Dataset Information

Land-use choices follow profitability at the expense of ecological functions in Indonesian smallholder landscapes.

ABSTRACT: Smallholder-dominated agricultural mosaic landscapes are highlighted as model production systems that deliver both economic and ecological goods in tropical agricultural landscapes, but trade-offs underlying current land-use dynamics are poorly known. Here, using the most comprehensive quantification of land-use change and associated bundles of ecosystem functions, services and economic benefits to date, we show that Indonesian smallholders predominantly choose farm portfolios with high economic productivity but low ecological value. The more profitable oil palm and rubber monocultures replace forests and agroforests critical for maintaining above- and below-ground ecological functions and the diversity of most taxa. Between the monocultures, the higher economic performance of oil palm over rubber comes with the reliance on fertilizer inputs and with increased nutrient leaching losses. Strategies to achieve an ecological-economic balance and a sustainable management of tropical smallholder landscapes must be prioritized to avoid further environmental degradation.

SUBMITTER: Clough Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5062595 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Land-use choices follow profitability at the expense of ecological functions in Indonesian smallholder landscapes.

Clough Yann Y Krishna Vijesh V VV Corre Marife D MD Darras Kevin K Denmead Lisa H LH Meijide Ana A Moser Stefan S Musshoff Oliver O Steinebach Stefanie S Veldkamp Edzo E Allen Kara K Barnes Andrew D AD Breidenbach Natalie N Brose Ulrich U Buchori Damayanti D Daniel Rolf R Finkeldey Reiner R Harahap Idham I Hertel Dietrich D Holtkamp A Mareike AM Hörandl Elvira E Irawan Bambang B Jaya I Nengah Surati INS Jochum Malte M Klarner Bernhard B Knohl Alexander A Kotowska Martyna M MM Krashevska Valentyna V Kreft Holger H Kurniawan Syahrul S Leuschner Christoph C Maraun Mark M Melati Dian Nuraini DN Opfermann Nicole N Pérez-Cruzado César C Prabowo Walesa Edho WE Rembold Katja K Rizali Akhmad A Rubiana Ratna R Schneider Dominik D Tjitrosoedirdjo Sri Sudarmiyati SS Tjoa Aiyen A Tscharntke Teja T Scheu Stefan S

Nature communications 20161011

Smallholder-dominated agricultural mosaic landscapes are highlighted as model production systems that deliver both economic and ecological goods in tropical agricultural landscapes, but trade-offs underlying current land-use dynamics are poorly known. Here, using the most comprehensive quantification of land-use change and associated bundles of ecosystem functions, services and economic benefits to date, we show that Indonesian smallholders predominantly choose farm portfolios with high economic ...[more]

PMID: 27725673

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Dataset Information

Land-use choices follow profitability at the expense of ecological functions in Indonesian smallholder landscapes.

Publications

Land-use choices follow profitability at the expense of ecological functions in Indonesian smallholder landscapes.

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