Data from: Effect of management on natural capital stocks underlying ecosystem service provision: a ‘provider group’ approach

Land management practices directly impact on the occurrence and condition of natural capital stocks, which can be measured using species diversity and abundance metrics. Species identity and abundance drive ecosystem service supply, either through effects of local diversity and/or through the presence of service providing species. However, the influence of management practices on the provision of ecosystem services is not adequately understood. We grouped grassland plant species into six groups according to desirable attributes (palatability and nutritional value to livestock; medicinal or aromatic compounds; nectar production; pollen production; nitrogen fixation; and endemic and red listed species), which we recognise as ecosystem service ‘provider groups’, and tested the influence of three land management practices (abandonment of mowing, grazing, and mowing) on diversity and abundance within these groups in upland temperate grasslands of Transylvania (Romania). All three management practices favoured at least one provider group, but hay making in upland grasslands favoured more provider groups than abandonment of mowing or grazing. The effects of management on diversity and abundance within several provider groups diverged from the effects on overall species diversity and abundance. Management, through changes in species composition, favours certain provider groups, and hence ecosystem services, over others. The provider group approach is more useful than overall species diversity metrics for assessing the provision of ecosystem services from landscapes and can be used to inform the development of agri-environment schemes and conservation policies aimed at meeting priorities for ecosystem service provision.

土地管理实践直接影响自然资本存量（natural capital stocks）的存续状况与质量水平，其效应可通过物种多样性与种群丰度指标进行量化评估。物种组成与种群丰度通过当地物种多样性的效应，或是通过提供生态服务（ecosystem service）的物种的存在，共同驱动生态系统服务的供给。然而，目前学界尚未充分厘清土地管理实践对生态系统服务供给的影响机制。本研究依据物种的优良属性，将草原植物划分为六大类群——即生态系统服务‘提供类群’：涵盖家畜适口性与营养价值、药用或芳香成分、花蜜产生能力、花粉产生能力、固氮作用，以及特有种与红色名录物种；并针对罗马尼亚特兰西瓦尼亚地区的温带山地草原，探究了三种土地管理实践——停止刈割、放牧与常规刈割——对这些类群内物种多样性与种群丰度的影响。三种土地管理实践均至少对一类服务提供类群产生正向促进作用，但山地草原的刈割制干草相较于停止刈割与放牧，能够惠及更多的服务提供类群。部分服务提供类群的物种多样性与丰度所受管理措施的影响，与整体物种多样性及丰度所受的影响存在显著差异。土地管理措施通过改变物种组成，对特定服务提供类群及其支撑的生态系统服务产生偏向性的促进作用。相较于整体物种多样性指标，服务提供类群分析法在评估景观生态系统服务供给方面更具实用性，可用于指导农业环境计划与保护政策的制定，以达成生态系统服务供给的优先目标。