Weeding out the facts – how farming affects biodiversity
The University of Sheffield is part of a multi-institution research project looking at how the land management strategies of farmers affect the biodiversity of the countryside. The aim of the research is to bring together social and natural scientists to understand the factors underlying farming practice, and the implications of these differing practises for biodiversity.
Professor Rob Freckleton, of the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences at the University of Sheffield, is looking at arable land use – or farming practice which involves growing crops. As part of a team including the Universities of Reading, Cranfield and East Anglia, led by Cambridge University, the researchers are aiming to help arable farmers protect the ecology and biodiversity of the land they cultivate, whilst at the same time ensuring optimal crop yields. This is part of a wider initiative to study the economics of farming, the Rural Economy and Land Use (RELU) programme managed by the University of Newcastle.
The team used computer models to predict how key biodiversity indicators, such as weeds and birds, will respond to the way farmland is managed. These models were developed using long-term data available from the British Trust for Ornithology, together with detailed farm surveys. In addition, the team also used economic models to determine which farming practices are financially optimal and deliver the best economic returns.
By forging close links between the natural and social sciences the team have been able to determine why farmers deviate from these model predications, and why farmers vary in the way they manage farms. It is hoped that by understanding their priorities, the research will enable arable farmers to balance economic considerations with the need to protect the ecology of their land. Currently variation in management between farms is known to be an important determinant of biodiversity and one of the key objectives of the research is to understand the basis for this.
Professor Robert Freckleton explains: "In the world of farming weeds are both economically and ecologically significant. Weeds serve an important ecological function by providing a habitat for spiders and insects, which in turn provide food for birds such as skylarks. As custodians of our countryside, it is crucial that farmers maintain the biodiversity of their land, and our ultimate aim is to ensure that they can do this whilst also achieving optimal yields and good economic returns".
The current work is so significant because, for the first time, Professor Freckleton and his post doctoral researcher Simon Queenborough have been able to map whole fields: Professor Freckleton again: "We have developed a completely new method for assessing weed densities, on a much larger scale than before. Previous studies have been conducted at the scale of a single field, but we have managed to map 500 fields across 50 farms. Eventually we intend to use this data to develop computer software tools which will allow us to predict weed densities and this relates to changes in farm management".
The team's models will be used to answer a range of policy questions, including what would be the best policy measures to achieve the targets on bird populations set by the government?; what determines which new farming methods will be adopted by farmers?; and what will be the social and economic consequences of biodiversity conservation?
"By exploring how the attitudes, priorities and actions of farmers affect biodiversity, we hope to contribute to best practice models for arable farm management. Our research is particularly important given that the use of herbicides is set to be curtailed by the government, meaning that management practices will take centre stage".
For further information, please contact Professor Rob Freckleton at:
email : r.freckleton@sheffield.ac.uk
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