Water is fundamental for the generation of most ecosystem services. Water connects different parts of a landscape and as such it is involved in the trade-offs among these component parts. This research theme addresses the multifunctionality of agricultural landscapes, combining several different services including food production, water provisioning, pollination, outdoor recreation, and cultural values. The aim of the project is to develop a conceptual framework and new empirical methods that allow us to investigate multi-dimensional trade-offs and synergies among 'bundles of ecosystem services', focusing on agricultural landscapes. One objective is finding management practices that increase positive synergies among multiple ecosystem services simultaneously.

The project has started by addressing these issues conceptually and empirically, and it builds on ongoing work in Northern Wisconsin (USA), Quebec (Canada), Pangani River Basin (Tanzania) and Thukela River Basin (South Africa) and Sörmland (Sweden).

Contact: Elena Bennett and Garry Peterson, McGill University