Mixing species to produce ecosystem services: co-design of an integration and knowledge sharing tool mobilizing the concepts of functional ecology

Context

Current agriculture is mainly based on the use of fertilizers, plant protection products and monoculture in order to maintain high productivity. However, the use of synthetic fertilizers and plant protection products has a negative impact on the environment and has shown its limits in terms of sustainability of agro-ecosystems. One lever that can be mobilized is to promote ecosystem services through the mixing of cultivated species to promote biological regulation.

Scientific issue

However, little is known about how to mix species to promote these ecosystem services. Moreover, many combinations of species are possible to design crop mixtures.

Objective

Our aim is therefore to propose a generic method to design species mixtures based on a functional approach, which takes into account the functioning of mixtures in order to overcome the specificity of each species.

Approach

In order to understand these functioning, we will mobilize (i) scientific knowledge through the literature and experimentation and (ii) empirical knowledge gathered during design workshops with various stakeholders with expertise on the functioning of species mixtures. This approach will allow us to define the assemblage modes of the mixtures as well as the ecosystem services they can provide.

Expected results

The identification of important functions and traits will allow us to evaluate the level of service provided by a species mixture and to identify the species mixtures most likely to provide one or more services in a given agro-environmental context. This knowledge could make it possible to develop tools to help farmers and advisers in choosing species to make mixtures in agricultural plots.