Effects of management practices on the ecosystem-service multifunctionality of temperate grasslands. 2024

Franziska J Richter, and Matthias Suter, and Andreas Lüscher, and Nina Buchmann, and Nadja El Benni, and Rafaela Feola Conz, and Martin Hartmann, and Pierrick Jan, and Valentin H Klaus
Grassland Sciences, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland. fraju.richter@t-online.de.

Human wellbeing depends on ecosystem services, highlighting the need for improving the ecosystem-service multifunctionality of food and feed production systems. We study Swiss agricultural grasslands to assess how employing and combining three widespread aspects of grassland management and their interactions can enhance 22 plot-level ecosystem service indicators, as well as ecosystem-service multifunctionality. The three management aspects we assess are i) organic production system, ii) an eco-scheme prescribing extensive management (without fertilization), and iii) harvest type (pasture vs. meadow). While organic production system and interactions between the three management aspects play a minor role, the main effects of eco-scheme and harvest type considerably shape single services. Moreover, the eco-scheme 'extensive management' and the harvest type 'pasture' enhance plot-scale ecosystem-service multifunctionality, mostly through facilitating cultural services at the expense of provisioning services. These changes in ecosystem-service supply occur mainly via changes in land-use intensity, i.e., reduced fertilizer input and harvest frequency. In conclusion, diversifying grassland management where this is currently homogeneous across farms and landscapes depicts an important first step to improve landscape-scale multifunctionality for sustainable grassland systems. To meet societal ecosystem services demand, the three studied management aspects can be systematically combined to increase ecosystem services that are in short supply.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D003247 Conservation of Natural Resources The protection, preservation, restoration, and rational use of all resources in the total environment. Carrying Capacity,Deforestation,Desertification,Environmental Protection,Natural Resources Conservation,Protection, Environmental,Capacities, Carrying,Capacity, Carrying,Carrying Capacities,Conservation, Natural Resources
D005308 Fertilizers Substances or mixtures that are added to the soil to supply nutrients or to make available nutrients already present in the soil, in order to increase plant growth and productivity. Fertilizer
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000383 Agriculture The science, art or practice of cultivating soil, producing crops, and raising livestock. Agronomy,Agricultural Development,Farming,Agronomies,Development, Agricultural
D013557 Switzerland A country in Europe. It is bordered by Austria, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, and Germany. The capital is Bern.
D017753 Ecosystem A functional system which includes the organisms of a natural community together with their environment. (McGraw Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed) Ecosystems,Biome,Ecologic System,Ecologic Systems,Ecological System,Habitat,Niche, Ecological,System, Ecological,Systems, Ecological,Biomes,Ecological Niche,Ecological Systems,Habitats,System, Ecologic,Systems, Ecologic
D065948 Grassland An ecosystem dominated by grasses (POACEAE) with few trees or shrubs. Meadows,Prairie,Savanna,Steppe,Grasslands,Meadow,Prairies,Savannas,Steppes

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