Birds, ecosystem services, and farmland
Although agricultural conversion is a major driver of land use change, farms and ranches also produce food that is critical for human well-being and can also provide habitat for plants and animals. Understanding what policies and practices enhance the capacity of agroecosystems to support biodiversity and human well-being is a priority for meeting the Sustainable Development Goals. This is a challenge because animals can deliver both services (e.g., pest control) and disservices (e.g. frugivory/herbivory). Under what circumstances might farmers help birds and birds help farmers? Our group has explored these questions in apple orchards in western Colorado and in partnership with colleagues at Lund University – with results shared in PloS ONE and BioScience. Agroecosystems continue to be an active area of focus for our research group.