A collection of field-based indicators for assessing ecosystem services in crop fields
(2025) One Ecosystem — Vol. 10, n° e151491, p. 1-35 (2025)
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- The transition from intensive crop production to more sustainable practices, such as ecologically intensive cropping systems, requires precise, field-based assessments of Ecosystem Services (ES). These assessments depend on selecting appropriate indicators that can measure the supply of ES directly within crop fields. Despite the growing recognition of the ES role in sustainable agriculture, comprehensive lists of field-applicable indicators remain scarce. To address this gap, we present and discuss a collection of 128 indicators for assessing provisioning and regulating ES in cropping systems, specifically designed for in situ, empirical measurements. The collection aims to support researchers and practitioners in selecting context-specific indicators that enhance site-specific knowledge for developing sustainable cropping systems. It was derived from an exhaustive previously published list, which included 507 indicators applicable across various ecosystem types and linked to various data collection methods. We filtered that exhaustive list using three criteria: applicability to crop fields, level in the ES cascade model (including ecosystem property, ecosystem function and human benefit, but excluding value and adding and including a new level of dis-service) and method of data collection (including field observation and remote sensing, but excluding all indirect methods). In the resulting dataset, including 128 indicators, we analysed the distribution of indicators across the different ES, cascade levels and methods of data collection to identify potential gaps in indicator availability that could hinder comprehensive assessments of the ES provided in crop fields. This analysis highlighted significant disparities in indicator distribution, notably concerning the levels of ES cascade quantifiables, as a vast majority of indicators for regulating ES quantify ecological properties or functions, while most indicators for provisioning ES quantify human benefits. We also identified a lack of indicators for air quality regulation, life cycle maintenance and water provision and, in contrast, a multiplicity of indicators employed for soil quality regulation and pollination. We discuss the reasons and consequences of these disparities and we underscore the importance of staying alert to emerging indicators driven by recent research trends and technological advancements, such as remote sensing.
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Leveau, L., Biot, N., Lobet, G., & Bertin, P. (2025). A collection of field-based indicators for assessing ecosystem services in crop fields. One Ecosystem, 10(e151491), 1-35. https://doi.org/10.3897/oneeco.10.e151491 (Original work published 2025)