A comparative analysis of the impact of biological and conventional agriculture on aquatic biodiversity (ORCA)

The ORCA partners will use their unique expertise and combine multiple existing databases with newly collected data to investigate the combined effects of agriculture type (organic versus conventional) and land use intensity (extensive versus intensive) on aquatic biodiversity in ponds and shallow lakes. More specifically, we wilI assess the effects of different types of agriculture practices on taxonomic, functional and intraspecific genetic diversity of multiple aquatic organism groups (macrophytes, zooplankton, macro-invertebrates, amphibians and fish) at local and regional spatial scales. Through access to extensive databases of existing data, ORCA wilI also be able to quantify the impact of buffer zones around the ponds on biodiversity and relate their effect to agricultural intensity and agricultural practices in the surroundings of the ponds. Using a stratified sampling design integrated in a context of the vast information affered by existing datasets, ORCA will evaluate potential effects of different scenarios of increasing organic agriculture on biodiversity at landscape scale. Based on our research findings, ORCA will develop a map of priority areas where a change in agriculture practice and land use intensity can have the largest impact on biodiversity and ecosystem services.