Ecologically-Informed Precision Conservation: A framework for increasing biodiversity in intensively managed agricultural landscapes with minimal sacrifice in crop production

GONZÁLEZ, EZEQUIEL; TEDER, TIIT; LANDIS, DOUGLAS A.; KNAPP, MICHAL

Leipzig

Conferencia; 52nd Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland; 2023

Conservation actions to tackle biodiversity loss in intensively managed agricultural landscapes are urgently needed. Production lands are usually highly heterogeneous and contain stable low-yield areas that can be set aside for biodiversity conservation without decreasing farmers’ profit. Here, we present introduce the E/ecologically-informed Informed precision Precision conservation Conservation, a framework that integrates yield mapping, a tool from precision agriculture, and ecological theory to select the best areas to create new set-asides while ensuring high crop yields. Long-term yield maps can be generated using already available satellite data and used to identify low-yield areas where the net economic balance can be minimal. Ecological principles are then used to select the areas with the highest potential for biodiversity conservation by prioritising those that increase connectivity, maximise habitat heterogeneity and decrease landscape grain size. The created non-crop habitats can be permanent and thus ensure biodiversity support across time. In addition, agricultural management efficiency can be enhanced by improving field shapes. The framework provides the basis for a practical, user-friendly tool that informs all interested stakeholders on how to optimize agricultural landscapes using already existing farming systems and available technologies. High cost-effectiveness from an economic and conservation perspective, along with flexible options for farmers and the creation of heterogeneous non-crop habitats make our proposal a promising alternative to re-design agricultural landscapes. This basic framework can be further developed for specific contexts and to address additional issues such as water management and socio-economic outputs.