NETWORK

Developing a biological network approach to quantify indirect costs and benefits of natural ecosystems to tropical agriculture

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Ecosystem services (ES) have risen to prominence as a motivation for conserving biodiversity. The role of biodiversity in ES is however complex and depends on the intricate ways in which the components of ecosystems interact. We have long been aware that “tinkering” with one part of an ecosystem can have unforeseen consequences elsewhere in that system, as effects are transmitted through the network of biological interactions. Advances in network theory, and empirical studies, are now providing insight into how these complex ecological systems operate, and how influencing one part of a network can have consequences for the entire system. NETWORK will bring together scientist with expertise in the empirical (UK), theoretical (France) and applied (South Africa) aspects that are required to make the transition from fundamental ecology to practice possible. It will focus on a proof-of-concept case study on the interactions between mango plantations and surrounding natural ecosystems. Natural vegetation near farmland can sustain populations of natural enemies of pest insects and of pollinators and thereby provide an important ecosystem service but can also be a source of the pest insects themselves (as farmers believe is the case in the mango system). A dynamic ecological network approach will be employed in this project to quantify these opposing effects in an important tropical crop (mango) under different management conditions. The project will be one of the first studies to take an in-depth ecological look at the tradeoffs between ES and the costs of natural systems, by studying the dynamics of, and interactions between, all the component species in the network. This will give insight into the quantitative effect of the natural ecosystem on crop production, and the development of methodology for testing alternative management strategies in silico to aid informed decision making.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Researchers are investigating biological networks within a complex ecosystem to determine how natural vegetation adjacent to agricultural land can benefit farmers.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Ecosystems benefit humankind in many ways, from providing food, water and pollinators to regulating climate and disease. Collectively, these benefits are known as ecosystem services (ESs).

The contribution of various organisms to ESs is complex, with countless interactions affecting how the entire system operates. For example, natural vegetation near farmland can provide ESs by supporting pollinators and providing a home for organisms that prey on pests.

It can also perform a disservice, however, by supporting the pest insects themselves; managing this delicate balance between costs and benefits is therefore critical.

The EU-funded NETWORK project aimed to quantify the costs and benefits of natural ecosystems to adjacent farmland, and to develop environmental management models.

NETWORK will provide the first in-depth study of ecosystem dynamics under different management strategies. To this end, researchers from France, South Africa and the United Kingdom will study interactions of a mango plantation with surrounding natural vegetation.

After consulting with farmers to identify economically important pest insects, researchers gathered year-round data on all interacting components of the ecological network. As guidance for managing the trade-off between costs and benefits of ESs, they also developed computer models to predict the effect of ESs on crop production.

They found that numbers of pollinating insects and pests within the mango plantation were dependent on the distance between the natural vegetation and the plantation. This indicates that ESs provided by natural vegetation can easily be managed at farm level rather than regionally.

Researchers will use their growing collection of ecosystem data to establish the link between biodiversity, ESs provision and crop yields. Insights into the effect of a natural ecosystem on tropical crop production are relevant to global agriculture and will help inform agricultural decision makers.