Using old fields for new purposes: modelling the impact of field restoration as a nature based solutions in the Montérégie

Overview

What are the ecosystem service implications of meeting COP 15 goals using agricultural restoration as a nature-based solution in low productivity areas?  New Canadian restoration commitments from COP15 aim to increase natural habitat and its ecosystem services. However, increasing natural habitat creates a trade-off in agricultural regions by reducing the area available for crop production. Using the Monteregie intensive agricultural landscape as our case study, we aim to determine whether nature-based solutions, such as restoring abandoned and degraded agricultural fields, could maintain our current crop production while increasing natural habitat to meet our COP15 commitment.

Project Lead: Catherine Destrempes

Collaborators: Jesse Rieb, Elena Bennett

Modeling the ecosystem service outcomes of different amounts of restoration of restoration of abandoned, degraded, or randomly-chosen fields

---