BOOK
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)
Additional Information
Book Details
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 |