Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-29T01:29:48.889Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Sharing a vision for biodiversity conservation and agriculture

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 May 2012

John E. Quinn
John E. Quinn*
Affiliation:
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, School of Natural Resources, 3310 Holdrege, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA.
*
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Conservation biology and agriculture share a common landscape and a future that demands novel research and practice. Inevitably, limited resources create conflict in the absence of a shared vision forward. Therefore, given the similarities in proximate and even ultimate goals, we must envision a joint path toward renewable and resilient agroecosystems. In this commentary, I highlight the root of past conflicts and share a vision of progress forward that encompasses mutually beneficial outcomes. I include six areas of anticipatory research and inquiry at the intersection of conservation biology and agriculture to better identify shared goals and facilitate more frequent communication among disciplines.

Keywords

agroecosystemsfarmlandecologyfuture collaborationinterdisciplinary
Type
Commentary
Information
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems , Volume 28 , Issue 1 , March 2013 , pp. 93 - 96
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1Rockström, J., Steffen, W., Noone, K., Persson, A., Chapin, S.F., Lambin, E.F., Lenton, T.M., Scheffer, M., Folke, C., Schellnhuber, H.J., Nykvist, B., de Wit, C.A., Hughes, T., van der Leeuw, S., Rodhe, H., Sörlin, S., Snyder, P.K., Costanza, R., Svedin, U., Falkenmark, M., Karlberg, L., Corell, R., Fabry, V.J., Hansen, J., Walker, B., Liverman, D., Richardson, K., Crutzen, P., and Foley, J.A. 2009. A safe operating space for humanity. Nature 461:472–475.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2Perrings, C., Jackson, L., Bawa, K., Brussaard, L., Brush, S., Gavin, T., Papa, R., Pascual, U., and de Ruiter, P. 2006. Biodiversity in agricultural landscapes: Saving natural capital without losing interest. Conservation Biology 20:263–264.Google Scholar
3Jackson, D.L. and Jackson, L.L. 2002. The Farm as Natural Habitat: Reconnecting Food Systems with Ecosystems. Island Press, Washington; Covelo, London.Google Scholar
4Berry, W. 2006. Conservationist and Agrarian. In Imhoff, D. and Baumgartner, J.B. (eds). Farming and the Fate of Wild Nature: Essays on Conservation-based Agriculture. Watershed Media, Healdsburg, CA. p. 3–13.Google Scholar
5Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. 2005. Ecosystems and Human Well-being: A Framework for Assessment. General Synthesis. Island Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
6Altieri, M.A. 1999. The ecological role of biodiversity in agroecosystems. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 74:19–31.Google Scholar
7Tilman, D., Cassman, K.G., Matson, P.A., Naylor, R., and Polasky, S. 2002. Agricultural sustainability and intensive production practices. Nature 418:671–677.Google Scholar
8Brooks, T.M., Wright, S.J., and Sheil, S. 2009. Evaluating the success of conservation actions in safeguarding tropical forest biodiversity. Conservation Biology 23:1448–1457.Google Scholar
9Terborgh, J. 1999. Requiem for Nature. Island Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
10Ellis, E.C. and Ramankutty, N. 2008. Putting people in the map: anthropogenic biomes of the world. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 6:439–447.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11Zhang, W., Ricketts, T.H., Kremen, C., Carney, K., and Swinton, S.M. 2007. Ecosystem services and disservices to agriculture. Ecological Economics 64:253–260.Google Scholar
12Sutherland, W.J., Adams, W.M., Aronson, R.B., Aveling, R., Blackburn, T.M., Broad, S., Ceballos, G., Cote, I.M., Cowling, R.M., Da Fonseca, G.A.B., Dinerstein, E., Ferraro, P.J., Fleishman, E., Gascon, C., Hunter, M., Hutton, J., Kareiva, P., Kuria, A., MacDonald, D.W., MacKinnon, K., Madgwick, F.J., Mascia, M.B., McNeely, J., Milner-Gulland, E.J., Moon, S., Morley, C.G., Nelson, S., Osborn, D., Pai, M., Parsons, E.C.M., Peck, L.S., Possingham, H., Prior, S.V., Pullin, A.S., Rands, M.R.W., Ranganathan, J., Redford, K.H., Rodriguez, J.P., Seymour, F., Sobel, J., Sodhi, N.S., Stott, A., Vance-Borland, K., and Watkinson, A.R. 2009. One hundred questions of importance to the conservation of global biological diversity. Conservation Biology 23:557–567.Google Scholar
13Pretty, J., Sutherland, W., Ashby, J., Auburn, J., Baulcombe, D., Bell, M., Bentley, J., Bickersteth, S., Brown, K., Burke, J., Campbell, H., Chen, K., Crowley, E., Crute, I., Dobbelaere, D., Edwards-Jones, G., Funes-Monzote, F., Godfray, H.C.J., Griffon, M., Gypmantisiri, P., Haddad, L., Halavatau, S., Herren, H., Holderness, M., Izac, A., Jones, M., Koohafkan, P., Lal, R., Lang, T., McNeely, J., Mueller, A., Nisbett, N., Noble, A., Pingali, P., Pinto, Y., Rabbinge, R., Ravindranath, N.H., Rola, A., Roling, N., Sage, C., Settle, W., Sha, J.M., Shiming, L., Simons, T., Smith, P., Strzepeck, K., Swaine, H., Terry, E., Tomich, T.P., Toulmin, C., Trigo, E., Twomlow, S., Vis Jan, K., Wilson, J., and Pilgrim, S. 2010. The top 100 questions of importance to the future of global agriculture. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 8:219–236.Google Scholar
14Hobbs, R.J., Arico, S., Aronson, J., Baron, J.S., Bridgewater, P., Cramer, V.A., Epstein, P.R., Ewel, J.J., Klink, C.A., Lugo, A.E., Norton, D., Ojima, D., Richardson, D.M., Sanderson, E.W., Valladares, F., Vilà, M., Zamora, R., and Zobel, M. 2006. Novel ecosystems: theoretical and management aspects of the new ecological world order. Global Ecology and Biogeography 15:1–7.Google Scholar
15Wortman, S.E., Lindquist, J.L., Harr, M.J., and Francis, C.A. 2010. Increased weed diversity, density, and above-ground biomass in long-term organic crop rotations. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 25:281–295.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16Johnson, R.J., Jedlicka, J.A., Quinn, J.E., and Brandle, J.R. 2011. Global perspectives on birds in agricultural landscapes. In Campbell, W.B. and Ortiz, S.L. (eds). Integrating Agriculture, Conservation and Ecotourism: Examples from the Field, Issues in Agroecology—Present Status and Future Prospectus 1. Springer, New York. p. 55–140.Google Scholar
17Firbank, L.G., Heard, M.S., Woiwod, I.P., Hawes, C., Haughton, A.J., Champion, G.T., Scott, R.J., Hill, M.O., Dewar, A.M., Squire, G.R., May, M.J., Brooks, D.R., Bohan, D.A., Daniels, R.E., Osborne, J.L., Roy, D.B., Black, H.I.J., Rothery, P., and Perry, J.N. 2003. An introduction to the farm-scale evaluations of genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops. Journal of Applied Ecology 40:2–16.Google Scholar
18Brummer, E.C., Barber, W.T., Collier, S.M., Cox, T.S., Johnson, R., Murray, S.C., Olsen, R.T., Pratt, R.C. and Thro, A.M. 2011. Plant breeding for harmony between agriculture and the environment. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 9:561–568.Google Scholar
19Robertson, B.A., Doran, P.J., Loomis, L.R., Robertson, J.R., and Schemske, D.W. 2011. Perennial biomass feedstocks enhance avian diversity. GCB Bioenergy 3:235–246.Google Scholar
20Glover, J., Reganold, J.P., Bell, L.W., Borevitz, J., Brummer, E.C., Buckler, E.S., Cox, T.S., Cox, C.M., Crews, T.E., Culman, S.W., DeHaan, L.R., Eriksson, D., Gill, B.S., Holland, J., Hu, F., Hulke, B.S., Ibrahim, A.M.H., Jackson, W., Jones, S.S., Murray, S.C., Paterson, A.H., Ploschuk, E., Sacks, E.J., Snapp, S., Tao, D., Van Tassel, D.L., Wade, L.J., Wyse, D.L., and Xu, Y. 2010. Increased food and ecosystem security via perennial grains. Science 328:1638–1639.Google Scholar
21Swinton, S.M., Lupi, F., Robertson, G.P., and Hamilton, S.K. 2007. Ecosystem services and agriculture: cultivating agricultural ecosystems for diverse benefits. Ecological Economics 64:245–252.Google Scholar
22Chaplin-Kramer, R., Tuxen-Bettman, T., and Kremen, C. 2011. Value of wildland habitat for supplying pollination services to Californian agriculture. Rangelands 33:33–41.Google Scholar
23Bennett, E.M., Peterson, G.D., and Gordon, L.J. 2009. Understanding relationships among multiple ecosystem services. Ecology Letters. 12:1394–1404.Google Scholar
24Kleijn, D., Berendse, F., Smit, R., Gilissen, N., Smit, J., Brak, B., and Groeneveld, R. 2004. Ecological effectiveness of agri-environment schemes in different agricultural landscapes in the Netherlands. Conservation Biology 18:775–786.Google Scholar
25Ahnström, A., Höckert, J., Bergeå, H.L., Francis, C.A., Skelton, P. and Hallgren, L. 2009. Farmers and nature conservation: What is known about attitudes, context factors and actions affecting conservation? Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 24:38–47.Google Scholar
26Ikerd, J. 2008. Farming in the future: the triple bottom line. In Ikerd, J. (ed.). Crisis and Opportunity: Sustainability in American Agriculture. Bison Books, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, NE.Google Scholar
27Committee on a New Biology for the 21st Century: Ensuring the United States Leads the Coming Biology Revolution; National Research Council. 2009. A New Biology for the 21st Century. Available at Web site: http://www.nap.edu/catalog/12764.html (accessed April 20, 2012).Google Scholar
28IAASTD. 2009. Agriculture at a Crossroads: Global Report. Island Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar