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Author: Simon Taugourdeau Publisher: ISBN: Category : Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
Permanent grasslands can provide a large diversity of ecosystem services. They are found in contrasted conditions in terms of management and climate in Europe. These conditions induce a wide variety of grassland types that differ in their vegetation and are expected to differ with respect to the provision of ecosystem services. Because ecosystem functioning in grassland has been shown to be linked to plant functional diversity criteria, we put forward that these functional diversity criteria can be used to evaluate the provision of ecosystem services. These criteria are influenced by the management and the climate. The overall objective of this PhD program is to assess the effects of management and climate on the plant functional diversity related to ecosystem services of permanent grasslands. The first step of the PhD program was to select 29 functional diversity criteria related to 8 ecosystem services (quantity of forage, forage quality, stability of the forage production, biodiversity conservation, pollination carbon sequestration, dryness resistance and nitrogen fertility). This selection was made using experts' interview and literature survey. The second step was to evaluate inaccuracies in the calculation of the 29 functional diversity criteria from functional trait databases and different sets of botanical surveys. The third step was to estimate the functional diversity criteria from management and climate data using "Random Forests" methodology. The results show that the climatic variables had generally more effect on the functional diversity than the management ones. Furthermore, for some climatic conditions, the management does not affect some functional diversity criteria. Among the 29 functional diversity criteria, only 8 have more than 40 % of their variance explained by the management and climate variables.
Author: Simon Taugourdeau Publisher: ISBN: Category : Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
Permanent grasslands can provide a large diversity of ecosystem services. They are found in contrasted conditions in terms of management and climate in Europe. These conditions induce a wide variety of grassland types that differ in their vegetation and are expected to differ with respect to the provision of ecosystem services. Because ecosystem functioning in grassland has been shown to be linked to plant functional diversity criteria, we put forward that these functional diversity criteria can be used to evaluate the provision of ecosystem services. These criteria are influenced by the management and the climate. The overall objective of this PhD program is to assess the effects of management and climate on the plant functional diversity related to ecosystem services of permanent grasslands. The first step of the PhD program was to select 29 functional diversity criteria related to 8 ecosystem services (quantity of forage, forage quality, stability of the forage production, biodiversity conservation, pollination carbon sequestration, dryness resistance and nitrogen fertility). This selection was made using experts' interview and literature survey. The second step was to evaluate inaccuracies in the calculation of the 29 functional diversity criteria from functional trait databases and different sets of botanical surveys. The third step was to estimate the functional diversity criteria from management and climate data using "Random Forests" methodology. The results show that the climatic variables had generally more effect on the functional diversity than the management ones. Furthermore, for some climatic conditions, the management does not affect some functional diversity criteria. Among the 29 functional diversity criteria, only 8 have more than 40 % of their variance explained by the management and climate variables.
Author: Eric Garnier Publisher: Oxford University Press ISBN: 0198757379 Category : Nature Languages : en Pages : 255
Book Description
Biological diversity, the variety of living organisms on Earth, is traditionally viewed as the diversity of taxa, and species in particular. However, other facets of diversity also need to be considered for a comprehensive understanding of evolutionary and ecological processes. This novel book demonstrates the advantages of adopting a functional approach to diversity in order to improve our understanding of the functioning of ecological systems and theircomponents. The focus is on plants, which are major components of these systems, and for which the functional approach has led to major scientific advances over the last 20 years. PlantFunctional Diversity presents the rationale for a trait-based approach to functional diversity in the context of comparative plant ecology and agroecology. It demonstrates how this approach can be used to address a number of highly debated questions in plant ecology pertaining to plant responses to their environment, controls on plant community structure, ecosystem properties, and the services these deliver to human societies. This research level text will be of particular relevance and use tograduate students and professional researchers in plant ecology, agricultural sciences and conservation biology.
Author: Gilles Lemaire Publisher: Academic Press ISBN: 0128110511 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 478
Book Description
Agro-Ecosystem Diversity: Impact on Food Security and Environmental Quality presents cutting-edge exploration of developing novel farming systems and introduces landscape ecology to agronomy. It encompasses the broad range of links between agricultural development and ecological impact and how to limit the potential negative results. Presented in seven sections, each focusing on a specific challenge to sustaining diversity, the book provides insights toward the argument that by re-introducing diversity, it should be possible to maintain a high level of productivity of agro-ecosystems while also maintaining and/or restoring a satisfactory level of environment quality and biodiversity. Demonstrates that diversified agro-ecosystems can be intensified with environmental quality preserved, restored and enhanced Includes analysis of economic constraints leading to specialization of farms and regions and the social locking forces resisting to diversification of agro-ecosystems Presents a global vision of world agriculture and the tradeoff between a necessary increase in food production and restoring environment quality
Author: Gilles Lemaire Publisher: CABI ISBN: 9781845939007 Category : Electronic books Languages : en Pages : 287
Book Description
Grassland ecosystems are deeply affected by human activities and need appropriate management to optimise trade-offs between ecosystem functions and services. Until now they have mainly been analysed as agro-ecosystems for animal production but this book looks beyond the role of grassland as a feeding ground, and evaluates other important processes such as carbon sequestration in soils, greenhouse gas regulation and biodiversity protection. This authoritative volume expertly highlights the need for an immediate balance between agriculture and ecological management for sustainability in the futu.
Author: Ivan Hiltpold Publisher: Frontiers Media SA ISBN: 2889452905 Category : Languages : en Pages : 256
Book Description
Natural and anthropogenic grasslands such as prairies, meadows, rangelands, and pastures cover more than 40% of the planet’s surface and provide a wealth of ecological services. Grasslands alone store one third of the global carbon stocks and grass roots, through their specific architectures, ensure water cycling and prevent the erosion of fertile topsoil. In addition, grasslands are of vital importance for human food production as vast areas of rangelands and pastures provide feed for livestock. Pastoral legumes mobilize atmospheric nitrogen and improve fertility of arable soils. Not least, grasslands are an essential genetic resource. The three major crop species that feed half of the global population have been bred from wild grasses. Ancestors of our contemporary turf cultivars, common components of urban landscapes and recreation spaces, originated from wild grasslands. Although natural and managed grasslands represent pivotal ecosystems, many aspects of how they function are poorly understood. To date, most attention has focused on grassland primary producers (i.e. forage plants) and mammalian grazers but invertebrates are likely to play an equally, if not more important role in grassland ecosystem functioning. In Australian pastures, for example, the biomass of root-feeding scarab beetles can often exceed that of sheep and plant damage caused by invertebrates is sometimes equivalent to an average dairy cow’s grass consumption. Indeed, grasslands are one of the most densely populated ecosystems with invertebrates being probably the most important engineers that shape both plant communities and the grassland as a whole. In a rapidly changing world with increasing anthropogenic pressure on grasslands, this Research Topic focuses on: 1. How grassland habitats shape invertebrate biodiversity 2. Impacts of climate change on grassland-invertebrate interactions 3. Plant and invertebrate pest monitoring and management 4. Plant-mediated multitrophic interactions and biological control in grasslands 5. Land use and grassland invertebrates 6. Plant resistance to invertebrate pests Given the increasing demand for food and land for human habitation, unprecedented threats to grasslands are anticipated. Resilient to some extent, these key ecosystems need to be better comprehended to guarantee their sustainable management and ecosystem services.
Author: Victor R. Squires Publisher: CRC Press ISBN: 1351652206 Category : Nature Languages : en Pages : 430
Book Description
This book begins with a brief account of the extraordinary sequence of events that led to emergence of grasslands as major vegetation formations that now occupy some of the driest and hottest and the highest and coldest on earth as well as vast steppes and prairies in more temperate climes. It is the story of grasses successfully competing with forests and woodlands, aided and abetted by grazing herbivores and by humans and their use of fire as a tool. It is a story of adaptation to changing climates and the changing biophysical environments. A major focus of the book is the Palaearctic biogeographic realm that extends over some 45 million km2 and thus more than 1/3 of the terrestrial ice-free surface on Earth. It comprises extensive grasslands of different types and origin, which can be subdivided into (1) natural grasslands with (1a) steppes (climatogenic in dry climates), (1b) arctic-alpine grasslands (climatogenic in cold climates) and (1c) azonal and extrazonal grasslands (pedogenic and topogenic) as well as (2) secondary grasslands created and sustained by human activities, such as livestock grazing, mowing or burning. Grasslands of the Palaearctic do not only form a major basis for the agriculture of the region and thus its food supply, but are also crucial for other ecosystem services and host a supra proportional part of the realm’s plant and animal diversity. To reflect that suitability of grasslands for biodiversity strongly depends on their state, we apply the term High Nature Value grassland to those natural grasslands that are not degraded (in good state) and those secondary grasslands that are not intensified (semi-natural). The situation in a variety of countries where grasslands are evolving under the influence of global climate change is also considered. Case studies are presented on Southern Africa, Eastern Africa, India, China, South America, North America and Australia. The concluding chapter examines a set of themes arising from the chapters that make up the bulk of this book. The following provide a focus: recent history of grassland biomes – brief recap of current thinking and recent trends with special reference to dry grasslands in the Palearctic regions; the current status of grasslands and germplasm resources (biodiversity) – an overview; management systems that ensure sustainability; how to recover degraded grasslands; socio-economic issues and considerations in grassland management; the impacts of environmental problems in grasslands such as future climate change and intensification and the problems/prospects facing pastoralists and other grassland-based livestock producers.
Author: Simon Taugourdeau
Author: Simon Taugourdeau
Author: Eric Garnier
Author: David J. Gibson
Author: Gilles Lemaire
Author: Gilles Lemaire
Author: Ivan Hiltpold
Author: 
Author: Victor R. Squires
Author: Carsten Neßhöver
Author: Carsten Neßhöver