Reconciling production and biodiversity in management of pastures and grasslands

Abstract

: Grasslands are crucial for the conservation of biodiversity across the world. Current agricultural 4 practices have increasingly replaced grasslands by crops or managed them more intensively, resulting in a 5 dramatic reduction of biodiversity. Is it possible to reconcile profitable grassland production with conservation of 6 biodiversity? This chapter reviews research on the relationship between biodiversity and the quantity and 7 quality of biomass produced by grasslands. The chapter shows it is possible to manage grasslands to reconcile 8 production and biodiversity of grasslands. 9