Biodiversity-production feedback effects lead to intensification traps in agricultural landscapes.

ABSTRACT: Intensive agriculture with high reliance on pesticides and fertilizers constitutes a major strategy for 'feeding the world'. However, such conventional intensification is linked to diminishing returns and can result in 'intensification traps'-production declines triggered by the negative feedback of biodiversity loss at high input levels. Here we developed a novel framework that accounts for biodiversity feedback on crop yields to evaluate the risk and magnitude of intensification traps. Simulations grounded in systematic literature reviews showed that intensification traps emerge in most landscape types, but to a lesser extent in major cereal production systems. Furthermore, small reductions in maximal production (5-10%) could be frequently transmitted into substantial biodiversity gains,

SUBMITTER: Burian A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11009109 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature