Defining sustainable limits during and after intensification in a maritime agricultural ecosystem

Introduction: Intensification of agricultural ecosystems in the 20th century proceeded by a series of innovations that initially ensured food security, but had negative consequences for the in-field and wider environments. A case study in the north Atlantic zone maritime cropland of the UK identifie...

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Autor principal:	Geoffrey R Squire
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Taylor & Francis Group 2017
Materias:	Ecosystem services intensification resilience safe limits biodiversity Ecology QH540-549.5
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/413eab3aeaa94c69b5324ffb310bb5dc
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:413eab3aeaa94c69b5324ffb310bb5dc2021-12-02T14:12:26ZDefining sustainable limits during and after intensification in a maritime agricultural ecosystem2096-41292332-887810.1080/20964129.2017.1368873https://doaj.org/article/413eab3aeaa94c69b5324ffb310bb5dc2017-08-01T00:00:00Zhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20964129.2017.1368873https://doaj.org/toc/2096-4129https://doaj.org/toc/2332-8878Introduction: Intensification of agricultural ecosystems in the 20th century proceeded by a series of innovations that initially ensured food security, but had negative consequences for the in-field and wider environments. A case study in the north Atlantic zone maritime cropland of the UK identified three phases: (1) reorganization between 1940 and 1960, (2) intensification leading to tripling of grain output (1960–1990), and (3) a leveling of output (1990–2015). Outcomes: Innovations that caused the changes together with their effect on life forms, ecological processes and the evolving social, economic and biophysical conditions are identified. Attempts to design future sustainable systems are hampered by the absence of a baseline before intensification, by inadequate knowledge of in-field processes, and by uncertainty over “safe ranges” in which processes can operate without causing long-term system decline. Safe ranges are examined for three attributes recorded over all three phases, namely grain output, fertilizer input and the wild seedbank flora. The lower limits for grain and nitrogen were quantified as those that ensure grain security. Tentative upper limits were identified as those that were economically acceptable to farming in the face of major external perturbations related to food policy and environmental protection. Within these upper limits, fields can maintain a generalist wild species seedbank that supports a farmland food web. Conclusion: Some properties of the ecosystem therefore attained stability in phase 3. However, evidence of degrading soil, increasing pesticide use to maintain yield and collapse of specialist plant functions such as nitrogen fixation and pollination, suggest the system is moving toward a phase of decline.Geoffrey R SquireTaylor & Francis GrouparticleEcosystem servicesintensificationresiliencesafe limitsbiodiversityEcologyQH540-549.5ENEcosystem Health and Sustainability, Vol 3, Iss 8 (2017)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Ecosystem services intensification resilience safe limits biodiversity Ecology QH540-549.5
spellingShingle	Ecosystem services intensification resilience safe limits biodiversity Ecology QH540-549.5 Geoffrey R Squire Defining sustainable limits during and after intensification in a maritime agricultural ecosystem
description	Introduction: Intensification of agricultural ecosystems in the 20th century proceeded by a series of innovations that initially ensured food security, but had negative consequences for the in-field and wider environments. A case study in the north Atlantic zone maritime cropland of the UK identified three phases: (1) reorganization between 1940 and 1960, (2) intensification leading to tripling of grain output (1960–1990), and (3) a leveling of output (1990–2015). Outcomes: Innovations that caused the changes together with their effect on life forms, ecological processes and the evolving social, economic and biophysical conditions are identified. Attempts to design future sustainable systems are hampered by the absence of a baseline before intensification, by inadequate knowledge of in-field processes, and by uncertainty over “safe ranges” in which processes can operate without causing long-term system decline. Safe ranges are examined for three attributes recorded over all three phases, namely grain output, fertilizer input and the wild seedbank flora. The lower limits for grain and nitrogen were quantified as those that ensure grain security. Tentative upper limits were identified as those that were economically acceptable to farming in the face of major external perturbations related to food policy and environmental protection. Within these upper limits, fields can maintain a generalist wild species seedbank that supports a farmland food web. Conclusion: Some properties of the ecosystem therefore attained stability in phase 3. However, evidence of degrading soil, increasing pesticide use to maintain yield and collapse of specialist plant functions such as nitrogen fixation and pollination, suggest the system is moving toward a phase of decline.
format	article
author	Geoffrey R Squire
author_facet	Geoffrey R Squire
author_sort	Geoffrey R Squire
title	Defining sustainable limits during and after intensification in a maritime agricultural ecosystem
title_short	Defining sustainable limits during and after intensification in a maritime agricultural ecosystem
title_full	Defining sustainable limits during and after intensification in a maritime agricultural ecosystem
title_fullStr	Defining sustainable limits during and after intensification in a maritime agricultural ecosystem
title_full_unstemmed	Defining sustainable limits during and after intensification in a maritime agricultural ecosystem
title_sort	defining sustainable limits during and after intensification in a maritime agricultural ecosystem
publisher	Taylor & Francis Group
publishDate	2017
url	https://doaj.org/article/413eab3aeaa94c69b5324ffb310bb5dc
work_keys_str_mv	AT geoffreyrsquire definingsustainablelimitsduringandafterintensificationinamaritimeagriculturalecosystem
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Defining sustainable limits during and after intensification in a maritime agricultural ecosystem

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