystem services to a particular group within society, e.g., farmers [21], or focus on valuing a particular soil species, e.g., earthworms [22]; or on valuing the total stock of soil natural capital in a particular place [23,24]. Novel approaches are therefore needed that make it possible to evaluate the desirability of alternative soil management practices from society's perspective, which requires valuing their impacts on both private-and public-good ecosystem services [25].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Roadmap for Valuing Soil Ecosystem Services to Inform Multi-Level Decision-Making in Agriculture

et al. 2019

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Agricultural soils contribute to human welfare through their generation of manifold ecosystem services such as food security, water quality and climate regulation, but these are degraded by common farming practices. We have developed a roadmap for evaluating the contribution of both private- and public-good ecosystem services generated by agricultural soils to societal welfare. The approach considers the needs of decision-makers at different levels, from farmers to policy-makers. This we achieve through combining production functions—to quantify the impacts of alternative management practices on agricultural productivity and soil ecosystem services—with non-market valuation of changes in public-good ecosystem services and benefit–cost analysis. The results show that the net present value to society of implementing soil-friendly measures are substantial, but negative for farmers in our study region. Although we apply our roadmap to an intensive farming region in Sweden, we believe our results have broad applicability, because farmers do not usually account for the value of public-good ecosystem services. We therefore conclude that market outcomes are not likely to be generating optimal levels of soil ecosystem services from society’s perspective. Innovative governance institutions are needed to resolve this market failure to safeguard the welfare of future generations.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Roadmap for Valuing Soil Ecosystem Services to Inform Multi-Level Decision-Making in Agriculture

et al. 2019

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“…Diesen konkret zu beziffern ist schwierig . Dennoch ist es in einer aktuellen Studie erstmals gelungen, Regenwurmleistungen einen ökonomischen Wert beizumessen . Dieser ökologisch‐ökonomische Ansatz eröffnet die Möglichkeit, die Leistungen der Regenwürmer in Abhängigkeit von den vorliegenden Bodenbedingungen und Bewirtschaftungsmaßnahmen zu bewerten, im Rahmen von Handlungsempfehlungen zu berücksichtigen und durch angepasste Managementmaßnahmen zu nutzen.…”

Section: Ein Funktionelles Multitalentunclassified

Regenwürmer als Partner bei der Bodennutzung

Schrader

Capelle²,

Meyer-Wolfarth³

2020

Biologie in unserer Zeit

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Zusammenfassung Regenwürmer sind Leistungsträger innerhalb des Bodennahrungsnetzes und erbringen zahlreiche ökologische Dienstleistungen. So fördern sie Bodenstrukturbildung, Bodengesundheit, Nährstoffverfügbarkeit, Belüftung, Wasserspeicherung sowie Widerstands‐ und Regenerationsfähigkeit von Böden. Dieses große Leistungsspektrum hilft Fruchtbarkeit und Produktivität landwirtschaftlich genutzter Böden nachhaltig zu gewährleisten. Eine Förderung der Regenwürmer durch angepasste, bodenschonende Managementmaßnahmen ist unerlässlich, um die natürlichen Ressourcen der Regenwürmer optimal zu nutzen. Ein synergistisches Zusammenspiel aus Leistungen der Regenwürmer und landwirtschaftlichem Management ist daher ein erfolgversprechender Ansatz, um Bodenfruchtbarkeit und Ertragssicherheit zukünftig nachhaltig zu sichern.

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“…Blakemore (2009) has suggested that the origins of cosmopolitan (invasive) earthworms at family level are associated with domestication centers of plants and animals; that is, the presence of earthworms in crop fields is as old as agriculture itself (Blakemore 2009;Vigueira et al 2013;Mercuri et al 2018). The terms of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment highlight the catalytic role of earthworms regarding two environmental services (Plaas et al 2019), namely the formation of soil and biogeochemical cycles, both of which are prerequisites for other environmental services (Brussaard et al 2012;Plaas et al 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, there is a deeply rooted positive attitude toward earthworms in human populations in North America, acknowledging their beneficial effects on agricultural soils and urban gardens (Simmons et al 2015;Plaas et al 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pontoscolex corethrurus:a Homeless Invasive Tropical Earthworm?

Ortíz-Ceballos

Ortíz-Gamino

Andrade‐Torres

et al. 2019

Preprint

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The presence of earthworm species in crop fields is as old as agriculture itself. The earthworms Pontoscolex corethrurus (invasive) and Balanteodrilus pearsei (native) are associated with the emergence of agriculture and sedentism in the region Amazon and Maya, respectively. Both species have shifted their preference from their natural habitat to the cropland niche; however, they contrast in terms of intensification of agricultural land use (anthropic impact to the symbiotic soil microbiome). P. corethrurus inhabits conventional agroecosystems (pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers are applied to soil), while B. pearsei thrives in traditional agroecosystems (biological management of soil); that is, P. corethrurus has not yet been recorded in soils where B. pearsei dwells. The demographic behavior of these two earthworm species was assessed in the laboratory over 100 days, according to their origin (OE; P. corethrurus and B.pearsei) food quality (FQ; soil only, maize stubble, and Mucuna pruriens), and soil moisture (SM; 25, 33, and 42%). The results showed that OE, FQ, SM, and the OE x FQ interaction were highly significant for the survival, growth, and reproduction of earthworms. P. corethrurus showed a lower survival rate (> mortality). P. corethrurus survivors fed a diet of low-tointermediate nutritional quality (soil and corn stalks, respectively) showed a greater capacity to grow and reproduce; however, it was surpassed by the native earthworm when fed a high-quality diet (M. pruriens). Besides, P. corethrurus displayed a low cocoon hatching (emergence of juveniles). These results suggest that the presence of the invasive species was associated with the absence of natural mutualistic bacteria (gut, nephridia, and cocoons), and with a negative interaction with the soil microbiota where the native species dwells. These results are consistent with the absence of P. corethrurus in milpa and pasture-type agricultural niches managed by peasants (agroecologists) to grow food regularly a biological management of soil. The results reported here and the published information jointly (e.g., designation of the neotype and 3 ambiguity of the place of origin) jointly suggest that P. corethrurus is an invasive species that is neither wild nor domesticated, that is, its eco-evolutionary phylogeny needs to be derived based on its symbionts.

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Towards valuation of biodiversity in agricultural soils: A case for earthworms

Cited by 83 publications

References 58 publications

Roadmap for Valuing Soil Ecosystem Services to Inform Multi-Level Decision-Making in Agriculture

Roadmap for Valuing Soil Ecosystem Services to Inform Multi-Level Decision-Making in Agriculture

Regenwürmer als Partner bei der Bodennutzung

Pontoscolex corethrurus:a Homeless Invasive Tropical Earthworm?

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