Managed ecosystems: Biodiversity and ecosystem functions in landscapes modified by human use
This chapter examines the effects of management and intensification processes on biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. It begins with a metaanalysis of studies conducted along landscape gradients, then reviews relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem function within managed ecosystems. Pest control exemplifies the complexity of the functions of biodiversity in managed ecosystems (e.g., often correlating poorly with species richness, involving several trophic levels, and influenced by characteristics of the wider landscape). Finally, based on these analyses, this chapter describes an interdisciplinary context to link research on biodiversity and ecosystem function to end-users at different management scales that incorporates the influence of social and economic factors.
