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Measures of the Effects of Agricultural Practices on Ecosystem Services...

by Virginia H Dale, Stephen Polasky
Publication Type
Journal
Journal Name
Ecological Economics
Publication Date
Page Numbers
286 to 296
Volume
64
Issue
2

Agriculture produces more than just crops. Agricultural practices have environmental impacts that affect a wide range of ecosystem services, including water quality, pollination, nutrient cycling, soil retention, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity conservation. In turn, ecosystem services affect agricultural productivity. Understanding the contribution of various agricultural practices to the range of ecosystem services would help inform choices about the most beneficial agricultural practices. To accomplish this, however, we must overcome a big challenge in measuring the impact of alternative agricultural practices on ecosystem services and of ecosystem services on agricultural production.