Non-production vegetation has a positive effect on ecological processes in agroecosystems

Abstract

An ever-expanding human population, ongoing global climatic changes, and the spread of intensive farming practices is putting increasing pressure on agroecosystems and the inherent biodiversity they contain. Non-production vegetation elements, such as woody patches, riparian margins, and inter-crop and restoration plantings, are vital for conserving biodiversity in agroecosystems and are therefore considered key to sustaining the biotic and abiotic processes underpinning sustainable and resilient agroecosystems. Despite this critical role, there is a surprising lack of synthesis of which types of non-production vegetation elements drive and/or support ecological processes and the mechanisms by which this occurs. Using a systematic, quantitative literature review of 342 articles, we asked: what are the effects of non-production vegetation elements on agroecosystem processes and how are these processes measured within global agroecosystems? Our literature search focussed on the effects of non-production vegetation related to faunal, weed, disease, and abiotic processes. The majority (61%) of studies showed positive effects on ecological processes: non-production vegetation increased the presence, level or rate of the studied process. However, rather than directly measuring ecosystem processes, 83% of studies inferred processes using proxies for ecosystem function, such as biodiversity and soil physicochemical properties. Studies that directly measured non-production vegetation effects focussed on a limited number of vegetation effects including comparisons of vegetation types, farm-scale configuration, and proximity to vegetation. Moreover, studies directly measuring ecosystem processes were similarly limited, dominated by invertebrate biocontrol, predator and natural enemy spillover, animal movement, and ecosystem cycling. We identify research gaps and present a pathway for future research in understanding the ecosystem components and processes that build resilient, sustainable agroecosystems.