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Farmland Conservation

Farmland Conservation

Lynn V. Dicks | Joscelyne E. Ashpole | Juliana Dänhardt | Katy James | Annelie M. Jönsson | Nicola Randall | David A. Showler | Rebecca K. Smith | Susan Turpie | David R. Williams | William J. Sutherland

(2014)

Abstract

This synopsis covers evidence for the effects of conservation interventions for native farmland wildlife. It is restricted to evidence captured on the website www.conservationevidence.com. It includes papers published in the journal Conservation Evidence, evidence summarized on our database and systematic reviews collated by the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence. It is the thrid volume in the series Synopses of Conservation Evidence.

Evidence was collected from all European countries west of Russia, but not those south of France, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary and Romania.

A list of interventions to conserve wildlife on farmland was developed collaboratively by a team of thirteen experts. A number of interventions that are not currently agri-environment options were added during this process, such as ‘Provide nest boxes for bees (solitary or bumblebees)’ and ‘Implement food labelling schemes relating to biodiversity-friendly farming’. Interventions relating to the creation or management of habitats not considered commercial farmland (such as lowland heath, salt marsh and farm woodland) were removed.

The list of interventions was organized into categories based on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifications of direct threats and conservation actions. Interventions that fall under the threat category ‘Agriculture’ are grouped by farming system, with separate sections for interventions that apply to arable or livestock farms, or across all farming types.


Lynn V. Dicks is a Research Fellow in the Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge.

Joscelyne E. Ashpole is a Research Assistant in the Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge.

Juliana Dänhardt has a PhD in animal ecology and is currently employed as Research Administrator at the Centre for Environmental and Climate Research, Lund University.

Katy James is a Researcher at Harper Adams University.

Annelie M. Jönsson is a PhD student in the Department of Biology at Lund University, Sweden.

Nicola Randall is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Crop and Environmental Science and Director of the Centre for Evidence-Based Agriculture at Harper Adams University.

David A. Showler is an Ecological Consultant based in Norwich, UK.

Rebecca K. Smith is a Research Associate in the Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge.

Susan Turpie is an Agri-Environment Policy Officer in the Natural Heritage Management Team, Scottish Government.

David Williams is a Doctoral Student in the Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge.

William J. Sutherland is the Miriam Rothschild Professor of Conservation Biology at the University of Cambridge.


The authors are to be congratulated in summarising this huge mass of information for conservationists.


John Badmin

Table of Contents

Section Title Page Action Price
Farmland Conservation 2
Farmland Conservation 3
Contents 5
Advisory board 10
About the authors 11
Acknowledgements 12
About this book 13
The purpose of Conservation Evidence synopses 13
Who this synopsis is for 13
The Conservation Evidence project 14
Scope of the Farmland Conservation synopsis 15
How we decided which conservation interventions to include 15
How we reviewed the literature 15
How the evidence is summarized 16
Terminology used to describe evidence 17
Taxonomy 18
Significant results 18
Multiple interventions 18
How you can help to change conservation practice 18
Perennial (non-timber) crops 256
Key messages 256
Maintain traditional orchards 256
Restore or create traditional orchards 256
Manage short-rotation coppice to benefit wildlife (includes 8 m rides) 256
3.1 Maintain traditional orchards 256
3.2 Restore or create traditional orchards 257
3.3 Manage short-rotation coppice to benefit wildlife (includes 8 m rides) 258
Residential and commercial development 364
Key messages 364
Maintain traditional farm buildings 364
Provide bat boxes, bat grilles, improvements to roosts 364
Provide owl nest boxes (tawny owl, barn owl) 364
5.1 Maintain traditional farm buildings 364
5.2 Provide bat boxes; bat grilles; improvements to roosts 364
5.3 Provide owl nest boxes (tawny owl; barn owl) 365
Agri-chemicals 367
Key messages 367
Leave headlands in fields unsprayed (conservation headlands) 367
Buffer in-field ponds 367
Provide buffer strips alongside water courses (rivers and streams) 367
Reduce chemical inputs in grassland management 367
Restrict certain pesticides 367
Make selective use of spring herbicides 367
Use organic rather than mineral fertilizers 367
Reduce fertilizer, pesticide or herbicide use generally 368
6.1 Leave headlands in fields unsprayed (conservation headlands) 368
6.2 Buffer in-field ponds 386
6.3 Provide buffer strips alongside water courses (rivers and streams) 387
6.4 Reduce chemical inputs in grassland management 389
6.5 Restrict certain pesticides 396
6.6 Make selective use of spring herbicides 397
6.7 Use organic rather than mineral fertilizers 397
6.8 Reduce fertilizer, pesticide or herbicide use generally 404
Transport and service corridors 420
Key messages 420
Manage land under power lines to benefit wildlife 420
7.1 Manage land under power lines to benefit wildlife 420
Hunting and trapping (for pest control, food or sport) 421
Key messages 421
Avoid use of lead shot 421
Provide ‘sacrificial’ grasslands to reduce the impact of wild geese on crops 421
Use scaring devices (e.g. gas guns) and other deterrents to reduce persecution of native species 421
Enforce legislation to protect birds against persecution 421
Use alerts to reduce grey partridge by-catch during shoots 421
8.1 Avoid use of lead shot 421
8.2 Provide ‘sacrificial’ grasslands to reduce the impact of wild geese on crops 422
8.3 Use scaring devices (e.g. gas guns) and other deterrents 423
8.4 Enforce legislation to protect birds against persecution 424
8.5 Use alerts to reduce grey partridge by-catch during shoots 425
Natural system modification 426
Key messages 426
Manage heather by swiping to simulate burning 426
Manage heather, gorse or grass by burning 426
Raise water levels in ditches or grassland 426
Remove flood defence banks to allow inundation 426
Re-wet moorland 426
Create scrapes and pools 426
9.1 Manage heather by swiping to simulate burning 426
9.2 Manage heather, gorse or grass by burning 427
9.3 Raise water levels in ditches or grassland 428
9.4 Remove flood defence banks to allow inundation 432
9.5 Re-wet moorland 433
9.6 Create scrapes and pools 433
Invasive and other problematic species 437
Key messages 437
Control invasive non-native plants on farmland (such as Himalayan balsam; Japanese knotweed) 437
Control bracken 437
Control scrub 437
Control weeds without damaging other plants in conservation areas 437
Control grey squirrels 437
Control mink 437
Control predatory mammals and birds (foxes, crows, stoats and weasels) 437
Protect individual nests of ground-nesting birds 437
Erect predator-proof fencing around important breeding sites for waders 437
Remove coarse fish 438
Manage wild deer numbers 438
Provide medicated grit for grouse 438
10.1 Control invasive non-native plants on farmland 438
10.2 Control bracken 439
10.3 Control scrub 440
10.4 Control weeds without damaging other plants in conservation areas 440
10.5 Control grey squirrels 446
10.6 Control mink 446
10.7 Control predatory mammals and birds (foxes, crows, stoats and weasels) 447
10.8 Protect individual nests of ground-nesting birds 450
10.9 Erect predator-proof fencing around important breeding sites for waders 451
10.10 Remove coarse fish 451
10.11 Manage wild deer numbers 452
10.12 Provide medicated grit for grouse 452
Education and awareness 454
Key messages 454
Provide training for land managers, farmers and farm advisers 454
Provide specialist advice and/or assistance preparing conservation plans 454
11.1 Provide training for land managers, farmers and farm advisers 454
11.2 Provide specialist advice and/or assistance preparing conservation plans 454
Index 455