Do improved pollination services outweigh the economic disadvantages of farming smaller fields?

With the current intensification in agricultural activity there has been an expansion in field sizes and the loss of permanent green field edges and other semi-natural habitats. From an economic perspective, the increase in field size improves agricultural efficiency — mainly due to cost savings. However, recent evidence suggests that increasing field size may decrease the ecosystem services provided by farmland biodiversity — but this trade-off is rarely considered. This study quantifies the economic and ecological effects of field-size changes for an agricultural region in Germany.