Biodiversity as a ripening buffer: smaller swings

The standard

A measurable buffering effect shows in smaller swings, not in better averages: damped soil temperatures, slower drying out, flattened population peaks of individual pests. It is thus a quantity within the terroir, not beside it; visible variety alone is no proof.

Criteria

• The effect is described as reduced fluctuation, not as a gain
• The organisms considered stand in a demonstrable relation to the vine
• The reference space is named: soil zone, vine row or surroundings
• Observation extends over several growing seasons

Distinction

Biodiversity ≠ cover cropping: cover cropping is a measure, biodiversity a state it can raise. Biodiversity ≠ certification: a certification examines procedures, not species counts. A measurable buffering effect is therefore demonstrable, but not certifiable.