Changes in Land Use Promotes Biodiversity

Farming/Growing, Feedstock, Germany, Infrastructure, R & D Focus, Sustainability, Switzerland, University/College Programs

December 30, 2013

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(University of Bern, Switzerland) If grassland used intensively, biodiversity decreases. Particularly affected are rare species, a new study headed by Berner plant scientists shows. Such negative effects could be reduced if farmers would vary the intensity of their management in different years. Worldwide, the intensification of agricultural use as the greatest threat to biodiversity is considered. Previous studies on the effects of land use intensity on biodiversity limited only to individual or small groups of organisms. However, the effects of different uses on individual species can be very different. This means that the impact of land use on biodiversity are often not clear.
A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) study, which was led by the Bernese professors Eric Allan and Markus Fischer, now shows that farmers can contribute over time to protect biodiversity in grassland through changes in management intensity . These changes may reduce some of the negative effects of intensive land use, especially for rare species. READ MORE Abstract

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