Reconciling agricultural production with biodiversity conservation

Description

"This book provides an excellent synthesis of conservation practices...The book has insightfully blended constructive concepts supported by well-recognised models and case studies on how to manage agricultural production and biodiversity...I strongly recommend this brilliant book to students, scientists, managers, policymakers and politicians engaging in biodiversity conservation in the agricultural landscape globally."
Journal of Nature Conservation

More intensive, monocultural agriculture has been associated with a decline in diversity of habitat and plant species which leads to corresponding declines in diversity of insect, bird and mammal species. There is mounting evidence that a more biodiverse landscape improves ecosystem services which benefits farmers.

Reconciling agricultural production with biodiversity conservation provides an authoritative review of current biodiversity conservation practices, including field margins, agroforestry systems, hedgerows and improved pasture and grassland management. The collection additionally summarises the theoretical framework that underpins biodiversity conservation in agriculture, dedicating chapters to key developments in areas such as landscape approaches, mapping and modelling diversity, as well as ways of assessing the economic value of biodiversity conservation practices.

Table of contents

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Part 1 Methods to study biodiversity in agroecosystems
1.The challenge of monitoring biodiversity in agricultural landscapes at the EU level: M. L. Paracchini, European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Italy; S. Condé, European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity – Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, France; R. D’Andrimont, European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Italy; B. Eiselt, European Commission, Eurostat, Luxembourg, Luxembourg; O. Fernandez Ugalde, E. Gervasini and A. Jones, European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Italy; V. Kovacevic, European Commission, DG Environment, Belgium; R. Oppermann, Institut für Agrarökologie und Biodiversität (IFAB), Germany; A. Orgiazzi, M. Van der Velde, C. Polce and C. Rega, European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Italy; C. Van Swaay, De Vlinderstichting, The Netherlands; and P. Voříšek, Czech Society for Ornithology, Czech Republic;
2.Modelling biodiversity in agriculture: G. R. Squire, James Hutton Institute, UK;
3.Assessing the economic value of agricultural biodiversity: a critical perspective: Corrado Topi, Stockholm Environment Institute at York, Department of Environment and Geography and Interdisciplinary Global Development Centre, University of York, UK; and Leonie J. Pearson, Stockholm Environment Institute, Thailand;
4.Functional biodiversity for the provision of agroecosystem services: Paolo Bàrberi and Anna-Camilla Moonen, Institute of Life Sciences – Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Italy;

Part 2 Management practices to support agroecosystem services
5.The role of field margins in biodiversity conservation in agroecosystems: Alicia Cirujeda and Gabriel Pardo, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), Spain;
6.The role of hedgerows in supporting biodiversity and other ecosystem services in intensively managed agricultural landscapes: Audrey Alignier, Léa Uroy and Stéphanie Aviron, INRAE, France;
7.Reconciling production and biodiversity in management of pastures and grasslands: Sylvain Plantureux, Université de Lorraine, INRAE, LAE, France;
8.The importance of agroforestry systems in supporting biodiversity conservation and agricultural production: a European perspective: M. R. Mosquera-Losada, J. J. Santiago-Freijanes, A. Rigueiro-Rodríguez, F. J. Rodríguez-Rigueiro, D. Arias Martínez, A. Pantera and N. Ferreiro-Domínguez, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain;