Management practices to conserve farmland biodiversity and associated ecosystem services

Abstract

The relationship between agriculture and biodiversity is complex and varies according to region, climate and management practices, some of which have only been revealed by recent research. This paper presents a mini-review of initiatives that can enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services in agricultural lands mainly in Japan. There are many examples of research on initiatives that can increase species richness and abundance of wildlife in rice paddies, including organic farming, low-input farming, winter flooding, and the establishment of biotopes and small ditches. Based on these findings, the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) has developed a manual for surveying and assessing biodiversity. Although there are much fewer cases of research in other croplands and orchards in Japan, global studies have shown that species richness can be increased by organic farming. However, organic farming and some of the initiatives have a trade-off with yield. In recent years, more research has been conducted on initiatives that do not reduce or even increase yields by enhancing ecosystem services provided by biodiversity, and more research is needed in the future to improve the sustainability of agriculture.