Agri-Environment Measures Boost Wildlife Populations in Long-Term Farm Study
Published:03 Aug.2022 Source:UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Agri-environment schemes can significantly increase local bird and butterfly populations without damaging food production, a long-term research project has found.
Scientists from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) spent a decade intensively monitoring the impacts of a large-scale Defra-funded experiment at Hillesden, a 1,000-hectare commercial arable farm in Buckinghamshire. Beginning in 2005, this involved creating several wildlife habitats, including seed-bearing plants for birds, wildflowers for pollinators and tussocky grass margins to support a range of birds, insects and small mammals.