Ecosystem service provision by establishing temporal
habitats in agricultural environments
Erja Huusela-Veistola1, Eeva-Liisa Alanen2, Terho Hyvönen1 & Mikko Kuussaari2
1MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Plant Production Research, FI-31600 Jokioinen,
Finland, 2Finnish Environment Institute, Natural Environment Centre, Ecosystem
Change Unit , P.O. Box 140, FI-00251 Helsinki, Finland. Phone +358 3 4188
2447, e-mail erja.huusela-veistola@mtt.fi
Introduction
Intensification of arable production by regional specialisation of farms, increase in
farm size and adoption of monocultures has simplified the structure of agroecosystems.
For agro-biodiversity, the decline in the area of semi-natural
grasslands and field margins has been detrimental. These non-crop habitats are
important landscape elements, offering food sources and hibernation sites, and
providing key ecosystem services, such as pollination as well as biological control
by natural enemies of crop pests. Arthropods and seeds are also an important
food source for other trophic levels, particularly for farmland birds.
In Finland, several measures for promoting biodiversity are included in the
national agri-environment scheme (2007-2013). However, new cost-effective
measures need to be developed in order to maintain and enhance biodiversity in
intensively cultivated areas. One of the most promising approaches is to
compensate the loss of semi-natural habitats by establishing temporal habitats
such as rotational fallows, long-term set-asides, wildflower strips and open fieldforest
ecotones.
We experimentally studied the establishment and management of the abovementioned
temporal habitats from the viewpoint of functional diversity. We
focused on four important ecosystem services: biocontrol by natural enemies,
production of seed and insect food for farmland birds as well as provision of
resources for pollinators. The challenge of supporting different ecosystem services
using the same establishment and management practices is highlighted.
Material and Methods
The data were collected from four large field experiments focusing on rotational
fallows (2003-2006), long-term set-asides (2003-2008), wildflower strips (2007
onwards) and field-forest ecotones (2008 onwards). The experiments were
conducted in Jokioinen, Southern Finland. Details of the field experiments and
sampling methods of plant and arthropod data is reported elsewhere (HuuselaVeistola & Hyvönen 2006, Alanen et al. 2011, Hyvönen & Huusela-Veistola 2011,
Kuussaari et al. 2011).
Results and Discussion
According to results of our field experiments the effectiveness of the Finnish agrienvironment
scheme could be improved by increasing area of temporal habitats in
agricultural landscape. However, the most beneficial management varies between
ecosystem services.
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Pollinator insects benefit from rotational fallows and long-term set-asides,
especially if they are established using a suitable seed mixture (inc. nectar and
pollen plants or less competitive grasses. (Alanen et al. 2011, Kuussaari et al.
2011). However, bumblebees and diurnal Lepidoptera respond differently to setaside
succession (Alanen et al. 2011). According to preliminary results pollinator
abundance and diversity can be enhanced by wildflower strips and open fieldforest
ecotones (Alanen et al. unpublished data).
Short-term rotational fallows, new set-asides and seed mixtures containing
specific seed-bearing crops are best alternative to provide seed food for farmland
birds (Hyvönen & Huusela-Veistola 2011). The age of set-aside and vegetation
structure are more important than seed mixture or plant species richness in
supporting insect food for birds, and therefore set asides of various ages are
needed (Hyvönen & Huusela-Veistola 2011).
Even a short-term fallow sown with a simple seed mixture can encourage
populations of generalist predators (Huusela-Veistola & Hyvönen 2006), but longterm
set-asides may be even better for natural enemies (Huusela-Veistola 2008).
Because of the various species requirements numerous habitats are needed if
biodiversity is to be increased or maintained. At the landscape level, the
proportion and location of non-crop temporal habitats may be important factors
for key ecosystem services. Therefore, temporal habitats, e.g. set-asides, of
various ages and different vegetation structures should be included in the
agricultural landscape to encourage optimum functional biodiversity
References
Alanen, E-L, Hyvönen, T, Lindgren, S., Härmä, O.& Kuussaari, M. 2011.
Differential responses of bumblebees and diurnal Lepidoptera to vegetation
succession in long-term set-aside J. Appl. Ecol. in press.
Huusela-Veistola, E. & Hyvönen, T. 2006. Rotational fallows in support of
functional biodiversity. In: Editors Walter A.H. Rossing, Lisa Eggenschweiler &
Hans-Michael Poehling. Landscape Management for Functional Biodiversity. IOBC
wprs Bulletin 29: 61-64.
Huusela-Veistola, E. 2008. Long-term set-asides and functional biodiversity. In:
Walter A.H. Rossing, Hans-Michael Poehling & Maarten van Helden (eds).
Landscape Management for Functional Biodiversity. IOBC wprs Bulletin 34: 37-40.
Hyvönen, T. & Huusela-Veistola, E. 2011. Impact of seed mixture and mowing on
food abundance for farmland birds in set-asides. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. doi:
10.1016/j.agee.2011.04.008
Kuussaari, M., Hyvönen, T.& Härmä, O. 2011. Pollinator insects benefit from
rotational fallows. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. doi: 10.1016/j.agee.2011.03.006
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