The Role of Ecosystem Disservices in Pest Management

Gillespie, Mark A.; Wratten, Steve D.

doi:10.1002/9781119255574.ch8

Cited by 12 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…While the effects of agri-environment schemes and general landscape complexity on biodiversity are relatively well known (Aviron et al 2009 ; Kleijn et al 2011 ), very little is known about their simultaneous effect on ecosystem services and disservices. In fact, fostering populations of service-providing species through habitat management may simultaneously affect the delivery of disservices (Gillespie and Wratten 2017 ). The limited knowledge about these relationships complicates predictions about net effects of management practices on intermediate ecosystem services.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rodents, not birds, dominate predation-related ecosystem services and disservices in vertebrate communities of agricultural landscapes

et al. 2018

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To understand the relationship between conservation measures and agricultural yields, we need to know the contributions of organisms to both ecosystem services and disservices. We studied the activity and contribution of birds and mammals to intermediate ecosystem services (predation of weed seeds or invertebrate pests) and disservices (predation of crop seeds or beneficial invertebrates) in southern Sweden between June and November 2016. We measured seed and invertebrate predation rates using trays placed in front of 32 wildlife cameras in 16 cereal fields with a local habitat contrast (8 fields adjacent to another crop field and 8 fields adjacent to a semi-natural grassland) and along a landscape heterogeneity gradient (amount of semi-natural grassland). Both activity and predation were dominated by small mammals (mainly rodents), yet only a few species contributed to predation services and disservices according to camera records. Small mammal activity and predation varied considerably over time. Small mammal activity was significantly higher at trays with crop seeds or beneficial invertebrate prey compared to trays with pest prey, and crop seed predation by small mammals was significantly higher than weed seed predation. In contrast, bird activity and predation did not differ significantly between resource types, but varied over time depending on the habitat contrast. Predation of animal prey by birds was highest after cereal harvest, independent of habitat contrast. Our study highlights that birds and in particular rodents provide important intermediate ecosystem services, but also disservices, which fluctuate strongly in intensity over time.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s00442-018-4242-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rodents, not birds, dominate predation-related ecosystem services and disservices in vertebrate communities of agricultural landscapes

et al. 2018

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“…However, the promotion of one ecosystem service may also stimulate ecosystem disservices (Zhang et al. , Gillespie and Wratten ). Measures that support populations of beneficial predators may for example simultaneously benefit herbivores that could act as a crop pest (Zhang et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…). While there is a long history of research focusing on minimizing pest damage to crops, provision of services and disservices are traditionally investigated in isolation (Gillespie and Wratten ). Identifying net effects of management options for production, however, requires that ecosystem services and disservices are assessed in combination.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predation‐mediated ecosystem services and disservices in agricultural landscapes

Tschumi

Ekroos

Hjort

et al. 2018

Ecological Applications

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Ecological intensification may reduce environmental externalities of agriculture by harnessing biodiversity to benefit regulating ecosystem services. However, to propose management options for the production of such services, there is a need to understand the spatiotemporal dynamics of net effects between ecosystem services and disservices provided by wild organisms across taxonomic groups in relation to habitat and landscape management. We studied the contribution of predatory vertebrates and invertebrates (including both carnivores and seed herbivores) to regulating ecosystem services and disservices in 16 cereal fields in response to a local habitat contrast and a landscape complexity gradient. From May to November 2016, we provided weed (predation reflects an ecosystem service) and crop (predation reflects a disservice) seeds, as well as pest (predation reflects an ecosystem service) and beneficial (predation reflects a disservice) invertebrate prey to predators. Seed predation was dominated by vertebrates, while vertebrates and invertebrates contributed equally to predation of animal prey. Before harvest, predation steadily increased from very low levels in May to high levels in July independent of the resource type. After harvest, ecosystem services declined more rapidly than disservices. The presence of adjacent seminatural grasslands promoted crop seed predation, but reduced pest prey predation. Predation on beneficial prey decreased with increasing proportions of seminatural grassland in the landscape. Predatory vertebrates and invertebrates provide important ecosystem services due to the consumption of pests. However, beneficial invertebrates and crop seeds were often consumed to a similar or even higher extent than harmful invertebrates or weed seeds. Our results therefore raise concerns that management options aimed at enhancing service providers may simultaneously increase levels of disservices. By considering positive and negative effects simultaneously, this study addresses an important knowledge gap and highlights the importance of interactions between local management, landscape composition, and service and disservice provision across taxa and over time. Considering trade-offs between ecosystem services and disservices when evaluating the net effects of biodiversity conservation measures on ecosystem service provision is crucial. Future agri-environment schemes that offer payments for seminatural habitats may need to provide higher compensation for farmers in cases where net effects are likely to be negative.

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“…Some potential problems associated with following these steps are represented by 'warning' triangles. positive outcomes (Zhang et al, 2007;Tscharntke et al, 2016;Gillespie and Wratten, 2017;Karp et al, 2018), as illustrated by the warning triangles at points on the spiral pathway. As an example, one key step in the pathway is the development of locally-based, agro-ecological protocols for farmers and farm advisors that can be summarised as 'service providing protocols' (SPP) (Gurr et al, 2017).…”

Section: The Rationale Behind Exploring the Spiral Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is true that there is a plethora of agricultural enhancement schemes (AES) worldwide (Kleijn and Sutherland, 2003;Batáry et al, 2015;Hammers et al, 2016) but how effective these are has often been questioned (Pe'er et al, 2019). They may generate ecosystem disservices (EDS (Zhang et al, 2007;Gillespie and Wratten, 2017)), if applied in agricultural systems or in contexts that were not initially included in the development of ES-enhancing protocols (ie Tscharntke et al, 2016;Karp et al, 2018). A lack of understanding of how these schemes interact with the local social and ecological conditions can reduce or remove their previously-designed, agro-ecological benefits, without having a significant enhancement of functional biodiversity on farms, so the major challenges to food production outlined above largely remain.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the pathways from biodiversity to agro-ecological outcomes: A new, interactive approach

González-Chang

Wratten

Shields

et al. 2020

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment

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The adoption of agro-ecological practices in agricultural systems worldwide can contribute to increased food production without compromising future food security, especially under the current biodiversity loss and climate change scenarios. Despite the increase in publications on agro-ecological research and practices during the last 35 years, a weak link between that knowledge and changed farmer practices has led to few examples of agroecological protocols and effective delivery systems to agriculturalists. In an attempt to reduce this gap, we synthesised the main concepts related to biodiversity and its functions by creating a web-based interactive spiral (www.biodiversityfunction.com). This tool explains and describes a pathway for achieving agro-ecological outcomes, starting from the basic principle of biodiversity and its functions to enhanced biodiversity on farms. Within this pathway, 11 key steps are identified and sequentially presented on a web platform through which key players (farmers, farmer networks, policy makers, scientists and other stakeholders) can navigate and learn. Because in many areas of the world the necessary knowledge needed for achieving the adoption of particular agro-ecological techniques is not available, the spiral approach can provide the necessary conceptual steps needed for obtaining and understanding such knowledge by navigating through the interactive pathway. This novel approach aims to improve our understanding of the sequence from the concept of biodiversity to harnessing its power to improve prospects for 'sustainable intensification' of agricultural systems worldwide.

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The Role of Ecosystem Disservices in Pest Management

Cited by 12 publications

References 71 publications

Rodents, not birds, dominate predation-related ecosystem services and disservices in vertebrate communities of agricultural landscapes

Rodents, not birds, dominate predation-related ecosystem services and disservices in vertebrate communities of agricultural landscapes

Predation‐mediated ecosystem services and disservices in agricultural landscapes

Understanding the pathways from biodiversity to agro-ecological outcomes: A new, interactive approach

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