Integrating Biodiversity Conservation into Agroecosystem Management: Using Birds to Bring Conservation and Agricultural Production Together

Abstract

The conversion of natural areas into agricultural systems for food and energy production has globally put biodiversity and ecosystem functions at risk. Recent research has focused on characterizing biodiversity and ecological functions, e.g., pollination, seed dispersal, and control of herbivorous arthropods, as well as on the best agricultural practices to consort the production and conservation of natural environments. In this context, birds can serve as models - both for the relatively good taxonomic resolution and ecological knowledge and for the range of ecosystem services that they consistently perform. We discuss the most sustainable practices for both the maintenance of biodiversity focusing on bird fauna and of ecological processes, and thus for human well-being. In order to close ranks between biodiversity conservation and agricultural production, biodiversity can be incorporated directly or indirectly into agroecosystem management, either to measure or monitor ecological parameters, to identify priority areas for conservation, or to identify suitable native plant species for ecological restoration or agricultural productivity. For the state of Rio de Janeiro (RJ), different ecosystem management solutions are developed to link biodiversity conservation with the safe operation of agroecosystem and sustainable production, taking into account Brazil's complex legal-environmental framework.