Abstract
A balanced assessment of ecosystem services provided by agriculture requires a systems-level socioecological understanding of related management practices at local to landscape scales. The results from 25 years of observation and experimentation at the Kellogg Biological Station long-term ecological research site reveal services that could be provided by intensive row-crop ecosystems. In addition to high yields, farms could be readily managed to contribute clean water, biocontrol and other biodiversity benefits, climate stabilization, and long-term soil fertility, thereby helping meet society's need for agriculture that is economically and environmentally sustainable. Midwest farmers—especially those with large farms—appear willing to adopt practices that deliver these services in exchange for payments scaled to management complexity and farmstead benefit. Surveyed citizens appear willing to pay farmers for the delivery of specific services, such as cleaner lakes. A new farming for services paradigm in US agriculture seems feasible and could be environmentally significant.
Highlights
A balanced assessment of ecosystem services provided by agriculture requires a systems-level social– ecological understanding of related management practices at local to landscape scales
The search for practices that attenuate, avoid, or even reverse these harms has produced a rich scientific literature and sporadic efforts to legislate solutions. That these harms persist and, are growing in the face of increased global demands for food and fuel underscores the challenge of identifying solutions that work in ways that are attractive to farmers and responsive to global markets
Growing recognition that agriculture can provide ecosystem services other than yield (Swinton et al 2007, Power 2010) opens a potential for society to pay for improvements in services provided by farming: a clean and well-regulated water supply, biodiversity, natural habitats for conservation and recreation, climate stabilization, and aesthetic and cultural amenities such as vibrant farmscapes
Summary
A balanced assessment of ecosystem services provided by agriculture requires a systems-level social– ecological understanding of related management practices at local to landscape scales. We identify five major ecosystem services that our annual cropping systems could potentially provide: food and fuel, pest control, clean water, climate stabilization through greenhouse gas mitigation, and soil fertility.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
