As the population of the world increases, and biodiversity is challenged by new developments, farmland habitat is perhaps one of the most important environments for the future stability of our ecosystem.
In fact, farmland, covers nearly 75% of the country, providing plenty of opportunities to benefit wildlife and tackle food insecurity. Putting practices in place to better utilise this land for biodiversity can offer a whole host of benefits.
What are the benefits to increasing biodiversity on your farm or estate?
Increasing the biodiversity on your land can have a number of positive benefits that go beyond the financial compensation offered by the Environment Bill. Here are just some of the benefits:
- Increasing biodiversity and protecting wildlife populations can improve the agricultural productivity potential of your land.
- Tailored farming approaches can increase ecosystem stability during environmental change, without reducing agricultural yield.
- Biodiversity can help regulate ecosystem processes and delivery of ecosystem services.
- Protects the land from future shifts in climate without impacting the potential for food production.
What drives biodiversity loss in agriculture?
Land use and management intensity are just some of the factors that play a key part in biodiversity loss in agriculture. Approaches in land management such as fertiliser use, mowing frequency and grazing intensity has been shown to negatively affect biodiversity by reducing habitat variety.
The introduction of excess nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, through fertiliser use, has been shown to affect plant communities and influence various soil processes.
Best practices for increasing the biodiversity on your farm or estate
There are a number of ways that you can increase the biodiversity on your farm or estate, and some are surprisingly simple. Here are just a few:
- Leave areas unfertilised
Making sure that some small, grassy areas get to remain unfertilised is a good way to positively impact the biodiversity on your land. This method can encourage the growth of nettles, docks and thistles, which will attract insects and mammals such as mice and shrews to the area.
- Manage drainage
Waterlogged areas of farmland can deter wildlife and microbes. Effectively managing drainage can help maintain habitats for a range of species, while supporting grass growth, improving soil aeration and reducing soil compaction.
- Plant catch crops
Planting catch crops, or fodder crops, on land that would otherwise remain idle can provide animals with grazing, and fill the gap between harvest and spring time. They also help to prevent nitrogen leaching and provide much needed winter soil cover for small mammals and microorganisms.
- Manage hedgerows
Allowing hedgerows to grow 1.5m or higher can provide an ideal nesting ground for native birds. These hedgerows can also provide necessary cover and protection from predators. Encouraging bird species to make their homes in hedgerows can also offer you additional protection from insects, rodents and pest birds.
- Make homes for wildlife
Unfortunately, each new development will have an impact on the environment. Where possible, include places for local wildlife, and avoid removing existing habitats or wetlands. Incorporate spaces for wildlife in your planning proposal. Compensate any loss of nature with green walls, roofs, a biodiversity area or even a water feature.
- Retain existing nature
If your development or estate features existing natural sites such as ponds, streams, rivers or native hedgerows, ensure that residential areas are designed around these areas. This will not only benefit nature and biodiversity, but it will also make the location more appealing to potential residents.
- Bird feeders, bat boxes, bee blocks
You may think that including a bird feeder or bee block in your residential development is a small and somewhat insignificant way to protect the environment. However, the integration of products such as these can make a huge difference to local wildlife, and they can be integrated seamlessly into homes.
The environment bill
A new law was introduced in 2021 that required a 10% uplift of biodiversity in every new development, which comes into effect at the end of 2023. It may not always be possible to achieve the required uplift on site Where it isn’t possible, developers can partner with a local farmer or landowner to increase biodiversity on their land, thus hitting the 10% target.
Where are the biodiversity opportunities for landowners?
Opportunities for biodiversity exist in low productivity land that can easily support habitat creation. Low land is also much more attractive for development because the baseline biodiversity unit value will be lower, which means that it will be slightly more economical for the developer.
It’s important to consider every possible advantage and disadvantage of making your land available for biodiversity net gain before deciding to go ahead with the agreement.
How can an ecological consultant help you with biodiversity?
An ecological consultant can support you in assessing the current biodiversity value of your land, while supplying you with all of the information you need to increase the level of biodiversity. They can also support you through the process of gaining biodiversity net gain credits, providing services such as professional consultation, habitat surveys and the calculation of development and offsite land.
Would you like to speak to professional ecological consultants about the biodiversity opportunities available on your land? Contact the professionals at Engain for support and advice.