Complex agricultural landscapes host more biodiversity than simple ones: A global meta-analysis
Abstract
Agricultural land, the world's largest human-managed ecosystem, forms the matrix that connects remnant and fragmented patches of natural vegetation where nondomesticated biodiversity struggles to survive. Increasing the resources that this matrix can offer to biodiversity is critical to halting biodiversity loss. Our comprehensive meta-analysis demonstrates the positive and significant effect on biodiversity of increasing landscape complexity in agricultural lands. We found more biodiversity in complex landscapes, potentially contributing to agriculture production, ecosystem resilience, and human well-being. Current biodiversity conservation strategies tend to focus on natural ecosystems, often ignoring opportunities to boost biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Our findings provide a strong scientific evidence base for synergistically managing agriculture at the landscape level for biodiversity conservation and sustainable production.
- Publication:
-
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- September 2022
- DOI:
- 10.1073/pnas.2203385119
- Bibcode:
- 2022PNAS..11903385E