LB 16-143 - How digital tools can support diversified and multifunctional agro-ecological systems, using the DAKIS decision-support framework

Global agricultural systems are amongst the biggest contributors to ecosystem degradation. Much needed transformations towards more sustainable agriculture will require applying holistic and deep understanding of complex ecological processes to agricultural management. This could be facilitated by building capacities for accurate monitoring and accounting of multiple ecosystem services across spatial scales. Rapid developments and creative innovation in earth observation, process-based modelling and digital tools can contribute to filling this gap. The DAKIS (or Digital Agricultural Knowledge and Information System) project integrates digital technologies and field- and farm-level information to support improved agro-ecological system functioning through i) ecosystem service accounting; ii) evaluation of trade-offs; and iii) generation of land management recommendations. We pilot the implementation of the DAKIS approach in two 5 x 5 km landscape windows in Brandenburg, Germany. Our study sites were selected to represent variation of biophysical and anthropogenic factors in the study region (e.g., soil type, climate, field size, land cover). Based on crop-specific land-use maps, we integrate process-based models, remote sensing imagery and spatial analysis to spatially quantify soil erosion risk, landscape heterogeneity and pollination potentials, as well as yield productivity across the targeted landscapes. We then apply a trade-off analysis to evaluate ecosystem service provision and economic aspects associated with the establishment of target land management practices (e.g., hedgerows and vegetation buffers). As a result, we generate land-use maps showing intervention hotspots to scale up these practices.Ultimately, through our approach we integrate ecological considerations and socio-economic factors to support farmers' decision-making. Our recommendations contribute towards site-adapted small-scale multifunctional and diversified agriculture while simultaneously empowering farmers as ecological stewards of their land.