Ecosystem Services Provided by Grass-legume Pastures
side image of gopher tortoise opening its mouth. Figure 4 from  Wildlife of Florida Factsheet: Gopher Tortoise: WEC396/UW441, 8/2018
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Keywords

ecosystem service
forage
grassland
legume

How to Cite

Dubeux, Jose C. B., Lynn E. Sollenberger, Mark Mauldin, and Liza Garcia. 2018. “Ecosystem Services Provided by Grass-Legume Pastures: SS-AGR-423/AG423, 10/2018”. EDIS 2018 (5). Gainesville, FL. https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-ag423-2018.

Abstract

Ecosystem Services are the benefits society obtains from ecosystems. These services benefit both people and the environment. Ecosystem services (ES) provided by grasslands include not only products such as beef and milk (provisioning services), but also biological N2-fixation (BNF) and nutrient cycling (supporting ES), carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas mitigation, water catchment and purification, shade, windbreaks, habitat for pollinators and wildlife (regulating ES), and finally cultural (e.g., hunting, bird watching) and aesthetical ES. Grassland managers are providing these benefits to the entire society and they should receive compensation. Payment mechanisms can work numerous ways, including tax breaks, direct monetary compensation, and cost-share programs. The first step, however, is to measure and put a monetary value on these ES.

https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-ag423-2018
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References

Dubeux, Jr., J. C. B., A. R. S. Blount, C. Mackowiak, E. R. S. Santos, J. D. Pereira Neto, U. Riveros, L. Garcia, D. M. Jaramillo, and M. Ruiz-Moreno. 2017. "Biological N2 fixation, belowground responses, and forage potential of rhizoma peanut cultivars." Crop Sci. 57: 1027-1038. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2016.09.0810

Dubeux, Jr., J. C. B., L. Garcia, N. DiLorenzo, C. Prevatt, A. Blount, C. Mackowiak, E. Santos, D. Jaramillo, and M. Ruiz-Moreno. 2016. "Reduce your N fertilizer cost and maintain cattle productivity by planting forage legumes." The Florida Cattleman and Livestock Journal 81(3): 94-97.

Jensen, E. S., M. B. Peoples, R. M. Boddey, P. M. Gresshoff, H. Hauggaard-Nielsen, B. J. R. Alves, and M. J. Morrison. 2012. "Legumes for mitigation of climate change and the provision of feedstock for biofuels and biorefineries. A review." Agronomy for Sustainable Development 32: 329-364. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-011-0056-7

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. 2005. Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: Synthesis. Washington, D.C.: Island Press.

Santos, E. R. S., J. C. B. Dubeux, Jr., L. E. Sollenberger, A. R. S. Blount, C. Mackowiak, N. DiLorenzo, D. M. Jaramillo, L. Garcia, T. P. Pereira, and M. Ruiz-Moreno. 2018. "Herbage responses and biological N2-fixation of bahiagrass and rhizoma peanut monocultures compared with their binary mixtures." Crop Sci. 58: 1-15. doi: 10.2135/cropsci2018.02.0128. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2018.02.0128

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