biological control, agricultural policy, ecosystem services, IPM, semi-natural habitat

Antichi, D.

Balazs, B.

Cresswell, J.

Entling, M.

Heijne, B.

Helden, M., van

Herzog, F.

Holland, J.

Jeanneret, P.

Kiss, J.

Moonen, A.C.

Paracchini, M.L.

Pointereau, P.

Rossing, W.A.H.

Veromann, E.

Werf, W., van der

Wageningen Yield 

Landscape Management for Functional Biodiversity 
IOBC-WPRS Bulletin Vol. 100, 2014 
pp. 55-58 
 
55 
 
 
The QuESSA Project: Quantification of Ecological Services  
for Sustainable Agriculture 
 
John Holland
1
*, Philippe Jeanneret
2
, Felix Herzog
2
, Anna-Camilla Moonen
3
,  
Walter Rossing
4
, Wopke van der Werf
4
, Jozsef Kiss
5
, Maarten van Helden
6
,  
Maria Luisa Paracchini
7
, James Cresswell
8
, Philippe Pointereau
9
, Bart Heijne
10
,  
Eve Veromann
11
, Daniele Antichi
12
, Martin Entling
13
, Bálint Balázs
14
 
1*
Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, UK; 
2
Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon Research 
Station, Switzerland; 
3
Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Institute of Life Sciences, Italy;
 
4
Wageningen University, The Netherlands; 
5
Szent Istvan University, Hungary; 
6
Université de 
Bordeaux, Ecole – BxScAgro, France; 7Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, 
Italy; 
8
University of Exeter, UK; 
9
SOLAGRO, initiatives and innovations for energy, 
agriculture, and environment, France; 
10
Stichting Dienst Landbouwkundig Onderzoek, 
Applied Plant Research, The Netherlands; 
11
Estonian University of Life Sciences, Estonia; 
12
University of Pisa, Italy; 
13
University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany; 
14
Environmental Social 
Science Research Group, Hungary 
*E-mail: jholland@gwct.org.uk 
 
 
Abstract: The vegetation in semi-natural habitats supports ecosystem services (ES) essential for the 
development of sustainable farming systems. QuESSA aims to quantify some of the key ES (e.g. 
pollination and biocontrol) derived from semi-natural habitats (SNH) for the main European cropping 
and farming systems. This will be achieved by identifying key SNH according to their potential to 
support selected ES based upon vegetation traits. The ES delivery will then be verified through field 
studies in 16 case studies covering the predominant European cropping systems. A case study is 
defined by a unique combination of region, crop species, and service. Data will parameterise spatially 
explicit models to determine how vegetation composition, management, shape, area, and placement of 
SNH in agricultural landscapes affect the distribution of ES from farm to landscape levels. To 
investigate synergies and trade-offs in ES, multi-criteria analysis will be developed to combine a suite 
of modules in an integrative modelling framework. The project will produce guidelines, make 
recommendations to local, national and EU stakeholders and provide a web-based tool for farmers to 
enhance exploitation of semi-natural habitats for ES provision.  
 
Key words: biological control, agricultural policy, ecosystem services, IPM, semi-natural habitats 
 
 
Introduction 
 
Current conventional farming systems are heavily reliant on agrochemical inputs that cause 
pollution of semi-natural habitats and are implicated in declining biodiversity causing 
disruption of ecosystem services (ES) (Geiger et al., 2010). At the same time, the expected 
need to produce 70% more food by 2050 (UN, 2010) will require further intensification of 
agricultural practices and loss of semi-natural habitats that support ecosystem services. These 
developments call for bio-technical and social breakthroughs to improve the sustainability of 
farming systems (Foresight, 2011) and to escape from the vicious cycle of further 
intensification of external inputs and greater degradation of ES and European landscapes. 
More knowledge on and awareness of the role of semi-natural habitats may well be the way 
out of the current lock-in of many conventional farming systems. Such knowledge and 
56 
 
awareness will help policy makers to further refine policy instruments already available in the 
CAP Pillar II, or planned in the CAP reform including the EU Green Infrastructure in 
agricultural areas and the Biodiversity Strategy, and will support farmers and other local 
stakeholders to adopt technologies based on eco-functional rather than external-input oriented 
intensification. 
 
 
Approach 
 
In the QuESSA project we will determine the levels of important ES (especially biocontrol 
and pollination) provided by the semi-natural habitats, how these levels are affected by the 
vegetation composition, management, shape, area and placement of the semi-natural habitats 
and establish what the degree of synergy or trade-off among various ES. The proposed 
research is structured around 16 case studies in 10 regions across the European continent 
chosen to represent highly divergent combinations of socio-economic and biophysical 
characteristics, including the main cropping systems (arable, orchards, vegetables and vines) 
and farming systems (conventional, innovative/organic) across four European agro-climatic 
regions (central; maritime; Mediterranean; North-east) (Bouma, 2005). This diversity enables 
us to combine local specificity in solutions with comparative analyses to establish the range of 
applicability of solutions and methods.  
 
Case studies 
In the case studies, which are each comprised of at least 18 independent 1-km radius 
landscape sectors, the vegetation in the predominant semi-natural habitat types was recorded 
in 2013 along with the abundance of natural enemies and pollinators. In order to make 
different types of vegetation comparable and link vegetation patches in the landscape to ES 
delivery in the studied fields, a trait-based approach will be applied (Lavorel & Garnier, 
2002). The functional traits of the vegetation within these habitats will then be used to predict 
the likely level of each ES to enable a score to be generated per habitat type and thereby per 
landscape sector. Over the following two years we will quantify ES delivery per landscape 
sector using a series of simple sentinel systems that were developed and tested in 2013. For 
biocontrol these include measurements of predation and parasitism of the main crop pest in 
each case study and of generic prey items (Calliphora larvae, Ephestia eggs, weed seeds) 
common across all case studies. Measurements of natural enemy densities will be performed 
using standard sampling approaches (pitfall traps, sticky traps) within crops. Data from the 
measurements of actual ES delivery will be used to refine our scoring system. Farm 
management practices will be recorded that may impact on the potential and actual ES 
provision of semi-natural habitats. In the case study regions private and public economic 
benefits, and non-monetary value of selected ES will be assessed through qualitative methods 
including semi-structured or in-depth interviewing and focus groups among farmers and local 
residents. 
 
Modelling and scaling up 
We also recognise that the resources provided by vegetation (food, shelter, overwintering and 
oviposition sites) for beneficial invertebrates may have an influence beyond the immediate 
field and even up to several km. Therefore, the more mobile the beneficials, the higher the 
need for spatially explicit modelling. State-of-the-art spatial modelling will be used to better 
understand ES provided by natural enemies of crop pests and pollinators and to generate heat 
maps that depict the level of ES provided in each landscape sector, by integrating information 
57 
 
on vegetation types, functional traits of plant species and dispersal abilities of ecosystem 
service providing insects, supported by the different vegetations in the landscape (Bianchi & 
van der Werf, 2003; 2004). An innovative spatially explicit prototype framework (Landscape 
IMAGES) will be used to synthesize knowledge on ES that are relevant in the case studies, 
such as natural pest control, pollination, erosion control, landscape quality, and investigate 
their synergies and trade-offs (Groot et al., 2007, 2010). In addition, modelling will be used to 
scale up the findings from the case study regions to European level, based on Europe-wide 
data and indicators. This will facilitate rapid evaluation of the current state of landscapes as 
well as exploration of alternative landscapes and their performance. 
 
 
 
 
Figure 1. Conceptual scheme proposed for the project: relations between case studies, 
scientific analyses and outputs. Abbreviations: ES: ecosystem services; SNH: semi-natural 
habitats. 
 
 
Stakeholder interactions and dissemination 
 
Two levels of stakeholder interaction are planned to ensure that the project evolves with the 
input from local stakeholders and national/EU policy makers to generate desirable outcomes. 
The case study partners will interact with local stakeholders throughout the project whilst a 
Stakeholder Advisory Board will advise on the needs at national and EU level. The outcomes 
will be communicated using a range of modern media and approaches. This will include the 
production of practical guidelines for farmers from the main European cropping systems 
(arable, fruit, olive, vineyard and horticulture). Local stakeholders will be informed though 
the use of on-farm demonstrations and guidelines about the potential contribution to ES from 
SNH and information on best management practices. A key output will be the production of a 
web-based tool for use by the farmers, their advisors and policy makers to optimise 
management of semi-natural habitats for maximisation of ES provision. This will utilise the 
scoring system of semi-natural habitats and mathematical models to allow users to calculate 
58 
 
“heat maps” maps for their own landscapes and manipulate these to explore opportunities for 
improvement of ES delivery. It is hoped that by engaging with policy makers we will be able 
to formulate recommendations for measures and policies that can support a more optimal 
development and exploitation of semi-natural habitats in agricultural landscapes across 
Europe. 
 
 
Acknowledgements 
 
QuESSA is funded by the European Union’s Framework 7 programme. For further 
information see www.quessa.eu. 
 
 
References 
 
Bianchi, F. J. J. A. & van der Werf, W. 2003: The Effect of the Area and Configuration of 
Hibernation Sites on the Control of Aphids by Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera: 
Coccinellidae) in Agricultural Landscapes: A Simulation Study. Environ. Entomol. 32: 
1290-1304. 
Bianchi, F. J. J. A. & van der Werf, W. 2004: Model evaluation of the function of prey in 
non-crop habitats for biological control by ladybeetles in agricultural landscapes. Ecol. 
Model. 171: 177-193. 
Bouma, E. 2005: Development of comparable agro-climatic zones for the international 
exchange of data on the efﬁcacy and crop safety of plant protection products. 
OEPP/EPPO Bulletin 35: 233-238. 
Foresight 2011: The Future of Food and Farming: Challenges and choices for global 
sustainability The Government Office for Science, London. 
Geiger, F., Bengtsson, J., Berendse, F. et al. 2010: Persistent negative effects of pesticides on 
biodiversity and biological control potential on European farmland. Basic Appl. Ecol. 11: 
97-105. 
Groot, J. C. J., Rossing, W. A. H., Stobbelaar, D. J., Renting, H., Van Ittersum, M. 2007: 
Exploring multi-scale trade-offs between nature conservation, agricultural profits and 
landscape quality – A methodology to support discussions on land-use perspectives. 
Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 120: 58-69. 
Groot, J. C. J., Jellema, A. & Rossing, W. A. H. 2010: Designing a hedgerow network in a 
multifunctional agricultural landscape: Balancing trade-offs among ecological quality, 
landscape character and implementation costs. Eur. J. Agron. 32: 112-119. 
Lavorel, S. & Garnier, E. 2002: Predicting changes in community composition and ecosystem 
functioning from plant traits: revisiting the Holy Grail. Funct. Ecol. 16: 545-556. 
UN 2010: Report submitted by the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Olivier De 
Schutter. A/HRC/16/49. 
 


The QuESSA Project: Quantification of Ecological Services for Sustainable Agriculture

Werf, van der, W.

Helden, van, M.

NARCIS 

Name not available

The vegetation in semi-natural habitats supports ecosystem services (ES) essential for the development of sustainable farming systems. QuESSA aims to quantify some of the key ES (e.g. pollination and biocontrol) derived from semi-natural habitats (SNH) for the main European cropping and farming systems. This will be achieved by identifying key SNH according to their potential to support selected ES based upon vegetation traits. The ES delivery will then be verified through field studies in 16 case studies covering the predominant European cropping systems. A case study is defined by a unique combination of region, crop species, and service. Data will parameterise spatially explicit models to determine how vegetation composition, management, shape, area, and placement of SNH in agricultural landscapes affect the distribution of ES from farm to landscape levels. To investigate synergies and trade-offs in ES, multi-criteria analysis will be developed to combine a suite of modules in an integrative modelling framework. The project will produce guidelines, make recommendations to local, national and EU stakeholders and provide a web-based tool for farmers to enhance exploitation of semi-natural habitats for ES provision

Holland, John

Jeanneret, Philippe

Herzog, Felix

Moonen, Anna Camilla

Rossing, Walter

Werf, Wopke van der

Kiss, Jozsef

van Heiden, Maarten

Paracchini, Maria Luisa

Cresswell, James

Pointereau, Philippe

Heijne, Bart

Veromann, Eve

Entling, Martin

Balázs, Bálint

ANTICHI, DANIELE

Archivio della Ricerca - Università di Pisa

The QuESSA Project: Quantification of Ecological Services for sustainable agriculture

http://library.wur.nl/WebQuery/wurpubs/fulltext/444916

The QuESSA Project: Quantification of Ecological Services for Sustainable Agriculture

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Wageningen Yield

NARCIS

Name not available

Archivio della Ricerca - Università di Pisa