Federal Department of Economic Affairs FDEA Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon Research Station ART Impact of agricultural land use and production on biodiversity in LCA Philippe Jeanneret, Daniel Baumgartner and Gérard Gaillard 19 th November 2010 - Lausanne
SALCA-Biodiversity Estimation of impact on biodiversity Agricultural Activities (AA) Biodiversity = Indicator Species Groups (ISG) Insecticide application AA-1 ISG-1 Birds Mowing AA-2 AA-3 Impact ISG-2 ISG-3 Butterflies Spiders AA-4 ISG-4 Wild flower strips AA-5 ISG-5 Scores based on scientific and expert knowledge Modelling and predicting the impact of farming operations on biodiversity 2 24/11/2010
Impact of agricultural activities on biodiversity selected indicators Habitat type Practice - Level I Practice - Level II Option Rating Meadow Cutting Number of cuts no cut 5 Meadow Cutting Number of cuts cut = very extensively used meadow 4 Meadow Cutting Number of cuts cut = extensively used meadow 4 Meadow Cutting Number of cuts cut = low input meadow 2 Meadow Cutting Number of cuts cut = fairly intensive meadow 1 Meadow Cutting Number of cuts cut = intensive meadow 1 Meadow Cutting Number of cuts cut = too intensive meadow 1 Impact of every option on each indicator is estimated with a rating between 0 and 5; Habitat type and practices have coefficients reflecting their significance for the indicator; Coefficients and ratings are estimated according to published investigations and expert knowledge; Coefficients and ratings are grouped to scores. Modelling and predicting the impact of farming operations on biodiversity 3
Agregation steps Habitat-1 ISG-1 AA-1 AA-2 Impact Rating-1 Rating-2 Score Habitat-1 for ISG-1 Score Habitat-1 for ISG-2 Farm score for biodiversity Score Habitat-1 for biodiversity Score Habitat-2 for biodiversity 4
Facing the problem: impact of agricultural land use on biodiversity First goal of the method: compare habitats/fields and management scenarios Mechanical/chemical impacts of management operations on ISG are estimated regardless of the area of habitats/fields Gabriela Brändle, ART J.-Y. Humbert, ART 5
Facing the problem: impact of agricultural land use on biodiversity Second goal of the method: compare land use scenarios for mosaic of habitats/fields or farms Biodiversity scores are weighted by the area of the habitats/fields X. Junge, B. Schüpbach, R. Briegel, G. Brändle, ART X. Junge, B. Schüpbach, R. Briegel, G. Brändle, ART 6
Facing and solving the problem: impact on biodiversity of producing agricultural goods SALCA-Biodiversity does not directly deliver scores for the impact of producing agricultural goods, e.g. 1kg milk; The impact of agriculture on biodiversity: the agricultural land use and the field management; Necessary: quantitative link between land use and field management, and the production of agricultural goods; Intermediate steps, models and assumptions may be necessary.? Gabriela Brändle, ART 7
Milk production as example Biodiversity Forage 1 Land use = grassland Field management Forage 2 Land use = corn Field management Biodiversity MJ NEL/kg MS MJ NEL/kg MS Biodiversity Grazing Land use = pasture Field management MJ NEL/kg MS Ration for a cow MJ NEL/kg MS Forage 3 Concentrates No land use at the farm? Biodiversity 1 kg milk 8
Outlook Impact of human activities on biodiversity needs detailed research, Main impact on biodiversity is caused by the land use (biodiversity land use!), Steps and paths linking land use and production goods have to be established to estimate the impact of these on biodiversity. SALCA-Biodiversity score system has not been developed for special cultures, vegetables, vineyards and orchards. 9
Thank you! ART Research for Agriculture and Nature 10