The effects of environmnetal context on biodiversity in agro-ecosystems: managing for biodiversity and ecosystem services - Mark Emmerson

WP1. Impacts of Energy Crops on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning

Prof. Mark Emmerson

The effects of environmental context on biodiversity in agro-ecosystems: managing for biodiversity and

ecosystem services.

Mark EmmersonBiocontrolQUB

Jane StoutPollinationTCD

Padraig WhelanInvasionsUCC

Jens DauberProject Manager

David BourkeProject Manager

Lisa Dolan WP1 & 2Research Assistant

Florence Hecq WP1Research Assistant

Dara StanleyPollinators

Jesko ZimmermanCarbon sequestration

Erin O’RourkeBiocontrol

Rosalyn ThompsonInvasion resistance

Mike JonesCarbon sequestrationTCD

Sectoral Impacts on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

WP1 Project Team

~20 Graduate and Undergraduate Research Assistants

WP1. Impacts of Energy Crops on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning

Food?

WP1. Impacts of Energy Crops on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning

Fuel?

WP1. Impacts of Energy Crops on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning

Conventional crops Novel Bioenergy Crop

WP1. Impacts of Energy Crops on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning

Novel Bioenergy Crop

Novel Bioenergy Crop

Miscanthus x giganteus

•High dry weight annual yield (25t/h).

•Rhizomatous perennial grass with a C4 photosynthesis pathway.

•Originates in Asia.

•Adapted to temperate climates.

•Introduction subsidised in Ireland.

The role of Energy Crops in landscapes.The role of Energy Crops in landscapes.

Source or refuge for Biodiversity Sink for Biodiversity

The experimental design and sampling effort for studying the natural enemy biodiversity of bioenergy crops.

Pol

linat

ors

Nat

ural

Ene

mie

sA

rabl

eP

lant

sValuation of Ecosystem Services

€535 Million UK Economy

€3.6 Billion US Economy

Car

bon

Seq

.

€847 Million UK Economy

NEA (2011), Power (2010)

?Unknown?

1. Quantify the effects of novel energy crops on the biodiversity of agricultural ecosystems (O’Rourke et al., Stanley et al., Emmerson et al.)

2. Define the relationship between biodiversity and the delivery of ecosystem services in agricultural systems (Emmerson et al.)

3. Assess impacts of high and low intensity energy crop farming on diversity. (O’Rourke et al.)

4. Document landscape scale effects of intensification on biodiversity in energy crops. (Bourke et al.)

WP1. Impacts of Energy Crops on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning

The experimental design and sampling effort for studying the natural enemy biodiversity of bioenergy crops.

CROP TYPE

MT MG OSR CT CG

EDGE CENTREMARGIN

pollinators Natural EnemiesArable Plants

Experimental Design

Carbon Sequestration

Study Area

Counties:WexfordKilkennyCarlow

WaterfordTipperary

CorkConventional Tillage

Winter Oilseed Rape

Miscanthus on Grass

Miscanthus on Tillage

Conventional Grass

Pollination services

• How do energy crops affect the Biodiversity of pollinators?

Dara StanleyTCD

1 2 3 4 5

05

10

15

20

Spe

cies

Ric

hnes

s

Crop Type

MG CG MT CT OSR

b

a,b

b

b,c

c

Pollination services

• How do energy crops affect the Biodiversity of pollinators?

Dara StanleyTCD

0.8 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3

4.6

4.8

5.0

5.2

5.4

5.6

5.8

6.0

log10(Species Richness)

Po

llin

atio

n P

ote

ntia

l

MTMGOSRCTCG

Biocontrol services

• How do energy crops affect the Biodiversity of natural enemies?

Erin O’RourkeUCC

1 2 3 4 5

05

10

15

20

Spe

cies

Ric

hnes

s

Crop Type

MG CG MT CT OSR

a a a

a,b

b

Biocontrol services

• How do energy crops affect the Biodiversity of natural enemies?

Erin O’RourkeUCC

0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

log10(Species Richness)

Co

nsu

mp

tion

M0.

75

MTMGOSRCTCG

Production services

• How do energy crops affect the Biodiversity of arable plants?

Rosalyn ThompsonUCC

1 2 3 4 5

05

10

15

20

25

30

Spe

cies

Ric

hnes

s

MG CG MT CT OSR

Crop Type

b b b

a

b

Production services

• How do energy crops affect the Biodiversity of arable plants?

Rosalyn ThompsonUCC

0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

log10(Species Richness)

log

10(P

erce

nt C

over

)

MTMGOSCTCG

Log10(Species Richness)

Information to inform policy Information to inform policy

1. Different energy crops affect components of biodiversity differently.

2. We can account for these context dependencies.

3. Manage for directly for biodiversity and you manage for the delivery of associated ecosystem services indirectly.

4. Information to inform composition of bioenergy crops that maximise biodiversity.

5. Diversity of crop types at the landscape scale has positive effects on landscape diversity.

Acknowledgements Acknowledgements

All PhD students and Post Doctoral Researchers working on SIMBIOSYS.

Many Farmers that enabled the work.

Funders: EPA