Harnessing ecosystem services for agricultural sustainability
More and more, we are realizing the value of healthy ecosystems for agriculture.
Biodiversity in soil, pollinator habitats on farm, and restored ecosystems surrounding farms can help build productivity on farms and decrease their susceptibility to pests and disease. Healthy on-farm ecosystems can also play a role in providing services outside of agriculture, such as wildlife habitat and groundwater quality.
Managing farms and agricultural landscapes to build and use ecosystem services is an essential component of sustainability. Better incorporating agriculture into natural ecosystem functioning will improve agriculture’s resilience in the face of the long-term uncertainty of resource availability and climate change.
Often, the science of ecosystem services is complex and can be difficult to operationalize. Our projects help build understanding of the benefits of ecosystem services and seek to promote practices that enhance these services.