Research

Biodiversity Hedgerows

This research program explores the agricultural and ecological benefits of enhancing biodiversity in farming landscapes through the use of biodiversity hedgerows. Hedgerows provide essential ecosystem services such as supporting beneficial insects, preventing soil erosion, improving soil health, increasing water retention and contributing to higher crop yields. While most studies focus on hedgerows in large-scale monoculture systems, our work investigates their multifunctional role on smaller-scale ecological farms.

Publications:

Morrison, J., Izquierdo, J., Hernández Plaza, E., & González-Andújar, J. L. (2025). How the Functional Constitution of Plant Communities in Field Margins Affects Wild Bee Community Composition and Functional Structure. Agronomy, 15(6), 1354. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15061354
Morrison, J. (2024). The impact and design of field margins in promoting biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. In N. Reid & R. Smith (Eds.), Managing biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing.

Agroecological Transitions

This research program assesses the ongoing transition towards agroecology in Quebec. It involves the development and continuous maintenance of a comprehensive database of ecological farms across the province. Through surveys and interviews, we investigate the key challenges, concerns and resource investments associated with this transition. The insights gathered help identify areas where additional support is needed and guide future research aimed at advancing agroecological practices.

Publications:

Coming soon

Ecosystem Services of "Weeds"

Research typically focuses on the negative impacts of weeds and is aimed at minimizing these impacts. However, there is growing recognition of the ecological value they can offer, particularly in supporting biodiversity and contributing to ecosystem services. This research investigates the beneficial role that weeds can play in agroecosystems, aiming to deepen our understanding of their ecological functions and potential contributions to more resilient farming practices.

Publications:

Morrison, J., Izquierdo, J., Hernández Plaza, E., & González-Andújar, J. L. (2021). The attractiveness of five common Mediterranean weeds to pollinators. Agronomy, 11(7): 1314. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11071314
Kattge, J., Bönisch, G., Díaz, S., Lavorel, S., Prentice, I. C., Leadley, P., ... & Acosta, A. T. (2020). TRY plant trait database–enhanced coverage and open access. Global Change Biology, 26, 119-188. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14904
Blaix, C., Moonen, A. C., Dostatny, D. F., Izquierdo, J., Le Corff, J., Morrison, J., Von Redwitz, C., Schumacher, M., & Westerman, P. R. (2018). Quantification of regulating ecosystem services provided by weeds in annual cropping systems using a systematic map approach. Weed Research, 58(3), 151-164. https://doi.org/10.1111/wre.12303

Pollinator Conservation in Agroecosystems

This research stream explores how by increasing biodiversity we can better support wild pollinators in agroecosystems. We assess the value of biodiversity-enhancing features on farms across diverse landscapes and aim to identify the biotic and abiotic factors that most influence wild bee abundance and diversity.

Publications:

Tsang, T. P., De Santis, A. A., Armas‐Quiñonez, G., Ascher, J. S., Ávila‐Gómez, E. S., Báldi, A., ... & Bonebrake, T. C. (2025). Land use change consistently reduces α‐but not β‐and γ‐diversity of bees. Global change biology, 31(1), e70006. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70006
Morrison, J. (2018). Flowering native weeds for the conservation of wild pollinators in agroecosystems (Doctoral dissertation, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya). Castelldefels, Spain.
Morrison, J., Izquierdo, J., Plaza, E. H., & González-Andújar, J. L. (2017). The role of field margins in supporting wild bees in Mediterranean cereal agroecosystems: Which biotic and abiotic factors are important? Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 247, 216-224. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2017.06.047

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