A recent study published in the journal Nature Communications has revealed the impact of agricultural grassland use on ecosystems. The research team found that fertilization and mowing affect organisms at all levels of the ecosystem and across entire food chains, accelerating the system. Prof. Dr. Peter Manning from the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center Frankfurt, who led the research team, compares the phenomenon to the fable of the hare and the tortoise, where different strategies prevail depending on the environment. In nutrient-poor ecosystems, slower organisms, or ‘tortoises,’ dominate, while in more nutrient-rich conditions, faster organisms, or ‘hares,’ come out on top. The study shows that intensive agricultural use of grassland leads to the prevalence of ‘hares’ at all levels of an ecosystem.
The researchers analyzed data from the Biodiversity Exploratories project in the Swabian Alb, the Hainich region in central Germany, and the Brandenburg Schorfheide-Chorin biosphere reserve.
2024-02-17 10:00:04
Post from phys.org