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Biodiversity not always better for ecosystem

3 January 2022 - Jurphaas Lugtenburg - 5 comments

More biodiversity does not always mean that an ecosystem functions better. A wide variety of plant species does not result in one on one that more biomass is formed. Biomass is seen as the most important indicator for plant growth.

That is the conclusion that scientists from the University of Gotenberg and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel draw from a study, published in the journal Ecology Letters, into the importance of biodiversity. "Increased biodiversity does not necessarily correlate positively with the functioning of an ecosystem. Usually it is one or a few species that are competitive and function well or better. Those species become dominant over time."

According to the researchers, the fact that more species does not lead to higher production does not mean that biodiversity is unimportant. If conditions change and are unfavorable for a more dominant species, it is important that a reservoir of other species is present to fill that 'empty' spot. In the conclusion, the scientists caution that even if local species diversity does not decline, the loss of local species-pool diversity (eg through regional extinction and habitat fragmentation) is likely to have negative long-term consequences for ecosystem functioning. But to what extent and on what scale this effect occurs is currently underexposed.

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Jurphaas Lugtenburg

Is editor at Boerenbusiness and focuses mainly on the arable farming sectors and the feed and energy market. Jurphaas also has an arable farm in Voorne-Putten (South Holland). Every week he presents the Market Flash Grains
Comments
5 comments
Subscriber
grey hairs 3 January 2022
This is in response to it Boerenbusiness article:
[url = https: // www.boerenbusiness.nl/akkerbouw/ artikel/10896012/biodiversiteit-not-altijd-beter-voor-ecosysteem]Biodiversity not always better for ecosystem[/url]
just Dutch
we just don't know
not 4 January 2022
Actually, the whole biodiversity story, a bad farmer, who has his whole field full of weeds, can be given prestige, good farming is always punished, where are we going?
Subscriber
Drent 4 January 2022
and what about attracting harmful insects because of this
Ruud Hendriks 4 January 2022
If it does not yield more, but does provide more stability with fewer resources, then that is also worth something in view of the increasing pressure on chemical use. Biodiversity attracts many, harmful insects and also their predators, that's the fun of well-functioning biodiversity. The complicated thing is that going a little bit for biodiversity doesn't work. To function is part of the business system, as a green 'sauce' it does not work.
Subscriber
Drent 4 January 2022
well I only hear disadvantages, this way there are still many problems towards quality. Fine if one opts for that, but then don't complain as a consumer if there is a worm or something similar in it.
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