Biological control and pollination services on organic farms

Abstract

Organic farming is an alternative agricultural system that encompasses holistic production tactics that promote and enhance ecosystem health. Organic farms rely on diverse communities of beneficial insects to provide critical ecosystem functions such as decomposition, biological control, and pollination. However, the conservation of ecosystem services in agricultural ecosystems including organic farms is a complex challenge, in part due to factors such as climate change and habitat loss. Organic farmers have begun to meet this challenge by adopting on-farm and landscape-level measures to preserve and restore ecosystem services, although more work is needed to stem the loss of global biodiversity. Here, we review the impacts of organic farming on communities of natural enemies and pollinators, and the services they provide. We also describe strategies currently used, and future research opportunities, that could further promote the conservation of these beneficial groups and their services in organic systems. Our review suggests that the conservation of natural enemies and pollinators on organic farms will require a multi-scale approach in which on-farm and landscape-level conservations are of equal importance. However, more research is needed to identify the particular practices that promote both of these beneficial groups simultaneously.