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A global synthesis reveals biodiversity-mediated benefits for crop production

Science Advances · 2019 · Vol. 5(10) · pp. eaax0121–eaax0121

Matteo Dainese✉(Eurac Research)Emily A. Martin(University of Würzburg)Marcelo A. Aizen(National University of Comahue)Matthias Albrecht(Agroscope)Ígnasi Bartomeus(Estación Biológica de Doñana)Riccardo Bommarco(Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences)Luísa G. Carvalheiro(University of Lisbon)Rebecca Chaplin‐Kramer(Stanford University)Vesna Gagic(Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation)Lucas A. Garibaldi(National University of Río Negro)Jaboury Ghazoul(ETH Zurich)Heather Grab(Cornell University)Mattias Jonsson(Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences)Daniel S. Karp(University of California, Davis)Christina M. Kennedy(The Nature Conservancy)David Kleijn(Wageningen University & Research)Claire Kremen(University of British Columbia)Douglas A. Landis(Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center)Deborah K. Letourneau(University of California, Santa Cruz)Lorenzo Marini(University of Padua)Katja Poveda(Cornell University)Romina Rader(University of New England)Henrik G. Smith(Lund University)Teja Tscharntke(University of Göttingen)Georg K.S. Andersson(Lund University)Isabelle Badenhausser(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)Svenja Baensch(University of Göttingen)Antônio Diego M. Bezerra(Universidade Federal do Ceará)Felix J.J.A. Bianchi(Wageningen University & Research)Virginie Boreux(University of Freiburg)Vincent Bretagnolle(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)Berta Caballero‐López(Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona)Pablo Cavigliasso(National Agricultural Technology Institute)Aleksandar Ćetković(University of Belgrade)Natacha P. Chacoff(National University of Tucumán)Alice Claßen(University of Würzburg)Sarah Cusser(Michigan State University)Felipe Deodato da Silva e Silva(Universidade de Brasília)G.A. de Groot(Wageningen University & Research)Jan‐Hendrik Dudenhöffer(University of Greenwich)Johan Ekroos(Lund University)Thijs P. M. Fijen(Wageningen University & Research)Pierre Franck(Plantes et systèmes de culture horticoles)Breno Magalhães Freitas(Universidade Federal do Ceará)Michael P. D. Garratt(University of Reading)Claudio Gratton(University of Wisconsin–Madison)Juliana Hipólito(Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia)Andrea Holzschuh(University of Würzburg)Lauren Hunt(Boise State University)Aaron L. Iverson(Cornell University)Shalene Jha(The University of Texas at Austin)Tamar Keasar(Oranim Academic College of Education)Tania N. Kim(Kansas State University)Miriam Kishinevsky(University of Haifa)Björn K. Klatt(Lund University)Alexandra‐Maria Klein(University of Freiburg)Kristin M. Krewenka(Universität Hamburg)Smitha Krishnan(Alliance Bioversity International - CIAT)Ashley Larsen(University of California, Santa Barbara)Claire Lavigne(Plantes et systèmes de culture horticoles)Heidi Liere(Seattle University)Bea Maas(University of Vienna)Rachel E. Mallinger(University of Florida)Eliana Martínez Pachón(University of Nariño)Alejandra Martínez‐Salinas(Centro Agronomico Tropical de Investigacion y Ensenanza Catie)Timothy D. Meehan(National Audubon Society)Matthew G. E. Mitchell(University of British Columbia)Gonzalo A. R. Molina(Universidad de Buenos Aires)Maike Nesper(ETH Zurich)L. Anders Nilsson(Lund University)Megan E. O’Rourke(Virginia Tech)Marcell K. Peters(University of Würzburg)Milan Plećaš(University of Belgrade)Simon G. Potts(University of Wisconsin–Madison)Davi de Lacerda Ramos(Universidade de Brasília)Jay A. Rosenheim(University of California, Davis)Maj Rundlöf(Lund University)Adrien Rusch(Université de Bordeaux)Agustín Sáez(National University of Comahue)Jeroen Scheper(Wageningen University & Research)Matthias Schleuning(Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre)Julia M. Schmack(University of Auckland)Amber R. Sciligo(University of California, Berkeley)Colleen L. Seymour(South African National Biodiversity Institute)Dara A. Stanley(University College Dublin)Rebecca Stewart(Lund University)Jane C. Stout(Trinity College Dublin)Louis Sutter(Agroscope)Mayura B. Takada(The University of Tokyo)Hisatomo Taki(Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute)Giovanni Tamburini(University of Freiburg)Matthias Tschumi(Agroscope)Blandina Felipe Viana(Universidade Federal da Bahia)Catrin Westphal(University of Göttingen)Bryony K. Willcox(University of New England)S. D. Wratten(Lincoln University)Akira Yoshioka(Fukushima College)Carlos Zaragoza‐Trello(Estación Biológica de Doñana)Wei Zhang(International Food Policy Research Institute)Yi Zou(Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University)Ingolf Steffan‐Dewenter(University of Würzburg)

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Abstract

Human land use threatens global biodiversity and compromises multiple ecosystem functions critical to food production. Whether crop yield-related ecosystem services can be maintained by a few dominant species or rely on high richness remains unclear. Using a global database from 89 studies (with 1475 locations), we partition the relative importance of species richness, abundance, and dominance for pollination; biological pest control; and final yields in the context of ongoing land-use change. Pollinator and enemy richness directly supported ecosystem services in addition to and independent of abundance and dominance. Up to 50% of the negative effects of landscape simplification on ecosystem services was due to richness losses of service-providing organisms, with negative consequences for crop yields. Maintaining the biodiversity of ecosystem service providers is therefore vital to sustain the flow of key agroecosystem benefits to society.

Plant and animal studies Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies Land Use and Ecosystem ServicesProduction (economics)BiodiversityCrop productionCropAgroforestryBiotechnologyBiologyAgricultureAgronomyEcology