| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden;2. CSIRO, Brisbane, QLD, Australia;3. Wageningen University and Research, Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen, The Netherlands;4. Wageningen University and Research, Alterra, Wageningen, The Netherlands;5. MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Lendület Ecosystem Services Research Group, Vácrátót, Hungary;6. Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden;7. MTA‐ELTE‐MTM Ecology Research Group, E?tv?s Loránd University, Biological Institute, Budapest, Hungary;8. Policy and Development, Centre for Agri‐Environment Research, School of Agriculture, University of Reading, Reading, UK;9. University of Padova, DAFNAE, Legnaro, Padova, Italy;10. Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany;11. Poznan University of Life Sciences, Institute of Zoology, Poznan, Poland;12. Centre for Environmental and Climate Research (CEC), Lund University, Lund, Sweden;13. Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology NIOO KNAW, Wageningen, The Netherlands;14. Wageningen University and Research, Laboratory of Nematology, Wageningen, The Netherlands |
| Abstract: | Simultaneously enhancing ecosystem services provided by biodiversity below and above ground is recommended to reduce dependence on chemical pesticides and mineral fertilisers in agriculture. However, consequences for crop yield have been poorly evaluated. Above ground, increased landscape complexity is assumed to enhance biological pest control, whereas below ground, soil organic carbon is a proxy for several yield‐supporting services. In a field experiment replicated in 114 fields across Europe, we found that fertilisation had the strongest positive effect on yield, but hindered simultaneous harnessing of below‐ and above‐ground ecosystem services. We furthermore show that enhancing natural enemies and pest control through increasing landscape complexity can prove disappointing in fields with low soil services or in intensively cropped regions. Thus, understanding ecological interdependences between land use, ecosystem services and yield is necessary to promote more environmentally friendly farming by identifying situations where ecosystem services are maximised and agrochemical inputs can be reduced. |
