Multifunctionality in managed grassland systems - Biodiversity and ecosystem services
Grassland systems have been in focus for a long time
due to their ecological, socioeconomic and cultural importance. If moderately
managed, these grasslands increase the multifunctionality of the rural
landscapes by harbouring extraordinary high biodiversity and by providing
numerous ecosystem services like meat production, carbon sequestration, and
different cultural values. Grasslands are currently undergoing an extensive
land use change world vide, in particular transformation as a consequence
agricultural intensification, urbanisation, and land abandonment. In this
project we will present a comprehensive overview of what ecosystem services are
generated in different types of grassland and if different services show
trade-offs or synergies with each other and with biodiversity conservation. During our stay at STIAS we will synthesize parts
of our previous work, together with the other scientific literature, in a joint publication addressing biodiversity and ecosystem
service generation in grasslands. Study area: N Europe and Southern Africa
Financing: Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), South Africa
Collaboration: Swedish Agriculture University, SLU, and Lund University
Woody or treeless pastures? Linking subsidy systems, farmers decisions and management for understanding biodiversity patterns
The definitions of forest and pasture are still
debated both within Sweden and Europe, and the delimitation between them is not
clarified, severely affecting Swedish farmers relying on EU subsidies for
management of semi-natural pastures, as a part of the goals for both cultural
heritage and promoting the high biodiversity in these habitats. Although
semi-natural pastures are well studied we still do not know the effect on
species (i.e. how many and what kinds of species that are lost) when excluding
pastures with more than 60 trees per ha from the subsidy system. In this study
we clarify what grassland species that are favoured/unfavoured by tree cover of
different amount, identify thresholds and link that to pasture management. With
this targeted design this project are able to directly evaluate the effects of
current subsidy system on plant diversity as well as increase the general
understanding of management effects in woody pastures. By studying how the
subsidy system influence the decision making among land owners and managers,
the results can be linked to management, important when formulating new policy
for management of semi-natural pastures. Study area: Biosphere area Östra Vätternbranterna, Sweden
Financing: Swedish Research Council for Environment,Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (FORMAS)
Collaboration: Gothenburg University
Understanding plant dynamics associated with current and historical land use to mitigated future species decline
The main objective of the project is to understand how plant diversity is affected by historic and current land use, and thus meet future challenges associated with species decline. The project handles biodiversity in rural landscapes, with a special emphasis on plant diversity in grasslands. Instead of the traditional binary landscape approach, i.e. a landscape constituting of suitable and non-suitable habitats, this project analyses the landscape matrix as a continuum of more or less suitable habitats, including semi-natural grasslands as well as secondary grasslands and new pastures (former fields). Such approach makes it possible to identify critical processes associated with fragmentation, isolation and habitat quality at a landscape scale, both for focal plant species and whole grassland communities.
Study area: South Eastern Sweden
Financing: Swedish Research Council for Environment,Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (FORMAS)
Habitat restoration in fragmented landscapes: effects on biodiversity and ecosystem functions
In this project we investigate how species community reassembly and reconstruction of ecosystem functioning following habitat restoration are linked to the structure of the surrounding landscape. We focus on plant and insect communities, and on pollination which is an important ecosystem function provided by the insects. We compare the community reassembly patterns to our current information on the order of disassembly after habitat loss and fragmentation, and assess if the species traits that predict re-colonization success are the same that predict extinction risk. This project will contribute to our general understanding of colonization and extinction processes in fragmented and restored landscapes.www2.ekol.slu.se/restore
Study area: South Eastern Sweden
Financing: Swedish Research Council for Environment,Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (FORMAS)
Collaboration: Swedish Agriculture University, SLU, Ulltuna
Ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes: the development of a framework for assessing synergies and dealing with trade-offs among multiple services
The aim of this project is to develop a conceptual
framework and new empirical methods for ‘rapid and systematic assessments’ of
connections among multipleecosystem services in agricultural landscapes. The core hypothesis is that different services are interlinked or ‘bundled’ together, and therefore co-vary as one service (in this case e.g. food or bio-fuels) increases. We also want to investigate if there are distinct bundles that change with altered land uses, spatial scales and management practices, and if so, whether this change is smooth, or abrupt and non-linear. We will focus on two agricultural landscapes, one in Sweden and one in South Africa, where we have substantial previous field experience and are well connected to researchers, actors and policy makers.
Study area: Sweden and South Africa
Financing: Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (FORMAS)
Collaboration: Stockholm Resilience centre and UKZN South Africa
Finished projects
Rethinking agricultural land abandonment to create socially responsive and biodiverse landscapes
In this project we considered the implications for management of these transition landscapes. Using case studies from Sweden, Portugal and Australia where we have substantial field experience and are well integrated with researchers, government and communities, we developed a practice framework for managing ordinary landscapes.
COCONUT (EU-project): Project title: Understanding effects of land use changes on ecosystems to halt loss of biodiversity due to habitat destruction, fragmentation and degradation”. In this project I was responsible person (PI) representing Stockholm University. Main aim with the project was to compile existing data from historic and current biodiversity in Europe to model future effects of land use on biodiversity. http://www.coconut-project.net/
HagmarksMistra - Management of pastures - Ecology and economy (Mistra (2004-2008)): My role was to coordinate on of the program "The Landscape" aiming at analysing how ecology and socio-economic drivers affect the landscape perspective. http://www-hagmarksmistra.slu.se/
