Agroecology landscapes

• Published in: Landscape ecology Vol. 36; no. 8; pp. 2235 - 2257
• Main Authors: Jeanneret, Ph, Aviron, S., Alignier, A., Lavigne, C., Helfenstein, J., Herzog, F., Kay, S., Petit, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-08-2021; Springer Nature B.V; Springer Verlag
• Subjects: Agricultural ecosystems; Agricultural land; Agricultural management; Agricultural production; Agroecology; Agroforestry; Biodiversity; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Context; Ecological function; Ecology; Ecology, environment; Ecosystem services; Ecosystems; Environmental Management; Farming systems; Farms; Landscape; Landscape design; Landscape Ecology; Landscape/Regional and Urban Planning; Life Sciences; Lighthouses; Literature reviews; Nature Conservation; Pollination; Review; Review Article; Sustainable Development; Ecosystem services; Biodiversity; Pest regulation; Landscape ecology; Agroforestry; Pollination
• ISSN: 0921-2973; 1572-9761
• DOI: 10.1007/s10980-021-01248-0

Context
Agroecology combines agronomic and ecological concepts. It relies on the enhancement of biodiversity and related ecosystem services to support agricultural production. It is dependent on biological interactions for the design and management of agricultural systems in agricultural landscapes.
Objectives
We review the role of landscape ecology to understand and promote biodiversity, pest regulation and crop pollination for the designing of “agroecology landscapes”. We illustrate the use of landscape ecological methods for supporting agroforestry systems as an example of agroecological development, and we propose pathways to implement agroecology at landscape scale.
Methods
The state of the art of how landscape ecology contributes to agroecology development is summarized based on a literature review.
Results
Agroecology requires thinking beyond the field scale to consider the positioning, quality and connectivity of fields and semi-natural habitats at larger spatial scales. The spatial and temporal organisation of semi-natural elements and the crop mosaic interact. Understanding this interaction is the pre-requisite for promoting patterns and mechanisms that foster biodiversity and ecosystem service provision. Promoting agroecological practices beyond individual farm borders can be rooted in a bottom-up approach from agroecological lighthouse farms to farm networks to amplify agroecology adoption at the landscape scale.
Conclusions
Achieving agricultural landscapes composed of fields and farms following agroecological management requires understanding of biodiversity patterns, biological interactions and mechanisms that determine and boost ecosystem functioning to improve services at landscape scale, involving farmers in a bottom-up and context-specific approach.