Landscape Management Practices Research Articles

Land Resource Management Policy in Selected European Countries

Land use, land resource demands, and landscape management practices are linked to many of the environmental, climatic, and socio-economic challenges faced by contemporary society. The study focuses on a comparative analysis of the experience of the land resource management (LRM); thus, the study aims respond to how the land-related resources are managed, what policy instruments support it, and what improvements would promote the sustainable management of these resources. Exploring LRM policies in selected countries, the experience of three Baltic countries and two other countries under the jurisdiction of continental Europe was analyzed, and their comparison was made based on qualitative research methodology. Based on the study’s results, the most important comparative characteristics of LRM policies are discussed. The findings of the study in selected countries provide recommendations for improving the institutional framework related to LRM. However, the outcome encourages a transfer of the research experience to other jurisdictions.

The challenges and possibilities in the reconstruction of non-forest woody vegetation: A case study of the hermit beetle microhabitat in the Poodří region, Czechia

Non-forest woody vegetation such as copses, orchards, hedges, alleys, riparian vegetation, and isolated trees is a key-stone ecological, economic, and cultural landscape feature of agricultural landscapes. The analysis of its history is a precondition for the understanding of local management, traditional knowledge and practices, as well as human-nature relations. It is also key for its successful conservation and the conservation of biological species depending on its existence. The reconstruction of its historical development, however, brings a number of challenges arising from a lack of archival sources, its sketchy depictions on historical maps, and limited possibilities for its interpretation on the basis of aerial photographs. Attempts at the reconstruction of non-forest woody vegetation have been therefore few and most have utilized only cartographic sources and aerial photographs. This study shows what we can learn about non-forest woody vegetation history from archival records and how such findings can help to interpret, complement, and correct findings obtained from other sources. Unlike maps and aerial photographs, archival records can also shed light on tree and landscape management practices, motivations, and preferences of local actors. This is especially important for the correct understanding of the historical changes of anthropogenic landscape features such as non-forest woody vegetation. The use of historical methods and archival records would greatly benefit nature conservation and landscape planning.

Understanding the impact of sustainable land-scape management practices on farm productivity under intensifying tropical cyclones: Evidence from Southern Malawi

Southern Malawi is continuously affected by tropical cyclone-related floods (TCRFs), which have negative consequences on households' livelihoods, thereby displacing most households to neighbouring communities of Mozambique. The TCRFs have further threatened national, regional, community, and household food security agenda, which is already constrained by poverty, poor agricultural practices, low use of improved varieties, unaffordable inorganic fertilizers, and fragmenting landholding sizes. Accordingly, households have indigenously engineered resilience-based Sustainable Landscape Management (SLM) practices, like intercropping, agroforestry, cover cropping, and soil and water conservation practices, against the adverse effects of TCRFs on-farm productivity. Hence, this study examines the effect of TCRFs and SLM adoption on-farm productivity. While using rigorous endogenous switching regression econometric tools, the study finds TCRFs reducing farm productivity by 27 percent. After SLM adoption, the study observes farm productivity enhancement by 29–126 percent when households adopt at least one SLM practices under varying degrees of TCRFs. Despite the highlighted advantages of SLM adoption, female farmers are less likely to adopt SLM practices because they do not have access to productive resources. Hence, the study proposes the need of gender targeted extension services, accompanied by some seed capital for SLM adoption. Besides, there is need to sensitize farmers on the complementarities between inorganic fertilizer and SLM practices. Lastly, future studies should assess the effect of sustained SLM adoption or dis-adoption and input intensification on farm productivity.

Multi-stakeholder analysis of fire risk reduction in a densely populated area in the Netherlands: a case-study in the Veluwe area

Reducing the climate change-induced risk of uncontrollable fires in landscapes under nature management, with severe impacts on landscape and society, is particularly urgent in densely-populated and fragmented areas. Reducing fire risk in such areas requires active involvement of a wide diversity of stakeholders. This research letter investigates stakeholders’ needs with regard to fire risk reduction in the Veluwe area in the Netherlands. This densely populated landscape is a popular tourist attraction, and it is one of the most fire-prone landscapes of the Netherlands, with abundant fuels and human ignition sources. We draw upon seven in-depth qualitative interviews with key stakeholders in the Veluwe area, which we situate in a wider review of existing literature. Our analysis demonstrates that the rising incidence of uncontrollable fires poses four types of new challenges to these stakeholders in the Veluwe area. First, stakeholders express the need to reshape existing policy tools and develop novel ones that create synergies between existing policy-priorities (e.g. biodiversity conservation) and fire risk reduction. Second, stakeholders argue for a critical rethinking of the value of landscapes in society, and the diverse roles that fire may play in landscape management research and practice. Third, developing such policy tools requires new modalities and platforms for multi-stakeholder and multi-level collaboration, which are currently lacking because the current and expected future risk of uncontrollable fire is unprecedented. And fourth, the development of effective policy tools requires new knowledge that is interdisciplinary, sensitive towards the local social and ecological characteristics of the area, and which approaches current fire risk challenges and their possible solutions dynamically. While our stakeholder analysis is specific to the Veluwe area in the Netherlands, our findings are also likely to be relevant to other fire-prone nature areas in fragmented landscapes, particularly in Northwestern Europe.

Intelligent Construction and Management of Landscapes through Building Information Modeling and Mixed Reality

Intelligent construction and management processes are essential to ensure the efficiency of planting and maintenance of landscapes in large-scale projects. Unfortunately, various challenges still exist for achieving such a vision. For instance, creating detailed models of various plants to precisely capture the spatiotemporal changes is challenging. Moreover, transmitting massive plant-related data in time for project coordination and remote maintenance is also difficult through traditional landscape management practices. Integrated use of building information modeling (BIM) and mixed reality (MR) techniques could help establish digital representations of various plants with semantic information. Such integration of BIM and MR offers instinctual interactions by blending the physical and digital worlds. This study proposed an intelligent construction and management framework through BIM and MR to (1) establish detailed models of various plants, (2) capture spatiotemporal changes of plants across four seasons for model updating, and (3) establish a real-time data transmission method for effective project coordination and remote maintenance of various plants. The authors used the Jinhu Park project in the Xiong’an New District of China as a case study to validate the proposed method. Results show that the proposed method could support the sustainable development of landscapes in real practice.

The legacy of 1300 years of land use in Jamaica

Despite decades of archaeological research on Jamaica, little is known about how settlers influenced landscape change on the island over time. Here, we examine the impact of human occupation through a multi-proxy approach using phytolith, charcoal, and stratigraphic analyses. White Marl was a continuously inhabited village settlement (ca. 1050–450 cal yrs BP) with large mounded midden areas, precolonial house structures, and human landscape management practices. We have shown that the local vegetation at White Marl was directly affected by human settlement through the use of agroforestry and burning, and suggest that fire was used to modify vegetation. Manioc phytoliths were found throughout human occupation and are broadly associated with increases in evidence for burning, suggesting fire was used to modify the landscape and clear vegetation for crop cultivation. The phytolith assemblages relate to three distinct temporal vegetation phases: (1) the earliest occupation dominated by arboreal vegetation (pre-ca. 870 cal yrs BP); (2) a transition to palm-dominated vegetation (ca. 870–670 cal yrs BP); and (3) the latest occupation representing European colonization associated with a more open, grass-dominated landscape (after ca. 670 cal yrs BP). These transitions occur independent of changes in paleoclimate records, suggesting humans were the dominant driver of vegetation change.

Biological Control Services from Parasitic Hymenoptera in Urban Agriculture.

Simple SummaryOur findings support the enemies hypothesis in urban agroecosystems. Local factors, including increased mulch coverage, crop richness, and percent of non-crop areas, are predictors of increased PH abundance and aphid parasitism rates. Our findings support and strengthen previous findings in UA research. Urban farmers should be encouraged to diversify urban agroecosystem spatial composition and implement APM practices to reduce pest impacts.Urban agriculture is practiced in spatially fragmented landscapes with unique characteristics that can impact species occurrence in time and space. As a result, biological control services, an ecosystem service from naturally occurring arthropod natural enemies, can be negatively impacted. Many urban farms forgo pesticides and utilize agroecological pest-management strategies that rely on natural enemies to help regulate pest populations. Understanding how these enemies are affected by landscape composition and on-farm management practices is critical to understanding agroecological pest management in UA and furthering our understanding of landscape-mediated population dynamics. Over two growing seasons, we sampled brassica crops in urban agriculture sites occurring on a spectrum of surrounding landscape imperviousness, spatial composition, size, and management practices to better understand parasitic Hymenoptera abundance, richness, and parasitism rates on the common cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae). We found that on-farm agroecological pest-management practices such as mulch coverage, floral richness, and overall crop-plant richness impacted parasitic Hymenoptera abundance. Larger proportions of on-farm noncrop area increased parasitoid abundance on urban farms. Aphid parasitism increased in relation to on-farm management practices, including increased crop-plant richness. These findings add to a growing understanding of urban agroecosystem function and support the enemies hypothesis in urban agroecosystems.

Associations between landscape values, self-reported knowledge, and land-use: a public participation GIS assessment

ABSTRACT While previous socio-ecological systems research has shown relationships between local knowledge and the assignment of landscape values, the relationships between value assignment and more nuanced forms of local knowledge remain less understood. This study makes use of public participation geographic information systems (PPGIS), a method for identifying and mapping landscape attributes important to local communities. We use this method to assess the spatial associations between three landscape attributes often overlooked in the PPGIS literature: landscape values, self-reported knowledge about different types of landscape management practices and land-use types. We analyzed responses from residents of Mjölby kommun, Sweden (n = 301) using Monte Carlo simulations and density-based clustering. Overall, we found stronger spatial associations between landscape values and land-use types compared with landscape values and self-reported knowledge about landscape management. For example, significant positive associations were found between aesthetic and recreation values and certain land-use types, but there was no association between these values and self-reported knowledge. The land-use type to which a landscape value is assigned is sometimes supported by self-reported knowledge (especially for underrepresented landscape values), while self-reported knowledge did not provide a conclusive pattern about value assignment on its own. We discuss the implications of using PPGIS in integrated landscape management for building multifunctionality in landscape management by addressing the values of different land-use stakeholders, and the potential benefits of increased inclusivity in forms of local knowledge.

Assessing the joint effects of landscape, farm features and crop management practices on berry damage in coffee plantations

Coffee berry borer (CBB) (Hypothenemus hampei; Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) is a major insect pest affecting coffee cultivation that causes large economic losses worldwide. Characteristics related to its life cycle makes it very difficult to control. Usually, CBB control measures are carried out at plot scale, with almost no actions taken at wider landscape scales. It is unclear how plot level control strategies and landscape factors act alone or in combination to influence CBB infestation levels. We evaluated the joint effects of crop management at the plot level, of farm features, and of landscape structure at different spatial scales on CBB infestation in 50 Costa Rican coffee farms. On five plants in each farm, we estimated the maximum number of infested berries during the fruiting period. We measured three separate groups of variables related to plot management practices, farm features and landscape structure. To assess their single and joint contributions, their relative importance and the effects of these variables on the number of infested berries we used the variance partitioning approach of the RandomForest algorithm. When evaluating the groups of factors separately, we found that crop management explained 35% of the variability of number of infested berries, farm features 42% and landscape structure 27%. The joint contribution of all three groups of variables explained 48% of variability of the number of infested berries. However, when we assessed the single contributions of each set of variables, i.e., when controlling the other two set of variables, we found that farm features explained 17% of the variance of the number of infested berries, landscape structure 6% and crop management practices only 3%. The larger amount of the variance explained by the joint effect of crop management practices, farm features, and landscape structure suggests that to develop a pest management strategy at a local scale it is important to consider the effect of both local and landscape factors affecting pest abundance. The integrated CBB management plan should consider influences at multiple spatial scales and a coordinated action among farmers that share the same landscape would be beneficial.

Evaluating connections between personal well-being and adoption of landscape best management practices: An audience segmentation study

Integrated pest management and outdoor water conservation comprise key practices encouraged by nonformal educators who work with the public to address significant issues related to water quality and availability. Disconnects among diverse audiences and educational programs pose challenges in achieving the goals of these types of programs. To discern a potential nonformal educational programming strategy, we conducted audience segmentation research incorporating residential environmental landscape best management practices and compared resulting subgroups' characteristics. We explored this paradigm through the context of Extension education and used a nationally-distributed electronic survey instrument to measure well-being and landscape management perceptions and practices in the United States. We collected 2601 complete survey responses and employed cluster analysis to divide the respondents into homogenous subgroups, followed by analysis of variance and chi-square analyses to identify differences among the subgroups. The group that indicated the highest level of engagement with water conservation and IPM practices also had significantly higher well-being, demonstrating the potential to align IPM education with more commonly promoted conservation practices. Membership in the highest IPM and water conservation group was related to several socio-demographic characteristics, including age, homeownership, and homeowners’ association membership. This group was also most likely to engage with educational programs. Understanding these indicators of engagement in landscape best management practices and nonformal education, along with higher well-being, may be useful in determining target audiences and potential engagement with nonformal education programs.

Constructed Wetlands as a Landscape Management Practice for Nutrient Removal from Agricultural Runoff—A Local Practice Case on the East Coast of Taiwan

Runoff with excessive nutrients from rice paddy fields that releases into the Pacific Ocean has been a possible cause of water body pollution and harm to marine life. Constructed wetlands had developed for decades but were rarely implemented in treating agricultural pollution in Taiwan. Moreover, the environmental policies haven’t provided enough instructions, support, or compensation for the establishment of this practice. The rice paddy field that was chosen in this study is located in Xinshe, Taiwan. It is close to the Pacific Ocean where coral reefs are nearby and fishery resource is abundant. In this study, the northern half of the whole organic field was chosen, and the contributing area is approximately 1 × 105 m2. Four plots of constructed wetlands (approximately 17.5 m wide, 16.7 m long, and 0.2 m deep each, covering 1164.74 m2 of the total area) and employing surface flow were established as CW treatment. Water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) was used for treating the nutrient runoff from organic rice paddy fields. Water samples of input and output of constructed wetlands were collected during 51 days of the experimental period (from the first day of rice transplantation to 10-days before harvest). Ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, and total phosphorus concentrations were analyzed to calculate the nutrient load. The runoff of rice paddy fields without constructed wetlands was also sampled as a reference (RPF treatment). In average, about 54.3% ammonia and 42.7% nitrate was removed from the runoff that went through the CW treatment, while 4.2% ammonia and 51.3% nitrate increase were found at the output of the RPF treatment. Meanwhile, 35.6% of total phosphorus and 29.5% of phosphate were removed from the runoff of constructed wetlands. Only 16.4% total phosphorus and 6.4% phosphate were removed from the RPF treatment. Results indicate that constructed wetlands are promising treatment for agricultural runoff and the result can be used as a reference for the future environmental policies enactment in Taiwan.

Outbreaks of the Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), and Maize Production Constraints in Zambia with Special Emphasis on Coping Strategies

The fall armyworm (FAW) (Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith) is an invasive pest of maize, as well as other important cereals and vegetables, threatening food systems and biodiversity in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to assess the outbreaks of the FAW, farmers’ perceived production constraints, and coping strategies in maize production in Zambia. A participatory rural appraisal (PRA) study was conducted in two FAW-affected maize production districts in Zambia in 2017 and 2018. Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires, preference ranking, and focused group discussions. Crop losses due to FAW, the high cost of fertilizers, and a limited availability of arable land were the major production constraints across the districts. There were significant differences (X2 = 12.415; p = 0.002) in the severity of FAW infestation between the two districts in 2017. Notable FAW coping strategies used by the respondent farmers included cultural and landscape management practices, chemical pesticides, and crushing of FAW larvae. There was a disparity between male and female respondents who perceived social, agronomic management, and crop protection-related factors that influenced the choice of a maize variety. Information presented here will serve as a basis for FAW-resistant cultivar development and deployment of the integrated pest management methods for Zambia.

Evaluating landscape influences on hydrologic behavior with a fully-integrated groundwater – surface water model

Optimizing hydrologic resiliency in agricultural landscapes is critical for the sustainability of food production and ecosystem services, and optimization strategies must include a holistic understanding of the hydrologic cycle, including groundwater-surface water interactions. Here, a large-scale (2056 km2), high resolution (50–150 m), structurally complex, fully-integrated groundwater-surface water model was constructed for an agriculturally-dominated watershed in the Northern Great Plains. The sensitivity of surface water flow and groundwater conditions were examined in the context of wetland/depression water storage capacity, soil hydraulic conductivity (Ks), field surface roughness (Manning’s n), as well as variability in precipitation and potential evapotranspiration (PET). The model evaluation interval extended from 2010 to 2015, which included both flood and drought conditions. Results showed that stream flow rates in the watershed exhibit a larger response to 10 % changes in either precipitation or PET relative to the response associated with a 50 % change in depression storage, a 4x change in Ks, or a 50 % change in n, thus highlighting the region’s susceptibility to weather variability. Of the landscape parameters examined, increasing depression storage provided a greater reduction in peak flood flows than an increase in Ks or n; however, increases in all three landscape parameters contributed to flood peak mitigation as well as groundwater recharge. When model configuration approximated predevelopment (primarily native prairie) landscape conditions, simulated flood peaks were reduced by 22 to 25 %. This study presents a fully-integrated groundwater-surface water modeling framework to determine the hydrologic influences and risk mitigation value of landscape management practices.

Optimal control of nonpoint source pollution in the Bahe River Basin, Northwest China, based on the SWAT model.

This study conducts in the Bahe River Basin, an agricultural basin in Northwest China. We use the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model to identify the spatial distribution characteristics of non-point source (NPS) pollution and determine the critical source areas (CSA). Then the relationship between landscape pattern and NPS pollution is analyzed by spearman correlation analysis and redundancy analysis (RDA). On this basis, we set up eight landscape management practices in the CSA and evaluate their reduction effects on NPS pollution loads. The results show that the spatial distribution of nitrogen and phosphorus loss intensity has a certain correlation with rainfall and runoff, and the correlation between phosphorus loss intensity and sediment loss intensity is more significant. The NPS pollution load is closely related to the landscape pattern of the river basin, and is affected by the fragmentation, aggregation and complexity of the landscape. Farmland, forest land, and grassland are the main landscape components of the river basin. Farmland is the main source of NPS pollution, whereas forest land and grassland can effectively inhibit the output of NPS pollution, and the reduction effect of forest land is significantly better than that of grassland. The largest patch index (LPI), landscape shape index (LSI), patch density (PD) are the main landscape factors that affect the output of NPS pollution load. Among all the scenarios, the reduction effect of returning farmland to forest land in slopes above 15° is the best, and the reduction rates of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) loads have reached about 25%. This study provides some reference for the management of NPS pollution in the Bahe River Basin and other similar basins.

Assessing nature-based solutions for transformative change

Assessing nature-based solutions for transformative change

An Offering of Grain: The Agricultural and Spiritual Cycle of a Food System in the Kailash Sacred Landscape, Darchula, Far Western Nepal

Foodscapes are commonly embedded in spiritual landscapes, making the spiritual dimension of local and indigenous food systems an important element of food sovereignty. However, this dimension is often overlooked in food systems research and policy making. Based on ethnobiological fieldwork conducted in the Kailash Sacred Landscape of far western Nepal, we show how religious festivals and rituals reenact the covenant between people and the land through the numinous intercession of Hindu gods and landscape deities. To demonstrate this, we present the local calendar of the agricultural and ritual year based on data collected through household surveys and participation in festivals and agricultural activities. The complex fabric of the local agri-food system is revealed as articulated in the warp and weft of interwoven agricultural and spiritual cycles. These cycles contribute to respectful and sustainable landscape management practices by shaping the relationship people have with the land. In the annual women's festival of Gaura, the fertility and well-being of people and land is affirmed through the offering of locally produced pulses and grains. Furthermore, local gastronomic identity is enriched by the incentive to cultivate heirloom varieties of crops that are prescribed in rituals performed during Gaura and other major festivals. We conclude that spiritual practices should be considered key elements of biocultural diversity, and recommend that they receive more attention in the implementation of sustainable development that aims to embody the principles of food sovereignty.

Ants species richness and diversity in relation to different ecological habitat in selected localities of the semi-arid region of Karnataka, India.

We analysed the taxonomic position and species diversity of ants in four different habitats (agriculture, vegetative, dry land, and human habitats). A total of 11,038 ant workers belonging to 40 species, 25 genera of 10 tribes, and six subfamilies were recorded. The Simpson index of diversity (1-D) was 0.97, indicating greater diversity in both vegetative and human habitat. Similarly, the Shannon index was 3.40 and 3.50 for both vegetative and human habitats, respectively, indicating assemblage of similar ant species in both habitats. In contrast, for agricultural habitat, Simpson index of diversity (1-D) was 0.90, and for dry land habitat, the least diversity of 0.80 was reported. However, in pair-wise comparisons, no significant difference was observed between agriculture and dry land and vegetative and human habitats. The agriculture and arid land habitats tend to have fewer species compared with the vegetative and human habitats. Human-disturbed areas have an important role as reservoirs of biodiversity and should be included in landscape management practices to improve ant conservation in the tropics.

Sustainable landscape, soil and crop management practices enhance biodiversity and yield in conventional cereal systems

Abstract Input‐driven, modern agriculture is commonly associated with large‐scale threats to biodiversity, the disruption of ecosystem services and long‐term risks to food security and human health. A switch to more sustainable yet highly productive farming practices seems unavoidable. However, an integrative evaluation of targeted management schemes at field and landscape scales is currently lacking. Furthermore, the often‐disproportionate influence of soil conditions and agrochemicals on yields may mask the benefits of biodiversity‐driven ecosystem services. Here, we used a real‐world ecosystem approach to identify sustainable management practices for enhanced functional biodiversity and yield on 28 temperate wheat fields. Using path analysis, we assessed direct and indirect links between soil, crop and landscape management with natural enemies and pests, as well as follow‐on effects on yield quantity and quality. A paired‐field design with a crossed insecticide‐fertilizer experiment allowed us to control for the relative influence of soil characteristics and agrochemical inputs. We demonstrate that biodiversity‐enhancing management options such as reduced tillage, crop rotation diversity and small field size can enhance natural enemies without relying on agrochemical inputs. Similarly, we show that in this system controlling pests and weeds by agrochemical means is less relevant than expected for final crop productivity. Synthesis and applications. Our study highlights soil, crop and landscape management practices that can enhance beneficial biodiversity while reducing agrochemical usage and negative environmental impacts of conventional agriculture. The diversification of cropping systems and conservation tillage are practical measures most farmers can implement without productivity losses. Combining local measures with improved landscape management may also strengthen the sustainability and resilience of cropping systems in light of future global change.

Influence of landscape management practices on urban greenhouse gas budgets

BackgroundWith a lack of United States federal policy to address climate change, cities, the private sector, and universities have shouldered much of the work to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions. This study aims to determine how landcover characteristics influence the amount of carbon (C) sequestered and respired via biological processes, evaluating the role of land management on the overall C budget of an urban university. Boston University published a comprehensive Climate Action Plan in 2017 with the goal of achieving C neutrality by 2040. In this study, we digitized and discretized each of Boston University’s three urban campuses into landcover types, with C sequestration and respiration rates measured and scaled to provide a University-wide estimate of biogenic C fluxes within the broader context of total University emissions.ResultsEach of Boston University’s three highly urban campuses were net sources of biogenic C to the atmosphere. While trees were estimated to sequester 0.6 ± 0.2 kg C m−2 canopy cover year−1, mulch and lawn areas in 2018 emitted C at rates of 1.7 ± 0.4 kg C m−2 year−1 and 1.4 ± 0.4 kg C m−2 year−1, respectively. C uptake by tree canopy cover, which can spatially overlap lawn and mulched landcovers, was not large enough to offset biogenic emissions. The proportion of biogenic emissions to Scope 1 anthropogenic emissions on each campus varied from 0.5% to 2%, and depended primarily on the total anthropogenic emissions on each campus.ConclusionsOur study quantifies the role of urban landcover in local C budgets, offering insights on how landscaping management strategies—such as decreasing mulch application rates and expanding tree canopy extent—can assist universities in minimizing biogenic C emissions and even potentially creating a small biogenic C sink. Although biogenic C fluxes represent a small fraction of overall anthropogenic emissions on urban university campuses, these biogenic fluxes are under active management by the university and should be included in climate action plans.

Assessment of six soil ecosystem services by coupling simulation modelling and field measurement of soil properties

Soil is a reservoir of natural capital that provides several ecosystem services, ensuring human well-being and sustainable socioeconomic development. Many researchers nevertheless argue that there is no consensus on practical indicators to assess soil ecosystem services (SES). As many policy decisions rely on metrics and indicators to communicate concise and relevant information, an assessment of ecosystem service indicators can help identifying gaps hindering policymakers from more fully adopting ecosystem service approaches. The aim of this study was to develop a method to quantitatively evaluate six SES using a set of indicators derived from dynamic soil and crop modelling using the STICS model developed by INRA. In a 6775 km2 study area in north-western France (Brittany), 64 soil sampling points, located in agricultural areas, were selected following a stratified random sampling design based on soil parent material stratification. STICS inputs required climate data, soil property data and soil and landscape management practices. Over a baseline period from 1988 to 2018, similar crop management practices were simulated that reflected the dominant one performed by conventional farmers across the study site: applying organic and mineral fertilizers to a maize-wheat-catch crop rotation. Also, STICS outputs were used to derive six biophysical indicators characterizing six SES. Both mean and annual SES indicators were calculated and analyzed. Interrelations among SES indicators and soil properties were investigated using a Pearson correlation matrix, multivariate variance analysis and regression-based methods. The main results revealed that pedological and inter-annual variability were the main drivers of SES provision, particularly for ground water recharge, plant biomass provision, plant water provision and carbon sequestration. All SES were strongly correlated, except carbon sequestration and plant nitrogen provision, which showed weak correlations with the rest of SES. Moreover, analyzing interrelations between SES indicators and soil properties such as soil depth, soil texture and its related variables such as available water capacity played a predominant role in ensuring high levels of water-related SES indicators. Meanwhile, physicochemical soil properties were strongly correlated with carbon sequestration but less so with plant nitrogen provision. Overall, these findings characterize the effect of soil variability on SES provision using modelling and field measures of several soil properties, which can be useful for policy makers.