The relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem services and the effects of grazing cessation in semi-natural grasslands

Abstract

Abstract. Land use change can affect biodiversity, and this has an impact on ecosystem services (ESs), but the relationships between biodiversity and ESs are complex and poorly understood. Biodiversity is declining due to the abandonment of extensively grazed semi-natural grasslands. We therefore aim to explore relationships between biodiversity and ESs provided by extensively managed semi-natural grasslands. Focusing on vascular plant species richness, as well as the ESs fodder quantity, quality, and stability, allergy control, climate regulation, nutrient cycling, pollination, and aesthetic appreciation, we carried out botanical field surveys of 28 paired extensively grazed and abandoned semi-natural grassland plots, with four subplots of 4 m2 in each plot. The management of the semi-natural grasslands is and has been at low intensity. We calculated the influence of abandonment on the ES indicators, measured the correlation between the biodiversity measure of vascular plant species richness and ES indicators, and finally determined how the relationships between plant species richness and the ES indicators were affected by the cessation of the extensive management. ES indicators are often, but not always, positively correlated with species richness. Cessation of extensive grazing has both negative and positive effects on ES indicators but the relationships between species richness and ES indicators are often different in extensively managed and abandoned semi-natural grasslands. The relationships between species richness and ES indicators are less pronounced in the extensively managed semi-natural grassland than for the abandoned. One possible reason for this outcome is high functional redundancy in the extensively managed semi-natural grasslands.

Ceased grazing management changes the ecosystem services of semi-natural grasslands

“…Appropriate management strategies therefore depend on the context and conservation goals at the landscape or field level. There is not always a positive relationship between ES indicators and the biodiversity elements that are the goals for conservation actions (Wehn et al 2018b) and this case study show that different land use management strategies foster different ES. Ekroos et al (2014) argue that agrienvironmental schemes must include more explicit goals regarding either biodiversity conservation or provision of ecosystem services.…”

“…Hector and Bagchi (2007) argue that the overall ecosystem function found in ecosystem assessments depends on the number of processes analyzed since each process is affected by a different set of species. Wehn et al (2018b) demonstrate that various processes underlying one or several ES show different response to change. Both studies illustrate the benefit of using multiple indicators in the assessment of individual ES.…”

“…The abandoned areas were not grazed and were at different successional stages toward forest. Even though the time since abandonment ranged from five to 70 years, time since abandonment had no effect on species richness and minimal effect on ES indicators (Wehn et al 2018b).…”

“…Semi-natural grasslands are influenced by a long history of extensive agricultural management and are associated with high biodiversity and provides ecosystem service (ES) such as forage for livestock, pollination, biological control, climate regulation and soil conservation (Bullock et al 2011;Holland et al 2017;Wehn et al 2018b). Due to farmland abandonment and other land use changes, areas of seminatural grasslands are declining and are threatened in Europe (Bullock et al 2011;Norderhaug and Johansen 2011) but the consequences of these land use changes for ecosystem functioning and ES delivery are not well known.…”

Grassland Management for Sustainable Agroecosystems

“…These roles are widely recognized by actors in the agricultural world and by public policies. On the recognition that species-rich grasslands are a source of multiple ecosystem services, several contributions have provided the ground for innovative management practices that can increase fodder production, while, at the same time, enhancing other services like pollination, biological control, climate regulation, and soil conservation [7][8][9].…”