Restoration of biodiversity enhances agricultural production

Restoration of ecological communities is important to counteract global los ses in biodiversity. However, restoration on agricultural land is perceived as being costly because of losses in agricultural production. We suggest t he reported positive relationship between diversity and productivity means biodiversity could be used to enhance agricultural production. We examined this in hay meadow restoration experiments at seven sites across southern B ritain. At each site two seed mixes ("species-poor" with 6-17 species and " species-rich" with 25-41 species) were applied in a randomised block experi ment. Hay yield was higher in the species-rich treatment from the second ye ar onward, by up to 60%. Comparing the two treatments in all sites, there w as a simple linear relationship between the difference in species number an d the amount of increase in hay production. Fodder quality was the same in both treatments. This suggests farmers can maximize high quality herbage pr oduction in re-sown grasslands by maximizing biodiversity.